Lawtoractor

Rotaract Club of the University of Colombo

Faculty of Law
Issue 1 Volume 1 Year 2014

2
Whats Inside
Edi tori al
Pg. 3
Message Fromthe Di stri ct Rotaract
Representati ve
Pg. 4
Second I nstal l ati on Ceremony of the
Rotaract Cl ub of Facul t y of Law
Pg. 5
Tri p to Negombo Pg. 7
Bl ood Donati on Camp Pg. 9
Uni versi ty Fai r Pg. 11
A Moment to Share Af f ecti on Pg. 14
Because Your Manneri smSpeaks Bef ore
You
Pg. 15

Pg. 16
Voi ce of J ust i ce Legal Ai d Camp Pg. 19
A Vi si t to a Gi ant i n Gl obal Pol ymer
I ndustry
Pg. 23
Keepi ng the Chri st mas Spi ri t Al i ve Pg. 26
Wi pi ng Away t he Ashes and St andi ng as
a Phoeni x- WE HAVE A DREAM
Pg. 28
A Compass f or Success i n the
Uni versi ty Li f e
Pg. 31
WDSD2014 Through Our Eyes Pg. 33
Rotasi a Mysore 2014 Pg. 37


3
Editorial




May be the world sees a lawyer & social worker as two people who
are contradictory & that these two roles can never be found within
one person? But as the Rotaract Club of Faculty of Law University
of Colombo we are proud to state that we have been able to make a
significant change in this traditional notion.

Even if thousand candles are lighted from one candle that light of
the first candle wont diminish. Helping others and making others
strong wont make us weak. Instead it takes us higher. As the
members of the Rotaract Club of Faculty of Law it is with a great
pleasure we reflect on the work we have done.

It is more than a project or two, because a simple project we do
may bring smiles to hundreds of faces. It may solve problems of
thousands of others and it may flourish the hidden faraway dreams
of other innocent feeble people.

So each word of this newsletter and each letter of this newsletter
carries within itself happiness and contentment. Therefore we would
say this is not just one newsletter but it is our happiness overflowing
and dreams that have come true. Yet this is not the end and we
have miles to walk ahead. But we believe that all what we have
done will guide the ones who follow us as a lighthouse to reach the
land of compassion, unity and harmony.

Here unfolds our milestones of hard work as members of the
Rotaract Club of Faculty of Law University of Colombo with that
strong hope of walking down this path ahead.

Rtr Dharanee Upeka Weerasekera
Editor

4
Message from District Rotaract
Representative

Dear Rotaractors,


It gives me great pleasure to send this message across to the bulletin of the
Rotaract club of University of Colombo, Faculty of Law. The year is drawing to an
end, and we all will have some reasons to be happy and some others to be sad.
Whichever the case may be we should be satisfied that we did our best to make
the lives of many thousands of needy people better through our efforts in
Rotaract during this year. We still have just over a month to go in this year and let
us all work towards completing every task that we set out to achieve before the
30th of June, 2014.

My heartiest congratulations to Rtr. Ruvini and team for steering the Rotaract
club of University of Colombo, Faculty of Law to where it is today, a strong self
sufficient club with a vision for service and personal development. RuviniI believe
its time that you and I hand over the baton of service to the next leader for a
continued uninterrupted service to the needy and the organization.

A bulletin brings the happiness of knowing what you have done and completed
as a club on the dedicated year of service. Let me congratulate and wish the
outgoing team and remind the others to do better next year, the crux of the mat-
ter is not to win or lose an award but do your best year after year.

Finally let me take this opportunity to pass on my best wishes to the editorial
team of the bulletin for a successful publication.

Best Regards

Rtr. Abdul Wahid
District Rotaract Representative




5
Second Installation Ceremony of the
Rotaract Club of Faculty of Law

For some person or an entity to become a legend it is not necessary to have a
history running through hundreds of years. The most important thing is to make
a change that the others couldnt do within a short lapse of time. The Rotaract
Club of Faculty of Law is a good case in point. It has maintained a glorious
position in the family of Rotaract clubs even as a toddler because of the
dedication and strength it portrayed. Thus the second installation ceremony of
the Rotaract club of Faculty of Law is a continuation of a legend.
This glorious event of handing over the crown to young Rotaractors was held
on the 20
th
of September 2013 at the Senate hall of the University of Colombo
where Rotaractor Ruvini Perera and her board of directors were installed for the
Rotaract year 2013/2014.

