Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Wednesday, 11 December 2019 00:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
P.A.C. Priyadarshani, the Principal of St. Mary’s College, Mathugama, was crowned the winner of Integrity Icon 2019 on Monday, having earned the most votes through the public SMS poll, which garnered over 20,000 votes.
The Integrity Icon 2019 final also felicitated four other icons - Sri Lanka Customs Central Investigation Bureau Assistant Superintendent A.M.A.S. Amarasinghe; Coast Conservation Department Director General B.K.P. Chandrakeerthi; Verugal, Trincomalee Divisional Secretary K. Kunanathan and Jaffna Teaching Hospital Director Dr. T. Sathiyamoorthy.
The finale of Integrity Icon 2019, an initiative conducted by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) to “name and fame” honest public officials who go beyond the call of duty to serve the public with integrity, was held at the BMICH in Colombo. Integrity Icon 2019 saw more than 80 public officials nominated.
Priyadarshani demonstrated her integrity through her zero-tolerance policy against political interference and other attempts to influence Grade 1 admissions to her school. Priyadarshani has strictly implemented the points system through which to score applications for enrollment at the school and has been able to withstand external pressures in the running of St. Mary’s College, Mathugama.
The audience were addressed by Chief Guest Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, academic and former Vice-Chair of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when it co-received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. The august gathering included senior public officials, diplomats, civil society representatives, journalists, the families of icons and other dignitaries.
In his address to the gathering, Prof. Munasinghe highlighted the importance of integrity in public service, especially in the present, given the global challenge presented by climate change. Prof. Munasinghe also drew from his own experience to underscore the importance of integrity towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking on winning Integrity Icon 2019, Priyadarshani said: “If public officials are to work with honesty, they must let go of the fear of political authority and reprisals. While officials are often accused of being headstrong and rebellious in carrying out their duties, in my experience I have found that such labels have been attached in instances where I have actually done my duty in line with the law.”
Integrity Icon is a global campaign conceptualised by Accountability Lab and was first held in Nepal in 2015. The campaign has since spread across the globe and has become an annual event in numerous countries including Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa and most recently Mexico. A unique feature of the campaign is that in addition to recognising local integrity champions, it is anchored in public participation when nominating and voting on the Integrity Icon winner.
