Factum LK

166 articles published

Meet the Newest Player in International Conflict Mediation – Pakistan

Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics22 hours ago107Views 0Likes 0Comments

Shaheen Abdul Gani and Salma Razick For much of the post-Cold War era, international conflict resolution was largely a Western enterprise. The United States, its allies and the United Nations remained the principal brokers of peace, from the Camp David Accords to the Dayton Agreement, relying on diplomatic influence, economic leverage and security guarantees. Today, however, that landscape…

Myths and realities of Sri Lanka’s proposed ban on raw mineral exports: What would it take for Sri Lanka to add value to its minerals?

Economic Diplomacy, Science and TechnologySeptember 27, 2026403Views 0Likes 0Comments

Hasarel Gallage Sri Lanka's new National Mineral Policy presents a zealous ambition. By calling for a ban on exporting minerals without value addition, it provides an appealing target to maximise Sri Lanka’s profits earned from its mineral resources. But a closer look beyond the buzzwords reveals a more complicated picture marred by industrial realities and…

Balancing Powers: A New Direction for Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy

Economic Diplomacy, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 20, 2026307Views 0Likes 0Comments

Kawsar Mia and Abdul Momen Bangladesh should stop treating foreign policy as a choice between rival camps. A more durable strategy is to build a diversified portfolio of partnerships, using different countries for trade, technology, connectivity, labour mobility and finance, while keeping strategic dependence on any single power to a minimum. Foreign Policy Should Be…

The Soft Power Paradox: Why Russia’s Global Appeal Remains Limited

History and CultureSeptember 13, 2026315Views 2Likes 0Comments

By Menuka Wijesinghe Soft power, a relatively new concept coined by Joseph Nye in the late 1980s, is the state's ability to influence and shape another's preferences and values through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or force. In current international relations discourse, it is evident that global powers such as China and emerging powers…

Towards an Integrated Maritime Domain Awareness Framework for Sri Lanka

Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 6, 2026523Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Roshelle Fernando Maritime Domain Awareness emerges as a vital enabler for maritime security. Both littoral and non-littoral states have become increasingly interested and taken strategic steps to promote the monitoring, regulation, and defence of the maritime interests. For Sri Lanka maritime domain awareness is utmost importance, especially since its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)…

Sri Lanka’s Critical Minerals: Navigating a Contested Geopolitical Landscape

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsAugust 30, 2026719Views 0Likes 0Comments

Hasarel Gallage In June 2026, Sri Lanka launched its new National Mineral Policy, branded as the country's first attempt in 27 years to streamline its mineral industry. The policy is expected to develop the domestic mineral industry to yield deeper economic gains by integrating Sri Lanka's mineral sector with the growing global race for critical…

From Precarity to Modern Slavery: What Sri Lanka Needs to Know

Economic DiplomacyAugust 23, 2026303Views 1Like 0Comments

By Gayani Samarakoon Precarious work remains a major global concern despite strong legal frameworks and multi-stakeholder initiatives such as International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to promote decent work. Yet new, increasingly insecure forms of work continue to emerge. In Sri Lanka, platform work, operating…

Beyond Celebration: Indigenous Peoples and the Decolonization of Knowledge

History and CultureAugust 16, 2026833Views 5Likes 0Comments

By Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni Celebrating Indigenous peoples without their knowledge systems is not a celebration. Taking the UN's 2026 theme on Indigenous midwives as its departure point, this piece argues that knowledge was a colonial technology, that the epistemic line is being redrawn in AI training data, and that cognitive sovereignty is urgent policy.…

Factum Perspectives: Reframing Sri Lanka’s Energy Transition Through Resilience: Energy Security After the Shock

Climate and environmentJuly 5, 2026589Views 1Like 0Comments

By Verangika Upananda The World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index 2026 (ETI) was published a few weeks ago. ETI is a benchmark that measures how well countries are progressing toward a more secure, sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy system, while also assessing whether the conditions are in place for future progress. In simple terms, it…

Factum Perspectives: Parasocial Interaction (PSI), Digital Nationalism, and Facebook Discourse Following the Arrest of Sri Lanka’s Ex-Intel Chief

Science and TechnologyJune 28, 2026529Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Dulanjaya Mahagamage 1. Introduction In 1956, sociologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl introduced the term "parasocial interaction (PSI)" to describe the one-sided, mediated intimacy that television viewers develop with on-screen performers. This creates an illusion of a face-to-face relationship that exists solely in the audience's imagination. Horton and Wohl argued that television…

Factum Perspectives: What The 2026 El-Niño Means for Sri Lanka

Climate and environmentJune 21, 20264KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Dulmi Thimansa Sri Lanka is still grappling with one of its worst economic crises in years and the focus is on fiscal reforms, debt restructuring and economic stabilisation. But lurking silently in the background is yet another challenge. Climate monitoring centers globally have signalled that El Niño conditions are likely to form in the second half of 2026, which…

A Policy Study On Sri Lanka’s Energy Transition, Geopolitics, and Energy Futures

PublicationsJune 16, 2026442Views 0Likes 0Comments

Full Report Download The report by Factum's Research Specialist Verangika Upananda outlines a structural framework for Sri Lanka's sustainable energy transition, grid modernization, and national energy independence. It evaluates the country's current electricity generation mix and proposes technological and institutional frameworks to address pressing financial constraints and regional geopolitical challenges.