The event was graced by the Vice chancellor of University of Colombo Dr W.K
Hirumburegama who also launched the official club website. The Dean of the
Faculty of Law Mr V.T Thamilamran along with Presidents counsel Mr
Prasantha Lal De Alwis were the Guests of Honor. District Rotaract Committee
Chair Rtn Marshad Barry and the District Rotaract Representative Rtr PP Abdul
Wahid also graced the occasion. More than 65 members of fellow Rotaract
clubs were gathered to convey their best wishes.

The Newly appointed Law Rotaractors took their oaths with the paramount
hope of making this society a better place with their helping hands and young
caliber.





6



7
Trip to Negombo

By Rtr. Madusha Erandi

After the charter year of RC Faculty of Law the club was taken over by an
entirely new crew to Rotaract hence this club service project was much needed
to commence a successful Rotaract year. The first club service project of the
Rotaract club of Faculty of Law, University of Colombo happened on 31st of
August 2013. This project was organized and intended
toward building up the mutual interaction between the
board of directors and introduction of new club members
of the club

Project was a trip to Negambo and all members were
accommodated at Jetwing Blue Hotel, Negambo. This
was organized under the chairpersons of the project
Rtr. Chathuranga Bandara and Rtr. Chirantha Wijesinghe.
It was an amazing experience, which reflects the spirit of
teamwork, and many innovative games were played in
order to develop the mutual understanding among the club members. Publicity
and project promotions for this project were done by announcements in
meetings, word of mouth and social media. Preparation was nearly for 5 days
for hotel reservations, discussions to get discounts, transport arrangements,
food arrangements and recreations.

.


8
Trip to Negombo cont

All members left Colombo in early in the morning and reached Negambo in late
morning. Firstly, people were introduced to each other. And the members were
divided into teams to compete. Then a task was given to form a team name and
an introductory session of each team member was concluded. It was a good
feeling to get to know new members of the club. There were many ice breaking
games like tap rugby, water polo, Lava game, jumping over the roap, flipping
the coin etc. In all these activities spirit of the people could be measured and
the outcome of developing team spirit was a success. The most important
outcome was ice breaking where all members got to know about each other
well and it helped to develop the mutual understandings among each other
which would help the club in its future endeavors.

It was a good entertainment at the end of the day to all 27 members who
participated and a there were lots of positive outcomes emerged through all
interactions.





9
Blood Donation Camp

Dont just live through others let others live through you-
Save a life blood drive

We always try to render a service to the society with the strength of youth
gathered around us. In every religion donation is a very notable merit. When it
is something like blood which is of a great value and importance that merit
become enhanced. To give blood you need neither extra strength nor extra food
and you will save a life. It is with this noble intention the Rotaract clubs of
Colombo South and the Rotaract Club of Faculty of Law University of Colombo
joined hands to organize a blood donation camp.

The joint project was held on the 30th of November from 9 am onwards at the
commons area of the University of Colombo. More than 65 donors donated
their blood at the occasion and for some Rotaractors though they were hesitant
it was their first time of donating blood which turned out to be a memorable
event.

It was a pleasure for the Organizers seeing this event become a success
bearing in mind the fact that their efforts would be helping someone in need.




