Craving a world with free migration of Homo sapiens

A world with free migration

Monday, 18 June 2018

During the discussion time following the presentation of a paper by former diplomat Tamara Kunanayakam on the invasion of Sri Lanka’s economic policymaking by neoliberal economic thinkers two weeks ago, Colombo University’s economics don Lalithasiri Gunaruwan made a very pertinent point regarding the need for a two-way free migration of people across the world.

He argued that the Western world is asking the emerging world to open up their economies for free movement of capital and labour from the former to the latter. But, when the labour is to move from the latter to the former, they impose all kinds of restrictions to such labour. Hence, capital and labour movement is one way; as a result, he opines, it benefits only those in the West and not the peoples of emerging nations.

A critical review of Tamara Kunanayakam’s paper was made in a previous article in this series (available at: http://www.ft.lk/w-a-wijewardena-columns/Sri-Lanka-has-lost-economic-sovereignty--target-of-neoliberal-economic-hitmen--Tamara-Kunanayakam/885-656904).

This article is devoted to analysing Gunaruwan’s key point to ascertain its relevance to the emerging world, and in particular to Sri Lanka.

Man is born to migrate to new lands 

For about 70,000 years, the modern man who is called Homo sapiens has been migrating freely from land to land and settling down in new territories without any objection or impediment. This system continued till the World War I in 1914 benefiting migrants as well as their hosts, if those lands had been already inhabited by Homo sapiens. Migrants were able to restart a new life, while those who had already been there were able to acquire new knowledge, culture, technology, religious faiths and so on.

Sri Lanka has been one noted beneficiary because its culture, faith, science and technology, etc. were nourished by those migrants for thousands of years. But this was to end abruptly after World War I.

Restrictions on migration are relatively new

The influential British economist of the 20th century, John Maynard Keynes, in his 1919 book on The Economic Consequences of the Peace has vividly explained this change from good to bad.

Referring to a typical Londoner before 1914, Keynes had noted that such a species at that time could “secure forthwith cheap and comfortable mode of transit to any country or climate without passport or other formality”. In this manner, the vast empty lands of Americas were filled by migrants from Europe and Africa. Those from the former did so voluntarily, but those from the latter were transported to Americas against their will.

Keynes had noted that this liberal accommodation of foreigners in new lands helped both the newcomers and their hosts equally. Newcomers had converted the empty barren lands into flourishing agricultural fields thereby producing a surplus of foods and other agricultural produce to be exported to Europe. Around that time, people in Europe had been frightened by the possibility of starvation and death due to a shortage of foods, because its production was expected to lag behind the faster growing world population.

It was a scary expectation and the author of that scary story was the British scholar Thomas Malthus who published it in a book titled ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’ published in 1798. Keynes had equated Malthus’ prediction to loosening of Devil into society. But that Devil, Keynes had noted happily, was chained by the increased food supplies from Americas to Europe, thanks to free migration policy.

This also helped Europe to release more people to produce industrial products to meet the growing needs of Americas. Thus, liberal migration was a ‘win-win’ for all. But, that was to change after the World War I due to restrictions on migration imposed by almost all the nations in the world acceding to the popular demand coming from their own citizens. In this new world order, migration was also like the motive of the old mercantilist policies: other nations should accept your citizens as migrants but you should impose restrictions on those who are to come from those nations.

Advocating a two-way migration practice

The issue raised by Gunaruwan was that there should be complete parity with respect to movement of people from one country to another as a factor of production. In simple terms, what it means is that if USA wishes to send its experts to Sri Lanka for employment, it should be ready to accept Sri Lankan people too for employment in return. If this parity is maintained, it appears that Gunaruwan does not have objection to free migration.

But, USA, as a nation, has imposed numerous restrictions on the inflow of workers from developing countries. It is not a free flood of migrants as it had allowed from its early days to about the first two decades of the 20th century. Today, it is the skilled categories that are permitted but in those categories too, they are accepted only after the workers are carefully screened with respect to the country of origin, level of qualifications, past criminal records, medical fitness and recommendations from prospective employers.

