Two apartheid abolitionists and a Noble Peace Prize laureate will address the first CIMA World Conference to be held in Sri Lanka this month.
A member of Nelson Mandela’s ANC party and a member of F. W. de Klerk’s National party will be in Sri Lanka to talk about peace, the apartheid experience and how peace could be achieved which will result in development.
Mandela and de Klerk, who shared the 1993 Noble Peace Prize for their roles in avoiding a blood bath, abolishing apartheid and ushering in peace in South Africa, have shown the world how peace could be realised through dialogue.
Dave Steward (National party) and Prof Kader Asmal (ANC) will head a panel discussion at the CIMA World Conference to be held in Sri Lanka in May this year.
John Hume, Second Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) of Northern Ireland, the only recipient of the three major peace awards, the Nobel Peace Prize, Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award, will also share Ireland’s experience of realising peace through dialogue.
"These are people who have delivered peace, and apart from what they will share at the conference we hope to felicitate a focussed dicussion group with policy makers, government and opposition groups, so that the three peace makers can share their experiances, trials and triumphs," Said Bradley Emerson, CEO, CIMA Sri Lanka Division.
"Despite the negative situation in the country today, the corporate sector is still steering ahead.
Many companies have recorded profits last year and many BPO have established operations in Sri Lanka as well. This is because we still have the talent pool and intellectual capacity.
"It is a pity that we are losing our children and youth who should be here to meet the demands for the future to the ongoing conflict.
Peace comes before anything else. We have and continue to miss out on so many opportunities. India and Bangladesh, whose per capita income is double than that of Sri Lanka, are making vast gains in the industrial and services sector and the conflict is keeping us from keeping pace with the region," he told the Island Financial Review.
"Tourism for example has so much to offer. We have the right mix in beaches, dry zones, hill country, and friendly people and this is why peace is important if we are to realise our potential," he said. The conference themed, Igniting Passion, Blazing Trails, will be based on four pillars. Peace Building, Innovation, Global Branding and Leadership.
The conference will also feature several speakers from India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore who have specialised in their respective fields and have gained world recognition.
CIMA divisions have organised several international conferences on their own in the past, including the Sri Lanka Division. This conference will be the first time CIMA, with over 158,000 students and members in 161 countries, will have an official international conference and Sri Lanka has the honour of hosting the first CIMA Global conference.
Malaysia will host the conference next year.
We expect to attract about 1,200 delegates which will include 200 to 300 delegates from CIMA’s global membership.
While the expectation is to disseminate knowledge and help local members establish links, it is hope that the conference will help promote Sri Lanka as a destination for meetings, international conferences and events, Bradley pointed out.
CIMA World Conference, Sri Lanka will be held on 28 to 31 May, 2008.