10



11
University Fair

By Rtr. Indumini Randenyi

As the day, 25th of Februrary, came to an end, Rtr. Chirantha Wijesinghe, Rtr.
Nethmini Medawala and Rtr. Indumini Randeny realized that lifes best achieve-
ments are those that test your capacity to believe in yourself. Months prior to
that, when the trio started working on the project university fair, little did they
think that the event will turn out to be such a success. But their unity and
dedication proved otherwise. The project University Fair organized by the
Rotaract Club of the Faculty of law and held at the University grounds was a
fun filled day for everyone who walked in,to shop, to chill and to hangout. The
event was held in aid of a legal aid camp in Negambo; one of clubs major
project for year 2013/2014.
Couched in the theme Join the fun, support the charity, the promotion for the
event was carried out through posters, use of social media such as facebook,
Club announcements, announcements to different classes and different
batches, email invitations, and word of mouth. The event kicked itself to life at
10 am in the morning and drew to an end at 4 pm with the participation of an
enthusiastic bunch of shopaholics in and outside the university. The assortment
of stalls from food, drinks to clothing gave everyone an option to choose
something of their preference for an affordable price. Though the heat was
beating down, it mattered not to the crowd and they continued to switch from
one stall to another, sipping icy cold slush drinks and chattering excitedly,
enjoying their time with friends.

12
University Fair cont

The 6 hour-University Fair was the wonderful
outcome of weeks of massive dedication and
commitment of the project chair persons and
of the entire club. Since the most challenging
part of the organizing process was the hunt
for sponsorship, the Club divided itself to
groups, each taking over the responsibility to
approach their assigned commercial entity.
There was one group in charge of educational
institutes, another in charge of telecommuni-
cation, another in charge of food and beverages so on and so forth. Making of
posters, banners and advertising took place as a collective effort of every
member in the Club. All these preparations brought the club members ever so
close to each other as one family with a big heart for charity. The unity and the
interpersonal relationships were reinforced through continuous meetings and
task executions, and the passing of friendly comments and jokes during these
meetings added a nice touch of joviality, easing the tension and work stress of
the members.
The project was based on a community service and Finance avenues and as-
pired to improve on the Clubs public relations and bring about a positive out-
come for the general public; both which it successfully achieved. It also served
as a platform for members from fellow Rotaract Clubs to meet each other and
enjoy a brief day out. The project was a success as it managed to earn the
expected amount of profit and also because it promoted the Rotaract image
among a wide variety of people, raising both their awareness and interest.
Owing to the success of the project university fair, the three chair persons of
the project were named as the
Rotaractors of the month, which
brought much happiness and pride
to this wonderful and young
Rotaract family of the Faculty of
Law.

13

14
A Moment to Share Affection

A Rotaractor wont succeed if he is not
driven by the great quality of compassion.
The Rotaract club of Faculty of Law was
privileged to take part in the joint project
providing a meal to the aged sponsored
by the Rotary club of Colombo East on
19
th
of February. The Rotaractors and the
Interactors of St. Peters College joined
this alms giving held at the Gamini Matha
home for the aged.

It was a moment of sharing affection on a
pleasant and heartwarming day. In the
morning the Buddha pooja was offered and those who were present
participated in the religious activities with the elders at the Gamini matha home.
It was great see their overwhelming smiles when we mingled with them and
they shared their stories as if we were their own children.

Lunch for the elders and participants was sponsored by Rtn Dulitha Perera. We
felt that at least the few hours we spent with those elders helped them to chase
away the dark clouds of loneliness in their lives. And we were very much happy
to have been the reason of the smiles etched on their faces that day.


15
Because Your Mannerism Speaks
Before You

Personality is one of the most important factors which
determines the position of an individual in the society. All the
talents and academic knowledge gained through a sacrifice of
years may go in vain because of a tiny drawback in ones
personality.

The Rotaractors of Faculty of Law launched a session on
personal grooming with the participation and support from
Oriflame Lanka pvt ltd which is one of the leading brands in
cosmetic industry today. The program was held on the 26th of March at the
New Law Theatre from 1 pm onwards. Through this program the
undergraduates got valuable tips on how to maintain their personal appear-
ance. Furthermore the presenters educated the audience on professional
etiquette. Features of this program consisted of how to face an interview,
appropriate attire etc. The program catered to both genders. The workshop was
also accompanied by a question and answer session where the lucky winners
were awarded with Oriflame products. A game was conducted to test the
communication skills of the participants. A demonstration was conducted to
show how to do a successful light make up within a short period of time.