After Donald Trump became the President a year ago, this has further been restricted. Other developed countries in the world too have followed a similar policy with respect to international migration. Even the countries like Canada or Germany which accommodate refugees liberally have imposed strict screening standards when it comes to accepting applications from general migrant workers. Hence, what is being advocated today is for the establishment of a system that allows free movement of people from one country to another.

Free migration practices are also liberal thinking

Strangely, this view is liberal economic thinking. According to this thinking, the world becomes a happy place for everyone if factors of production – land, labour, capital and enterprise – could move to places where they can be engaged most productively. It helps the factor concerned as well as the user of that factor to produce the highest output possible.

Suppose I use only my hands to prepare my paddy field. It takes me a long period to prepare the land manually and by the time I finish it, my cultivation season may have been over making my efforts totally fruitless. On top of that, the sheer manual work would have completely exhausted me beyond recovery.

Now suppose that someone with a mammoty comes to my paddy field and I engage him to prepare the land. He represents labour, capital and technology. His engagement will help me to prepare the field in double quick time and I manage to cultivate it before the season is over. I now produce an output and it is still profitable for me to share it with the person who brought me labour and capital. Hence, the migration of factors of production is beneficial to me.

This general observation which is relevant to me is relevant to a firm, a nation and the whole globe. Hence, free factor mobility will help the entire globe to reach a higher level of output and it is beneficial to everyone.

Balassa effect: Young from poor to rich and old from rich to poor

But, how is the flow of migration between different nations determined? It was Hungarian-American economist Bela Balassa who came up with a plausible explanation based on differences of purchasing power among nations.

Purchasing power parity or PPP indicates that free international trade allows prices in two markets to be equal to each other which economists call ‘the law of one price’ and if there is any difference, that could be due to transportation costs. However, Balassa found that even with free trade of goods that are presented to international markets – called ‘tradables’ – there are many goods that are not presented to international markets – called ‘non-tradables’.

An example is the services such as a haircut of which the price is higher in rich countries than in poor countries. For instance, a Sri Lankan can have a quality haircut for $ 5; but an American will have to spend about $ 25 for the same haircut. Thus, a high proportion of tradables make incomes of rich countries higher than those of poor countries. Non-tradables make their prices also higher than those in poor countries. This gives incentives for international migration.

Accordingly, young people in poor countries have incentive to move to rich countries, work for some time and return to their motherlands with an accumulated capital. Similarly, old people in rich countries who get a fixed income in their own currencies have incentives to settle down in poor countries so that they could enjoy a higher living condition. In the case of the former, it happens whether there are prohibitive legislations or not.

Young people of poor countries move to rich countries illegally for illegal employment. There is a significant number of such illegal workers in South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy and USA. Since such illegal workers make a valuable economic contribution to their national economies, even the governmental authorities pay a blind eye on their presence.

But the old people cannot come and settle down in a poor country illegally and they have to come via official channels. What this means is that though rich countries may have not opened the door formally for migrant workers, they nevertheless work illegally in large numbers.

Professionals in rich countries have no incentive to flood poor countries

This exposition also explains why the professionals in rich countries have no incentive to flood poor countries unless they are paid the same salary they get in their mother countries. This has been one of the contentious issues raised by professionals in Sri Lanka against the recently signed Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. Economic theory says that they need not have such a fear.

If any Singapore citizen chooses to work in Sri Lanka, it would be only in the case of occupations that carry the same high salary levels as in Singapore. That can happen only in the case, as the agreement has provided for, of employees of the same company working in a branch of the company setup in Sri Lanka. These are called ‘intra-corporate’ transfers of workers because it is the same company involved in moving people from Singapore to Sri Lanka. It appears that Sri Lankan professionals have mistakenly identified these intra-corporate transfers as ‘inter-corporate’ transfers.

