Unity Mission Trust conducts 1st National Youth Leaders Conference

Unity Mission Trust conducted its first National Youth Leaders Conference recently in Colombo, creating a new dimension to the work of the Trust, which is dedicated to fostering unity, integration, healing and reconciliation amongst Sri Lankan youth, since May 2009. 

46 hand-picked youth leaders from 12 districts were invited to participate in this two-day event on 9 and 10 January in Colombo. 

The year 2016, thus began with a very practical, grassroots level conference on practical application of unity, integration, healing and reconciliation initiatives to be applied amongst the 7,500 youth who have previously been a part of Unity Mission Trust programs and other youth in the local communities. This is a practical application of Sri Lanka’s real need of building grassroots level of understanding and strengthening bridges of friendship across Sri Lanka. 

The keynote speakers at the conference were Mano Tittawella, Chairman of EAP Group and Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy. Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Lohan Goonewardena (Chairman of Trust) and N. Vasantha Kumar (Trustee and CEO/GM of People’s Bank) and Rukshan Perera (International Musician and Trustee) also addressed the youth leaders present. Bertal Pinto-Jayawardena, Founder Trustee/Co-ordinator, delivered a motivational presentation on the way forward for the year 2016 and beyond. Trustees Reyaz Mihular and Anushya Coomaraswamy also made it a point to be present at the sessions.

Harindi Suriyaarachchi (former Head Prefect of Hillwood College and Kandy Regional Leader), T. Purusothma (Jaffna Regional Leader – former Prefect of St. Johns College Jaffna), Sushmitha Ramesh (Regional Leader Killinochchi – former Head Prefect St. Theresa’s Girls School), Wasana Maltharika (Regional Leader Ambalangoda – Former Head Prefect of Sri Devananda), Nimesha Jayamanne (Regional Leader Colombo – former Head Prefect St. Lawrence Convent) and S. Mayuran Raj (Regional Leader Mannar – former Prefect of St. Xavier’s College) presented well-made papers on a range of practical topics to take forward the work of Unity Mission Trust. Conference sessions were chaired by Sasha Pinto-Jayawardena. 

The papers presentations were followed by group discussions and plenary sessions to work out specific recommendations. This was followed by a very intense session on the second day of building up networks and inter-relationships. This was a strengthening of the bridges of friendships that already exist and working out specific action plans to link up on an inter-regional basis through 2016. 

Trustees: 

The trustees are Anushya Coomaraswamy, Kushan D’Alwis-PC, Dian Gomes, Maj. Gen. (Rtd). Lohan Goonewardena RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, IG (Chairman), Reyaz Mihular, Prof. Rohan Gunaratne, Dr. Wimal Karandagoda, N. Vasantha Kumar, Rukshan Perera, Shyamala Pinto-Jayawardena (Co-Founder Trustee),

Chandra Schaffter, Ramola Sivasundaram, Jayakumar Thangavelu,  Dushyanthi Thusheetharan, Sanath Weeratunga, Nirmali Wickramasinghe, Bertal Pinto-Jayawardena (Founder/Co-ordinating Trustee)

The Unity Mission Trust has been in operation since May 2009 and has worked to foster unity, integration, healing and reconciliation. The Trust uses a platform of leadership and personal capacity development and empowerment of self-confidence at a series of programs that have been held across Sri Lanka, as a means of achieving the objectives of the Trust. The Trust has linked up with over 7,500 youth who have absorbed the messages of unity and learning. Many have built bridges of friendship and understanding across Sri Lanka that has endured the test of time. 

Other trustees are Shyamala Pinto-Jayawardena (Co-Founder Trustee), Ramola Sivasundaram, Nirmali Wickramasinghe, Chandra Schaffter, Dr. Wimal Karandagoda, Prof. Rohan Gunaratne, Dian Gomes, Kushan D’Alwis and Sanath Weeratunge.

More information can be obtained from www.unitymission.lk or by calling Bertal Pinto-Jayawardena 0768360103. You can also follow the Trust on FB (Unity Mission Trust) and Twitter (@unitymission).