The program was very successful and valuable for the Undergraduates who
would be approaching the career market in the near future.



16





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18



19
Voice of justice - Legal Aid Camp

By Rtr. Prabhashanee Jayasekera

You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give
- Winston Churchill.
Every profession carries within itself enormous capacity to serve the society.
Every professional carries an obligation towards the society to utilize this
capacity. It is with the objective of making an early contribution towards fulfilling
this professional obligation that the Rotaract club of Faculty of Law, University
of Colombo, organized a legal aid camp as its signature project for the year
2013/14.

The camp was held on the 10th of May 2014 at the Hikkaduwa New Municipal
Council Hal from 10.00 a.m to 4.00 p.m. The proceedings commenced with the
lighting of the oil lamp and a few speeches by the President of the club, Rtr.
Ruvini Perera and two participating counsel. The head of the legal aid
commission (Balapitiya branch) Ms. Nisansala in her speech stressed the im-
portance of services of this nature to the community and commended the club
for taking such initiative. Following the opening ceremony, the legal advice ses-
sions began without further adieu.







20
Voice of justice cont ...

The group of advisors who were
present at the event consisted of
six lawyers and two police person-
nel. The club witnessed an encour-
aging level of participation with
around 40 persons registering
within the first hour. 83 participants
were provided legal advice through
this project. We were pleased to
have a constant flow of participants
registering themselves through-out
the day.

The procedure put in place at the
project was one which was focused
on providing specific advice to the participating members of the public without
them having to go through unnecessary delays. Accordingly, every participant
underwent a short process of registration during which necessary personal
details along with the area/s of law covering the issue/s they wished to discuss
and the problem/s they are faced with were recorded summarily by the club
members. Thereafter, each participant was directed to counsel specializing in
the area of law embracing the participants problem. Keeping in line with the
clubs objectives of providing comprehensive advice on solutions to legal
problems that the participating public has encountered, persons so directed
were redirected on the request of lawyers to counsel specializing in mediation
and sometimes to police personnel.

The return received by the organizers of any service project is a sense of fulfil-
ment created safe in the knowledge that the project truly served its selfless
purpose. It is this joy that makes all efforts and resources put in to an activity
worthwhile. In this sense, this project could aptly be labelled the most
profitable investment made by the lawtaractors for the Rotaract year 2013/14.
The success of a service project is perhaps best described through the words
of those who benefited from it. The following are a few extracts from the feed-
back that the club received voluntarily from the participants.






21
Voice of justice cont ...

Although arrangements were made for advice to be provided on topics covering
both private and public law we found that the majority of the inquiries were
regarding property ownership. There were a few family issues that the residents
hoped to clarify. Even fewer residents required advice on criminal matters. We
hope to be guided by this phenomenon to streamline future legal aid camps
and other events of similar nature.

The outcome of the legal aid camp was an enormous success and the
feedback and acknowledgements of the service recipients as recorded above is
testament to itself. No description of this project would be complete without an
expression of our sincere gratitudeand appreciation to the counsel: Mr. Sanjaya
Mendis, Mr.Amila Dharmasooriya, Mr.Sasanka Jayaseekara, Mr. Gayan
Malliyawadu, Ms. Anurada Madduwage and Ms. Nisansala and the two police
personnel from Hikkaduwa Police for taking time off their busy schedules to be
a part of this project. Without their invaluable contribution, this project would not
have been a success. Special mention need also be made of project chairman,
Rotaractor Nadun Nishantha whose commitment and efforts were the driving
force behind making this project a reality.

"Serviceis therent wepay for living. It is not somethingtodoinyour sparetime; it is thevery purpose
of life." - Marion Wright Edelman, Founder, Children's Defense Fund

Viva La Rotaract!





22

23
A Visit to a Giant in Global Polymer
Industry

By Rtr. Nishadi Gunathilake

Have you ever wondered how tyres are made? When we came to know that
our parent club, the Rotary Club of Colombo East has organized a visit to
Trelleborg Lanka (Private) Limited, manufacturer of Pneumatic and Retreated
Rubber Tyres and Tubes, in Sapugaskanda on 03
rd
of May, we thought about
having fun, not about tyres. However, it turned out to be a remarkable day.