Restrictions are to promote illegal migrations

Thus, international migration of workers takes place both legally and illegally today. In both cases, a migrant worker has to face a significant risk about employment, life, working conditions and regular payment of salaries etc. It is the responsibility of the host governments to help migrant workers to face these risks, but in the absence of a proper governance structure, this does not happen as expected. To fill the gap, the UN body – International Organisation for Migration or IOM – has now stepped in.

A blueprint on migration governance

According to Shantha Kulasekara, Head of Governance at the Sri Lanka Office of IOM, a blueprint and a work plan for establishing a governance structure for migrant workers have now been completed by IOM.

“We’ve already released a short version of our blueprint,” says Kulasekara. “But the longer version of the blueprint is now almost ready for submission to Sri Lanka’s authorities. If it receives their acceptance, IOM can help Sri Lanka Government to establish a proper governance structure in Sri Lanka which will help the country to accommodate foreign workers as well as send its own workers abroad.”

Sri Lanka should promote both inward and outward migrations

Kulasekara in fact foresees a two-way mobility of workers in Sri Lanka in the future. This is the worry which the Colombo University don Gunaruwan has.

Kulasekara further explains his point: “Sri Lanka’s future economic prosperity will depend on whether it could build a critical pool of talented and creative workers. Right now, its educational institutions or professional bodies have not been able to satisfy this demand. Hence, there is a gap in what is needed and what is available. Countries with such gaps have temporarily filled them by attracting foreign workers. Sri Lanka too has to follow this path, if it is desirous of delivering prosperity to its citizens.”

Kulasekara continues: “At the same time, it is high time for Sri Lanka to revisit its practice of sending unskilled and semi-skilled workers abroad. They have created a labour shortage in Sri Lanka. On top of that, those occupations also earn low salaries. Hence, Sri Lanka’s out-migration should be only branded categories. Similar policies have been adopted by India which has branded its out-migrants to IT specialists and the Philippines which has branded it to seafarers.

“These are the occupations for which these two countries have a comparative advantage. Besides, India wants its IT specialists to return to the country with an accumulated wealth of experience and exposure. That will be the future critical talent pool of India to take the country along the development path. Sri Lanka’s brand is hospitality and services such as accounting and finance. Though Sri Lanka’s national average of unemployment is about 4%, the unemployment rate among the young categories is about 20-25%. These young categories should be trained in the new branded occupations and allow out-migration for a temporary period.”

Migration policy should have the blessings from the top

Kulasekara says that it is a task which the Government has to accomplish with blessings from the highest level. Presently, the Government’s responsibility in this area has been diffused among a number of public institutions. It is therefore necessary to create a central body to look after this work. A possible candidate would be the Ministry of Finance which has an interest in delivering prosperity to Sri Lankans through its financial plans.

(W.A. Wijewardena, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, can be reached at waw1949@gmail.com.)

Sri Lanka: Mr Rajapaksa learn from the past mistakes

Mahinda Rajapaksa must correct his many mistakes for the sake of the country, for if he commits the same mistakes he will be letting down all the people having faith and hope in him.

by N.A. DE S. Amaratunga- Jun 18, 2018

( June 18, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa is undoubtedly the most popular political leader at present, and therefore has the potential of coming back to power. If people want him back in power it cannot be stopped and it should not be stopped. Let the people decide. It should not be decided by the US, China, India or any other external agent. The fact that he had been the president twice should not be a valid reason to deny the people their wish. People are concerned about what has been going on under the present regime. Economy has declined as never before, taxes are high and cost of living is climbing, corruption is rampant, foreign interference has become a threat to our sovereignty and the people can sense the perilous situation the country is in.

