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Saturday, 21 March 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Young Professionals Organisation of UNP discusses RTI and maintaining unity

Sunday Observer Editor Lakshman Gunasekera By Senuri de Silva Right to Information will improve media credibility, stated top communications experts speaking at a meeting of the UNP Youth Professionals Organisation (YPO) on Wednesday. Such a right would benefit the media by creating a demand for a higher standard of accountability in reporting, asserted Sunday Observer Editor Lakshman Gunasekera. He said the availability of information will allow the public to more critically analyse their news because, “if you get information on your own, you can compare it with what the media gets and have a more critical analysis of mass media”. Apart from this, it had little to do with the media which is not in the business of creating but rather taking information and ‘packaging’ it in a way that fits the need and expectations of their target audience. In reality information is simply a ‘by-product’ of news media. “The Right to Information is defined as ‘activities of the government accountable to the people,’” Gunasekara further explained, noting that that right stemmed from citizens’ right to vote and their duty to pay taxes. For this reason he also pointed out that the Right to Information would not apply to any individual’s private life or to companies while reiterating that it also had little to do with mass media per se. NIBM Chairman and former Education Minister Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku shared his thoughts through a video message in which he acknowledged the part played by the youth of the country and their contribution to the outcome of the election on 8 January. He reiterated the UNP’s commitment towards maintaining a united Sri Lanka to the youth gathering so that they may carry on this vision as future leaders of the party. “We hope that as the baton of the UNP leadership is passed, your generation will fulfil the aspirations of party leaders in ensuring a united Sri Lanka.” Former telecommunications industry CEO Dumindra Ratnayaka also gave a passionate speech about the importance of unity, noting that every human was the same. “We were all humans until race disconnected us, religion separated us, politics divided us and wealth classified us.” He also stated that diversity was an important aspect of life just as the various climates and landscapes of Sri Lanka from the cold upcountry to the warm sandy beaches added to its uniqueness. There are a number of factors such as places of origin or class can cause differentiation even among those belonging to a majority group which was, for example, based on religion. Those who seek to create division and disharmony can always capitalise on these differences to create conflict. Therefore, Ratnayake advised the Young Professionals to be mindful of the fact “we will always have differences. It never ends.”

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