Trelleborg Wheel Systems is a branch of Trelleborg AB, whichis one of the
prominent global companies in polymer industry. At present, Trelleborg Wheel
Systems has four industrial solid tyre producing facilities throughout the world,
two in Sri Lanka. Yes, we visited one of those indeed!





24
A Visit to a Giant cont

We reached the site around 09.30 a.m. after a pleasant journey. Since the
factory area was very clean and unpolluted, we found it hard to believe that it
actually deals with some troublesome raw material such as rubber and
hazardous chemicals. Mr Lasantha Wijeweera, immediate past President of the
Rotary Club of Colombo East and the General Manager of Production and
Systems of Trelleborg Lanka, warmly welcomed us at the entrance to the office
complex. He led us to a conference room and briefly explained who they are
and what they do. Mrs Sakunthala Durairatnam, Directress of Vocational
Services of Rotary Club of Colombo East joined us halfway. Through Mr
Lasanthas presentation, we got to know that the site has undergone a reno-
vation aiming an expansion in the production capacity. Trelleborg Lanka in an
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company, which applies best quality control
and manufacturing practices including Lean and 5S.

After enjoying tea, we started our go around in the production area with Mr
Lasantha. Before starting, he emphasised on the safety and made us wear a
safety slip on. The evidence of the practices he mentioned earlier was
everywhere. It was obvious that the organization valued safety of the
employees as much as customer satisfaction. A list of safety equipment to be
worn in a particular production section was on display and employees adhered.
Standard safety colours and safety signs were also on view for the purpose of
accident prevention, fire protection, health hazard information and emergency
evacuation. Mr Lasantha said that the factory maintains zero-accident rate for
years and is equipped with an effective fire extinguishing system.




25
A Visit to a Giant cont

We were lucky enough to go through the Industrial Tyre manufacturing process
systematically, from raw materials to end product quality controlling. Their
industrial tyre range includes; Resilient Tyres, Press-on Solid Tyres, Industrial
Radial Pneumatic Tyres etc. They controlled non-conforming products and
maintained traceability throughout the entire product realization process.
Disposal of non-conforming products and waste was rigidly controlled with the
environment in mind. Though the use of high-tech machinery was general, it
was much a skill-based industry. Blue-collar labour played a major role in
production. We also had a quick look on Agricultural Tyre manufacturing
section.

Then we went again to the conference room and had a Question and Answer
session with Mr Lasantha while helping ourselves with soft drinks. We thanked
him for his kind assistance and left the place around 01.00 p.m.

This visit to a market leader in the world opened our eyes to many things. Most
importantly, on how dramatically best manufacturing practices could affect the
productivity of an industrial unit. Likewise, the importance of maintaining a good
working condition and a clean environment. Secondly, about the significance of
a skilled workforce even in a place that uses best available technology. As law
undergraduates, we became aware about a class of people who build wealth
with the sweat of their brow. Finally yet importantly, on how much thought and
effort is put behind producing a
tyre!

26
Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive

By Rtr. Uda Deshapriya

Date: 22/12/2013
Venue: Positive Womens Network, 158, Temple Road, Colombo 10.
Introduction

Rotaract Club of Faculty of Law, University of Colombo (RCFLUoC), decided to
join a programme conducted by Positive Womens Network (PWN); an
organization working on supporting persons living with HIV, aimed at distribut-
ing stationary to children who are infected and affected by HIV. RCFLUoC, after
inquiring with them as to what items were lacking for the programme, decided
to sponsor the lunch on the day of the event and most importantly took on the
role of spending the day with kids; a day full of fun.

Pre-planning

RCFLUoC collected funds for the event by printing a ticket and selling it among
friends. We raised 20000/= (twenty thousand rupees) collectively. Prior to this
plan, we had tried to reach out to students in
tuition classes, which failed due to administra-
tion related limitations. After money was
collected, money was handed over to PWN to
complete the payment on lunch for which
PWN had already paid an advance.