They cannot help comparing the previous government and the present and see that they were better off under the former. They cannot have any hope the present government could make amends and get the country out of the mess. They see government high ups making all kinds of promises but that’s all they have done for the last three years, and say they are going to solve all the problems and make this land a heaven on earth in the next one and half years. People cannot be fooled all the time. Can anybody find fault with the people if they want to bring back Mahinda Rajapaksa or somebody else with his blessings? Is there anybody in the UNP or JVP who could solve these problems which are their own making? The majority of people have faith only in Mahinda Rajapaksa. Therefore, what the intelligent people should do is not plot to defeat him, for there is no better alternative, but give him good advise to correct his past mistakes, so that if he comes back to power he will be better than what he was from 2010 to 2015.

Mahinda Rajapaksa must correct his many mistakes for the sake of the country, for if he commits the same mistakes he will be letting down all the people having faith and hope in him. He could have avoided those blunders and done even more for the country during his second term. One major error was his penchant for grandiose mega projects, to enhance his own image which is unbecoming of a good statesman. Further, such projects would not accrue benefits to the poor rural people, and would also increase the debt burden of the people. Mattala airport is a case in point. Instead it would have been sensible to spend that money to enlarge and improve the facilities at the Katunayake Airport, which would have attracted more flights and also provide better facilities for passengers. Mihin Lanka which was another of those image enhancing projects was not needed at that juncture, and proved to be a white elephant.

Another area where Mahinda could have done better was in the development of a national economy. The main industry of our people is agriculture. About 80% of the people live in the villages. If these people are to benefit, the economy must be designed to support agriculture and rural life. The government under Mahinda Rajapaksa could have done much more to develop a village based national economy, aimed at reducing the dependence on foreign loans and the depredations of unbridled capitalism. How the market forces could be controlled and managed for the benefit of poor people could have been learnt from China who was a good friend of the government. Rajapaksa lost in 2015 due to the fact that the benefits of his development projects had not reached the people and the cost of living was rising. Such mistakes should not happen in the future.

Tamils of Indian origin live among Sinhalese people in the plantations area and they are a badly neglected lot, often exploited by politicians. They don’t have satisfactory housing facilities and live in line rooms which had been the situation during the British rule. The previous government could have solved this problem with a fraction of the money it spent on mega projects. These Tamils may or may not vote for Rajapaksa, but they need to be treated as human beings. They contribute substantially to the economy of the country. Recognition of their services to the country would have enhanced Mahinda Rajapaksa’s image more than useless mega projects.

Nepotism was a common practice under Rajapaksa rule. Not that there is no nepotism now but we cannot expect anything good from this government, can we? The previous government appointed the president’s close relatives as ambassadors and chairmen of corporations and such other high posts for which they were hardly qualified. These people could sit on the destiny of others and take decisions which could have an impact on all aspects of life. They could ruin the corporation and thereby ruin the economy. Another huge disaster was the appointment of a MP to oversee the affairs of the Foreign Ministry. The appointee was too big for his breeches and was more powerful than the minister.

Mahinda Rajapaksa turned a blind eye to the corruption that was rampant around him. He did not make any attempt to rope in the bribe takers and control the commission grabbers. The word spread that his government was corrupt. His own brothers were not spared. His opponents went to town with these rumours. There is no smoke without fire, and all these scandals reflect on his leadership too. A good leader cannot afford to ignore bribery and corruption, for finally he would be tarred with the same brush. This is what happened finally, with the so called civil society making corruption their clarion call in the campaign against Rajapaksa. Even the present government which robbed its own bank call him “hora”. When the prime minister, under whose watch the Central Bank functioned when it was robbed, asks in parliament “kavuda hora?” his henchmen shout “Rajapaksa hora”! It became as dirty as that, all because Rajapaksa gave a free hand to the corrupt. Those corrupt people are still around him and could prove to be his ruination in future too.

Rajapaksa’s other weakness was he could not control his offspring, with the result that on occasions they did not do the right thing. One such instance was the motor car races held in the sacred city of Kandy, disregarding the objections of the Chief Monks. This incident left a bad taste in the mouths of most of us and would have caused a loss of votes too. President’s children must not only be well behaved but decent in appearance too. Kinky hair styles may not suit them. Compared to other political sons Rajapaksa’s were good but could have been better.

