"Look At Yourself Before You Talk About Others"
Address the issue of ‘common poverty’ vigorously, before we talk about ‘common wealth’
- President Rajapaksa
( November 15, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Mahinda Rajapaksa urged the Commonwealth to focus, as a matter of priority, on development challenges, confronting the majority of our member nations. “I see a compelling need for those who guide the destiny of the Commonwealth to give serious thought to practical modalities, focusing on social and economic issues. This will greatly enhance the relevance and value of the Commonwealth,” he said and posed the question, “Shouldn’t we be addressing more vigorously the issue of ‘common poverty’ before we talk about ‘common wealth’?”