Day of the event

Members of RCFLUoC gathered at the place
of the event, where about a hundred school-
going kids and their parents had gathered. Ex-
citement swamped
the limited space.




27
Keeping the Christmas Spirit cont

The day started with breakfast and soon after,
we moved on to fun games. The first game
was passing the ball and we had prepared a
gift for the winner. After a breathtaking compe-
tition, we declared the three last remaining
contestants joint-winners.
Next we divided all kids to two groups for a
best performance contest. Each group was
expected to perform as many songs as
required to outdo the other team. After what
seemed to be a never-ending battle of songs,
Gikas Team, who performed in different languages with extraordinary energy,
was declared winners. Next we opened a dance floor, where we danced with
the kids. Their parents and organizers of the event joined soon after. In a while,
the floor gathered momentum on its own and went on till exhaustion came over.
Just before lunch time, stationery packs were given to all the kids. The packs
contained a school bag, a gift voucher for shoes, a water bottle, pouch, a snack
pack and stationery sorted according to the Grade.

We enjoyed lunch with them before we left. Our gratitude extends to all those
who made possible the placing a wonderful meal on the tables of 100 amazing
children.

28
Wiping Away the Ashes and Standing
as a Phoenix- WE HAVE A DREAM

By Rtr .Binedri Perera & Rtr. Ruvini Perera
Sri Lanka now faces a moment of
unprecedented opportunity. Rarely
does such an opportunity come along
without equally important attendant
challenges.







WE HAVE A DREAM is the result on
how the Rotaract Clubs of Faculty of
Law, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science
and Faculty of Management and
Finance responded to the above
statement of the LLRC Report. As the
future generation of this land and
Rotaractors we have a special duty to
foster relationships with our brethren
nationally and globally. The first step in
this vision is ensuring tolerance, peace
and harmony among different
ethnicities living in our own country.
And what best place to initiate this
process than our university where
different people from different
backgrounds, different areas of the
country, from different races, following
different religions and speaking
different languages come together for
the common goal of education for the
betterment of their lives.







29
This years We have a dream
consisted of a panel discussion on the
theme CONFLICT.. WHERE DID WE
FAIL AND WHERE ARE WE
HEADING? On the 4
th
of March at the
Ceylon room of Faculty of Law. The
panel consisted of Dr Nishan De Mel
and Mr Sumith Chaminda. The
discussion tried to explore objectively
the root causes of the conflict by
placing it in our context to see where
Sri Lankans have gone wrong in the
past and whether the history is
repeating itself. Also the speakers
highlighted the importance of a
multicultural society where the need to
respect each others culture and
existence is of paramount importance.
They highlighted the need of
perception management where we
should learn from the mistakes of the
past and endeavor to create a better
future.








The causes of the conflict was mapped
out, not only using local examples but
referring to instances from other
countries as well, in order to establish
a general pattern existent in most
ethnic or other forms of conflicts in the
world. We may come from different
countries, cultures, wearing different
cloths and eating different food, but
human psyche works in similar way
world over. So it is not just our
ancestors who can teach us lessons,
but the history of the world had
important lessons to impart to us if we
are attentive enough to receive them.







30
This project was a combined effort of creating opportunities for bringing about
reconciliation between different communities, to articulate common vision of an
interdependent, just, equitable, open and diverse society.

WE HAVE A DREAM our effort to replace bloodshed with friendship, respect for
each other, understanding, amity and reconciliation.




31
A Compass for Success in the
University Life

By Rtr. Binendri Perera

Rotaract Club of the University of Colombo, faculty of Law, organized a pro-
gram of professional development forfreshers in all three mediums. In these
sessions seniors of the faculty and the recent graduates spoke of their experi-
ence, their mistakes, how they overcame them and ultimately arose victorious.
This program was of great significance to the first years of the Law faculty, who
were in a period of transition, education wise from secondary education to ter-
tiary/higher education- as well as in the perspective of life from an adolescent
to adult.