It was Rajapaksa who started jumbo cabinets. He did that to entice crossovers and enhance his majority. As a result, ministries in terms of subject and responsibility became ludicrous and ministers dime a dozen. What is worse is that this sad state of affairs continues to date on some pretext or other, though the constitution was revised to limit the size of the Cabinet. There was no need for Rajapaksa to increase his majority by hook or by crook. Jumbo cabinets are unscientific, inefficient and a burden on the tax payer. What he could have done instead was to bring in laws to prevent crossovers like in India, which would have stopped MPs threatening to cross over unless they are given what they want.

Being a popular leader commanding the respect of the people he should have had the courage to do what is good for the country, without feeling threatened by his own MPs. It is baffling why Rajapaksa had to put up with nepotism, corrupt practices and misbehaviour, etc., among his MPs and supporters. Of course he needs the support of his MPs to run the government. Obviously he did not want his government to collapse due to crossovers. But more than he needs the loyalty of his MPs, the latter need him to get the votes, Rajapaksa being the charismatic leader who could attract the voters for those MPs. This was proved beyond doubt at the recently concluded LG polls where people voted for an unheard of group at Maharagama, for the only reason they were supported by Mahinda Rajapaksa. He can afford to put his foot down and say no.

The country at this perilous moment in its history is fortunate to have a leader with Rajapaksa’s stature, proven ability, patriotic love for the country, and courage to resist imperialist pressure and above, all people’s wide acceptance and love. One hopes he has learnt his lessons for the sake of the country. Because a popular leader in power could be dangerous for they could disregard morals and forget their duty by the people, and even become dictatorial. The country needs a reformed Mahinda Rajapaksa.

For A True Vision 2025

By Ernest Kithsiri –JUNE 17, 2018

Ernest Kithsiri

We may have read many definitions of capitalism. “Capitalism” according to my Oxford English Dictionary is “an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods depend on invest on private capital and profit-making”. Capitalism is a social order where profit regulates the financial life and the social structure.

“Capitalism – also called Free Market Economy, or Free Enterprise Economy, economic system, dominant in the Western world since the breakup of so called hypotheticalfeudalism, in which most of the means of production are privately owned and production is guided and income distributed largely through the operation of markets.”

We have heard all above. But the intent of this article is to discuss the non-apparent side of capitalism, reason why it continues to last long, to emphasize that it’s an idea that it uses certain natural characteristics of human being for betterment of the majority (not everyone),that it discourages a very fewcharacteristics of complex human being for the betterment of majority, that it helps science to discover wonders of the world and the universe, that it helps science to go beyond the earth, that it helps 99% majority to become successful in whatever the way, that it helps create individuals to use their libertarian rights, that it de-centralizes power from a one mighty government to individuals to function in a society.

Article also discusses, the forces and practices that derail the capitalism which is supposed to be for the many. It also discusses, the non-apparent dubious players and practices that destroy the liberal sibling of capitalism.

Going beyond, it discusses the leadership required in Sri Lanka for the next phase of its economic development. The strategic policies required for Sri Lanka.

Greed or self-interest – What if this can be used to generate millions of jobs?

Inquisitive nature of human – What if this can be used to discover the world and the universe?

Like to be different – What if this can be used to create a diverse society?

Willingness to accept challenges – What if this can be used to generate enthusiasm?

Stingy – What if this can be used for optimal use of resources?

Innate human tendency to care one another- What if this can be used for a sustainability of businesses?

Laziness – What if this can be mitigated for an active society?

That’s exactly what Capitalism does. – It promotes number of natural characteristics of human being while it suppresses or discourages some other conflicting human natures of same human being. Capitalism is inherent in human nature.

Some of the above human natures may be considered “evil” in certain societies. Mainly those ideologists exist in communist or socialist societies.

Let’s look at more closely about above characteristics or human nature and how they are used in Capitalist societies.

Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet are billionaires in accounting books. They all came from the so-called 99% society. All what they gained is wealth in accounting books. If someone closely looks at their personal savings, will realize how that wealth has created millions of jobs. Their wealth is not in the form of “cash”. It is in the form of liquid(mostly) or non-liquid assets. All what they have is the freedomto manage the wealth. Is it a bad thing? Absolutely not.  But in the socialist or certain pseudo communist countries, yes, it is a bad thing. Because socialism believes authority should be given only to the government-an entity that has no value of the hard-earned wealth, bunch of people who wants the control of hard earned someone else’s wealth. In many socialist countries governments are more corrupt than most capitalist countries.

Read More

Why we shouldn’t be part of pollution

 2018-06-16 

Environment or an ecosystem is the natural surrounding where living (plants, animals, micro-organisms, and humans) and non-living (soil, water, air, and nutrients) components coexist. A healthy ecosystem comprises all the chemical elements and nutrients circulating in a cycle while supporting millions of species. The countless number of species in ecosystems contribute towards the process of cycling elements by producing food, living their lives, and even paying through their deaths. In this process a variety of goods and services are produced that are beneficial for humans. As the natural environment plays an important role in the existence of human beings, animals, plants and other activities on earth, humanity’s entire life support system depends on the well-being of all the species living on earth. Besides food, ecosystems provide ‘provisioning services,’ for people to derive nearly all their material needs. The most important are: water, medicines, clothing, wood, biofuels, and fossil fuels.   

Industrial farming has resulted in high crop yields, but the excessive use of chemicals as fertilizers and pesticides have decreased the nutritional value of crops

Forests play an important role in regulating air and climate services. Trees regulate and maintain the carbon cycle by producing oxygen and reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, and also remove pollutants from the air. The shade cast by trees moderates temperatures, and makes warm places cooler. The environment is also a source of natural beauty and people enjoy nature for recreation and sports as well. Nature is considered necessary for proper physical and mental health. 

 
All goods and services used by humanity come directly or indirectly from the environment. Biodiversity provides a large number of goods and services that sustains all lives on earth. Biodiversity change causes economic losses by affecting the flow and processes of ecosystem services such as: natural cycling of elements, soil fertility, water purification, pest and disease cycles, drought and flood resistance of an area, and etc., and also hinders the benefits people get from ecosystems. Climate change is both a cause and an effect of biodiversity change,therefore consequences of biodiversity loss or climate change cannot be measured, because estimating the value of climate-related biodiversity change is a challenge; but undisturbed natural ecosystems can moderate severe disasters and limit their damages and prevent destruction of habitats.    

Threats of environmental degradation

The deterioration of environment is often referred to as environmental degradation. This also occurs when resources are over-exploited and lead to a disruption in normal functioning in an area, which in turn threatens the natural resources such as clean water, fossil fuels, and food supply.   

Besides the natural environment a man-made environment also exists which deals with the technology, work environment, aesthetics, transportation, housing, utilities, urbanization, development, etc. In an era when technologically advanced living standards of human beings are desired, the man-made environment affects the natural environment to a great extent by means of air pollution, noise pollution, deforestation, water pollution, soil pollution, acid rain and other disasters created by humans. The components of the natural environment that are used as resources are exploited by human beings in order to fulfill some basic physical needs and purposes of life. As a result, environmental pollution affects lives in a negative manner - socially, physically, economically, emotionally and intellectually.   

This technological advancement is spoiling the environment and disturbing the equilibrium of nature. Industrial farming has resulted in high crop yields, but the excessive use of chemicals as fertilizers and pesticides have decreased the nutritional value of crops and have also distraught the natural processes of the environment. Cutting of trees and clearing of forest increase global warming.   
Environmental damage is also caused due to mining of raw materials, logging for wood and the manufacturing process.    

