Current Activities
" War may sometimes
be a necessary evil.
But no matter how
necessary, it is
always an evil, never
a good. We will not
learn to live together
in peace by killing
each other's
children."


Jimmy Carter
-- Nobel Peace Prize,
2002
Website Created and Maintained as a CSR Project by Members of the BPA Operational Committee
Past Activity Reports:
" Unless both sides
win, no agreement
can be permanent."

U.S. President Jimmy
Carter between Israeli
Prime Minister
Menachem Begin and
Egyptian President
Anwar el-Sadat

On agreements
between Israel and
Egypt signed on
September 17, 1978,
that led in the
following year to a
peace treaty between
those two countries,
the first such treaty
between Israel and
any of its Arab
neighbours. Brokered
by U.S. President
Jimmy Carter
between Israeli Prime
Minister Menachem
Begin and Egyptian
President Anwar el-
Sadat and officially
titled the “Framework
for Peace in the
Middle East,” the
agreements became
known as the Camp
David Accords
because the
negotiations took
place at the U.S.
presidential retreat at
Camp David,
Maryland.
Highlights of Activities Planned for August 2008:

  1. Learn and Lead Steering committee meeting on 27 August.
  2. “Learn and Lead” leadership development workshop for scholars 1-3
    August.
  3. ‘Investment in Sri Lankan Business’ project workshops in Central Province,
    Sabaragamuwa, Kalutara, Trincomalee and Hambantota.
  4. Reconciliation Committee programme for addressing election violence in
    Kegalle.    
  5. Working group meeting.
  6. Board meeting on 29 August.
  7. Economic Summit organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce 2-3July.

Activity Report - July 2008:

  1. BPA signed an MOU with ASMET (Association for Small and Medium
    Enterprises in Tourism Sri Lanka) on July 1, to collaborate and provide
    ASMET with Secretariat facilities.
  2. BPA representatives participated in the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2008.
  3. A workshop for change agents in taking forward the concept of “Peace
    and conflict from a regional empowerment perspective” were held in
    Dambulla. 15 candidates were selected out of the 180 participants who
    attended the series of workshops organised by BPA on the subject held in
    various regions over the last 18 months.
  4. Work continued in the empowerment of The scholars in The “Learn and
    Lead programme.
  5. The Steering Committee of the “Learn and Lead” project met on July 9.
  6. Work commenced on the investment development programme mobilizing
    partnership in regional development projects by foreign investors in
    Australia and USA.  
  7. Work continued in the Ampara District for the  Programme to empower
    young entrepreneurs in the Amapara District in collaboration with the
    Ampara District Chamber of Commerce and Industry and MOUs were signed
    with the partners.
  8. BPA Working Group meeting held on July 18.
  9. Work commenced on the strategies for the Election process and
    appointment of office bearers, formulation of Sub committees and the
    Governance Mechanism of BPA developed by Mr Mike Davidson,
    Organisational Development Advisor, BPA , in consultation with the BPA
    Working Group and Senior Management Team
  10. BPA Board meeting in Colombo on July 25.
  11. BPA representatives meeting with journalists associations on July 25.  
  12. The BPA Website recorded 10,000 hits (since December 2006) at the end
    of July. Currently the site attracts over a 100 hits per day.  Development
    of the site was continued under the leadership of Vice Chairman, Mr.
    Suresh de Mel.
  13. Interviews and appointment of new recruits for positions of Programme
    Manager, Regional support Officer and Communications Officer finalized.
  14. Engagement with the Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process
  15. BPA representatives participated in the AGM of the Ceylon Chamber of
    Commerce on July 21.  

Manique Mendis
Secretary General
25-July-2008
October 2007