The program imparted guidelines on how to thrive in the new environment, how
to brave the Mount Everest tall load of assignments and examsand handle the
stress. Studying techniques, lectures and their idiosyncrasies were discussed
as well. It also gave an opportunity for the juniors to meet their seniors and
build friendships that were to last long. If university life was like the ocean, this
program was like a compass to those who were confused and lost in the alien
environment.
Compass shows direction, this program points out the path to take to become a
legal professional, who is academically qualified and equally equipped in pro-
viding a service to the community. This is the vision of the Rotaract Club of the
Law Faculty. We, the senior Rotaractors of Law Faculty, organized the program
to ensure that our juniors follow our tradition of fostering friendship and cherish-
ing justice, ethics and talents.


32
A Compass for Success cont...
LLB degree is considered a very hectic degree and it is of vital importance that
seniors share their experience and knowledge with their juniors. The freshers
were priviledged enough to gain knowledge from Graduates of higher caliber
like MrSachintha Dias and MrSupunJayawardena who were the 6
th
and 7
th
in
the history of Faculty to Law to have gained a first class.



33
WDSD 2014 Through Our Eyes

By Rtr. Binendri Perera

Twenty third of March 2014 was a memorable day for the Rotaractors of the
Faculty of Law. It marked an important milestone in our journey to venture
beyond the confines of academic qualifications. Our visions to provide a service
to the community by becoming legal professionals who actively work for justice
instead of letting ourselves be stone sculptures in the temple of justice.

The event was the World Down Syndrome Day Sri Lanka 2014 which seeks
to promote awareness and understanding of Down syndrome and related
issuesand to mobilize support and recognition of the dignity, rights and well-
being of persons living with Down syndrome. World Down Syndrome Day was
initiated in 2006 by Down Syndrome International (DSI). Kosala Dullawa
Foundation began the Down Syndrome Celebrations in Sri Lanka in 2007. In
2014 the celebration was held at Royal College Colombo 7, organized by
Kosala Dullawa Foundation in collaboration with the Rotaract District 3220 (Sri
Lanka). Our president promised us beforehand that it will be a fascinating
experience and none of us were disappointed.






34
WDSD 2014 cont

Members of our club participated in the vehicle parade for awareness that trav-
ersed Colombo, along with the students who came from different areas of the
country to take part in the event. As one of the hosts of the project Rotaract
Club of the Law faculty of the University of Colombo was in charge of
ASH-SHIFFA Home for Orphans and Madiwela Special School. We directed
them to the specific clinics that were recommended by the specialist doctors at
the medical camp for children with special needs, consisting of clinics for Eye,
ENT, Pediatric, Dental, Dermatology, Cardiology, Physiotherapy and
Counseling. We made sure that they were given refreshments and helped them
to prepare for their items at the Variety Show. Variety Show, which was the
main attraction of the day showcasing the aesthetic talents of the students, was
another of our clubs responsibilities along with the Rotaract Clubs of University
of Sri Jayawardenapura and University of Peradeniya. ASH-SHIFFA Home for
Orphans did a peacock dance and Madiwela Special School performed a com-
bination of several volumes of songs. Their talents were spectacular. They
showed us that they were capable in their own way.

Most of the time words they uttered were not very clear to us. But they made us
realize that perfectly formed sentences are not always necessary to reach our
fellow human beings. Feelings of compassion, friendship and empathy will be
felt by everyone even without words. Our president taught us by example to
become one family with them by addressing all students mallie despite the
age. All of us enjoyed immensely the time spent with them. We became such
good friends with them that we also found the moment of farewell sorrowful.
Their innocent smiles are still etched in our minds like lamps, reminding us
value of kindness and love.




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~ One District Many Different Things ~
My Rotasia

By Rtr. Ruvini Perera

28th January 2014, 28 Rotaractors from the Lankan band to Mysore gathered
at the BIA to set upon a life times worth memorable journey. I was lucky to be
a part of the gang. During the flight I was contemplating on the dilemmas of
the public transportation in Sri Lanka I live 15 km away from University and it
takes around 1 h and 30 minutes to get there during peak hours here to clear
off a distance of more than 1400 KM it took only 1 and 10 minutes ! After the
short flight we landed safe at the Bengaluru International Air Port.

