People like plastic material because they are inexpensive and handy to use; but the fact of the matter is that plastic can destroy our natural environment. Non-biodegradable products like plastic are slow to decompose and can remain in environment for centuries often emitting gases that could be harmful to the environment. This could cause pollutants run into rivers and seep into ground water, floods caused by garbage clogging drains, and the atmosphere can be poisoned by the toxic discharge from trash.   

Global warming caused by climate change can result in a rise in sea levels, which leads to submerging coastal land, and thereby reducing and harming coastal habitats. This will decrease biodiversity, increase extreme weather events, ocean acidification and bleaching of coral reefs and affect the food chain and the ecosystems.   

A clean environment is indispensable to live a healthy and peaceful life. An environment is called healthy when the natural cycle goes side by side without any disturbance. Therefore, any type of disturbance in the nature’s balance affects the environment totally which ruins the human lives.   

Why it is important to take care of the Environment? 

The ecosystem provides natural services for humans and all other species; these services are essential to our health, quality of life, and survival. Environmental goals such as clean water, healthy air, and preservation of biodiversity provide economic, social and environmental benefits for a country by providing natural services and improving quality of life, boosting tourism industry, providing clean water for people, animals, plants and recreation purposes, and prevalence of circulatory and respiratory diseases.   

The contribution of ESCAMP towards environmental conservation  

The Ecosystem Conservation and Management Project (ESCAMP) in Sri Lanka implemented by the Forest Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation aim towards achieving the above environmental goals through its involvement for the benefit of the whole country. The below components of the project highlights how ESCAMP plans to preserve ecosystems and natural habitats in Sri Lanka: -   

(i) The project plans to develop strategic conservation landscape plans for two landscapes, to secure the integrity of ecosystems and viable populations of species, to identify high conservation value forests, and to recognize overlapping cultural, social and governance landscapes within biologically defined areas. This would enhance green infrastructure by developing regulation and guidelines for conservation landscapes, protect sustainability of sensitive ecosystems, encourage ecosystem restoration and conservation planning, identify and value ecosystem services, consider habitat needs of flagship species, and biodiversity considerations.   

(ii) Sustainable use of natural resources for livelihood enhancement would minimize the buffer zone communities’ dependency and impact on natural resources. This includes community forest management plans, capacity building activities to promote sustainable use of natural resources, sustainable land use management, water conservation, and biodiversity-friendly, climate smart, and high market potential income generating activities such as home garden development programs. 

Global warming caused by climate change can result in a rise in sea levels, which leads to submerging coastal land, and thereby reducing and harming coastal habitats

 
(iii) Promote Human Elephant Coexistence in view of mitigating the Human Elephant Conflict (HEC), by incorporating new mechanisms to turn wild elephants from economic liabilities and the foes of local farmers to wild, living, communal and economic assets. The project would explore opportunities for reducing HEC by managing elephant populations according to natural ecosystem boundaries allowing the elephants to continue ranging outside protected areas based on using on-going shifting agriculture outside protected areas to create optimal habitat for elephants and providing benefits to farmers through elephant conservation. The project will provide incentives for regulating and managing the seasonal agricultural practices in Managed Elephant Ranges to minimize conflict and optimize habitat quality. Apart from the above Human-Elephant Co-existence models will also be implemented to manage Human-elephant conflict.   

(iv) Protected Area (PA) conservation and management will finance the updating and developing of PA management plans covering terrestrial, marine and wetland ecosystems with high biodiversity significance, and threatened ecosystems. The activities under this component include rehabilitation and development of water resources within PAs for wildlife, habitat management, control of invasive species, habitat creation and habitat enrichment, improvement of national park infrastructure for better management of forest and wildlife resources, species monitoring and recovery programs, wildlife rehabilitation sites related activities, protection of inviolate areas for species conservation, and strengthening enforcement through introduction of SMART patrolling.   

(v) Promoting Nature-based Tourism in Protected Areas where one can find natural beauty and rich biodiversity. ESCAMP intends to cater to travelers with more interest in the natural environment; and to generate higher economic benefits especially to the communities living adjacent to the Protect Areas (PAs) through sustainable tourism development.   

