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163 articles published

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

History and Culture2 days ago98Views 0Likes 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, 2026230Views 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, 2026479Views 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, 2026250Views 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, 2026735Views 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, 2026548Views 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, 2026484Views 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, 2026380Views 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.

Factum Perspectives: Is Global Governance Failing?

International Development, Peace and ConflictJune 14, 2026578Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Dr. Jayathry Gunaratne The concept ‘global governance’, or “the sum of many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs, which is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and cooperative action may be taken" as defined by the Commission on Global Governance (1995) is…

Factum Perspectives: The Narrowing Path for Sri Lanka amid Global Power Play

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJune 7, 2026968Views 1Like 0Comments

By Tarun Perera The current distribution of power in the international system is best described as unbalanced multipolarity, also known as polycentricity. Several great powers coexist alongside regional hegemons, joined by middle powers exhibiting varying degrees of revisionist tendencies expressed through either unilateral power balancing or multilateral coalition building, in groupings such as BRICS and…

Factum Perspectives: Data Centers, Climate Change, and Sri Lanka’s Digital Infrastructure Crossroads

Climate and environment, Science and TechnologyMay 31, 2026635Views 0Likes 0Comments

This article is the first in a multi-part series, by Factum, exploring the shifting landscape of global digital infrastructure and climate change. By Dulanjaya Mahagamage The global data center industry has experienced such a rapid and profound transformation that it has surpassed both regulatory frameworks and public understanding. Historically, digital infrastructure was viewed…