After clearing off security we got into our luxury bus and headed onto the
Chinnaswamy International Cricket stadium where we were hosted for dinner
by the Bangalore Rotaractors where we tasted authentic Indian food and got to
know our Indian friends for the first time. I for one admires Indian cuisine
perhaps was one of those very few among the Lankan band who enjoyed
thoroughly the spicy curries to chapathies ,parotas and all the lovely mouthwa-
tering Indian sweets throughout the entire trip. From there we headed onto our
hotel in Bangalore where who may have thought to head back straight to the
cozy bed and get a good nights sleep! But it was not meant to be! The late
night movie mania sprang to life on the very first day!

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One District cont


Second day we were hosted for lunch by the Rotaractors of the Jhyothi Niwas
college, then began the chaos of shopping. Traversing among the crazy Indian
traffic jaywalking with the deafening sounds of million honking hones the
Rotaractors of JhothiNiwas were kind enough to guide us through out all these
huzzle and buzzle. We were dead tired after all the walking through the city yet
again when we reached the hotel it was not the time to land on the bed, after a
quick shower and change of clothes it was time for a dj party and dinner at the
F&H kitchen and bar.





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One District cont

The third day saw our departure to Mysore on the way late night during our long
bus ride stopped at the caffe coffee beans for a breather. There sprang to life
our very own thibbatu samosas and chocolate watalappan. The firstday of the
conference saw the inaugural ceremony where the Lankan band clad them-
selves with colour-coded traditional costumes. During the conference we met
many new friends from all around India where we made exchanges of currency
notes, letter heads and other exchange material and of course the selfies and
hundreds of other crazy pictures. It was one of the proud moments when two of
our hunks made it to the Final five of Mr Rotasaia 2014.RID 3220 One District
One community theme emerged the best theme of the conference competing
among many other districts. The conference nights were at its best with every-
day dj party dancing off to Lovely Indian music mix and
of course back at the hotel late night fun fiestas from
horror movies to prank calls and exploring dark corri-
dors. We visited the magnificent Mysore palace during
the conference days and another round of shopping too.

After the closing ceremony we departed to Ooty. The
view on the way was spectacular and we knew many
surprises would be awaiting for us there. The weather
was cold the moment we stepped outside the buss the
chill of the breeze penetrated our sweaters everyone was in a hurry running to
find some warmth. The view outside the hotel was breathtaking the next
morning we spent exploring around the hotel with the sunny skies opened
taking lovely pictures. Then we headed to a lake a nearby where the Lankan
band experienced peddle boat racing and horse riding. After bidding adieu to
the breathtaking surroundings we started our journey to our final destination on
the trip a 14 hour long bus ride to Chennai. On the way we were yet again
hosted for dinner by our kind Indian friends where we helped ourselves to
scrumptious meal of mouthwatering
butter naan and lovely four of a kind
thick gravy spicy chicken curry ! It
was perhaps the best meal weve had
during the entire trip.



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One District cont


It was Independence Day back home when the Lankan band reached Chennai.
We visited the Sri Lankan Consul office in Chennai and participated in the
Independence Day celebrations. After days of missing the delights of home
cuisine the Lankan band helped themselves with kiri bath and lunumiris and
various others at the event. Next we visited the Women's Christian college in
Chennai where we witnessed a charity project Tangled organized by the
Rotaractors there donating hair to make wigs for those who are suffering from
cancer. After a small gathering of fellowship with the Rotaractors of Women
Christian College it was time for the last minute shopping. The Lankan band
swept the shelves off a grocery store purchasing the entire stock of dark
fantasy varieties one of the many delights we fell in love with during the trip.
After packing our bags in a rush back at the hotel it was finally the time to head

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One District cont

Rotasia 2014 where thibbatu samosas and chocolate watalappans were
born.Where concepts of One District one elevator One District One Hug One
District one toilet and One District one boat came into action.Where fellowships
and lasting bonds were made. This will be remembered as one of my most
treasured Rotaract memories.



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Rotasia Letters, Currency Notes and
Memorabilia Exchanged




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