Factum Perspectives – Page 2

Factum Perspective: The elections in Maldives

Regional GeopoliticsAugust 27, 2023456Views 1Like 0Comments

By Aavin Abeydeera Within the next few weeks, Maldives will be going into a general election to elect their next president. One would assume that political intrigue and kingmaking would not afflict such an idyllic nation, but such assumptions quickly erode once one delves into the palace games surrounding the Maldivian general elections. At the…

Factum Perspective: The “Other” Korea

History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsAugust 20, 2023608Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe In North Korea, August 15 is Liberation Day, August 25 Songun Day, and September 9 Foundation Day. The popular picture of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a prison camp on the brink of collapse may be exaggerated. As the late Pyongyang-based AP journalist Eric Talmadge reported in 2017,…

Factum Perspective: Recovering the Lost Paradise – Utopianism in Modern Sri Lankan Architecture and Landscaping

History and CultureAugust 13, 20231KViews 1Like 1Comment

By Dhanuka Bandara "It is necessary to cultivate our garden.” Voltaire, “Candide” On an artificial island surrounded by the Diyavanna Oya at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka, stands the country’s most infamous building, the Parliament Complex. The Complex was designed by arguably Sri Lanka’s most renowned architect of the 20th century, Geoffrey Bawa, built during…

Factum Perspective: Child Labor in Sri Lanka – A Stolen Childhood and an Uncertain Future

International DevelopmentAugust 7, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Britney Martil In the serene landscapes of Sri Lanka, a dark reality persists beneath the surface, where the laughter of children is silenced by exploitation and deprivation. The term “child labor” takes on an alarming interpretation since it refers to employment that destroys the innocence of childhood and jeopardizes their potential and dignity. Child…

Factum Perspective: Putting de-dollarization in perspective

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 23, 20232KViews 3Likes 3Comments

By Rumeth Jayasinghe “Our country is crashing and will soon no longer be the world standard, which will be our greatest defeat frankly in 200 years. There will be no defeat like that will take us away from being even a great power.” Donald Trump In its simplest sense, de-dollarization refers to the global shift…

Factum Perspective: Ranil Wickremesinghe’s mission to New Delhi

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 16, 2023508Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya On July 2 and 3, Factum held its first Ambassadors’ Day at the Kataragama Esala Perahera. The event was attended by the Bangladeshi High Commissioner and the First Secretary to the Maldivian High Commission on the first day, and the Thai Ambassador on the second, which coincided with the final night of…

Factum Special Perspective: Kataragama and its multiple meanings

History and CultureJuly 12, 2023712Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe Historically, Sri Lankans have tended, whatever their faith, to tolerate other faiths. Indeed, to some extent every religion on the island has been influenced by the others. This mystical assimilation is reinforced by the existence of a syncretic system of folk belief underlying the major religions, incorporating a gamut of myths and…

Factum Perspective: “Gaadi” and the Utopianism of “The Doomed King”

History and CultureMay 21, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Dhanuka Bandara Gaadi, the latest film by the veteran Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, has renewed general interest in the twilight years of the Kandyan kingdom. Gaadi – which means “Children of the Sun” – is a historical film set against the backdrop of the fall of the Kandyan kingdom in 1815. It is…