(vi) The project plans to upgrade and strengthen institutional capacity and investment capability of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Department by providing specialized human resources in wildlife, forestry and environmental management for long-term sustainability of Protected Area management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental management. The above activities are complimented through skills development of communities, Protected Area restoration, Protected Area conservation and management, Human-Elephant Co-existence, and through promoting nature based tourism.   

Why living a sustainable life is needed?

   Sustainability is meeting the needs of the current generation without degrading or destroying the natural resources(e.g. water, soil, biodiversity, oil, minerals) and natural services (e.g. flood control, air purification, pollination) that are also needed for future generations.   

Sri Lanka is mainly based on natural resources and natural services; as such sustainability and environmental protection go hand in hand. Therefore, to be truly sustainable, we need to address sustainability at the environmental, economic and societal levels. We can save our environment easily with little steps taken by every person on the earth, such as by preventing pollution, reducing the amount of waste, disposing wastes properly, stop using plastic, repair and reuse things instead of throwing things away, reduce water wastage, energy conservation, etc. Savings natural resources through recycling ensures sustainable use of limited resources, because recycling helps the environment through the reduction in any phase of a product’s life. Recycling and re-using reduces pollutions by reducing manufacture of fresh materials, littering and landfills, and avoiding incineration. 

World Environment Day   

World Environment Day is a campaign being celebrated for years every year on 5th of June in order to spread public awareness all over the world towards the safety and cleanliness of the environment. 2018’s host country is India and the theme is ‘beating plastic pollution’. 

Earth is Humanity’s only home  

An environment is gifted by the nature to nourish the life on the earth. When an ecosystem is under threat it impacts the entire country and sometimes the whole world. Because all the environmental problems that exist have far-reaching implications for the health of the ecosystem and its inhabitants. Humans are creatures of habit, therefore, changing behavior takes some time. But small steps are key. World Environment Day is for all the people for doing something to take care of the Earth. 

Gnanassara himself says ‘court did its duties duly’ then why are piles of others bleeding? President’s advisor Ulapone ‘s underhand machinations exposed !

(Lanka e News -17.June.2018, 11.45PM) It is a well and widely known fact it is none other than Gnanassara the hooligan robed monk who instead of respecting the sacred saffron robe he is wearing ,the  Buddhist teachings he is supposed to be following and without maintaining  the dignity of his  monkhood , has been  viciously abusing and threatening the complainants, sacred courts ,judges  and  state counsels ,in addition to destroying the Buddha sasana ,  trampling the laws of the country by behaving like a most detested rowdy within courts committed crimes including  contempt of court. It is this  shameless scoundrel of a monk who was sentenced to jail after hearing a  case for two long years based on a number of criminal charges  filed against him.

While this is the disgraceful scenario created by this criminal monk , yet shockingly  by now it has come to light it is Ulapone Sumangala another robed monk who is an advisor to the  president of all people  who is      moving heaven and earth to insult the judgment that was delivered by a sublime law court  , by putting this rascally monk Gnanassara even above Lord Buddha and thereby disgracing even pristine Buddhism . It is  learnt that this Ulapone  Sumanagala is openly engaging in these  dastardly activities with the knowledge and consent of the president , and it is the latter who had entrusted Ulapone with the task of creating the necessary environment to grant Gnanassara the criminal monk  a presidential pardon.

Gnanassara is not the first ….

Gnanassara is not the first robed monk who was jailed for violating the laws. Gnanassara is not just an ordinary robed thug because even before he had been charged with driving a  lorry without license under the influence of liquor and running over a three wheeler . This debauched disgraceful monk was arrested and was fined when he pleaded guilty in  court.

What’s more !while wearing the saffron robe this shameless  monk had a sexual relationship with a woman , and has a child by her. His debauchery and sex starvation are not issues if Gnanassara was indulging in those without  exploiting his monkhood or gobbling free food.  But of  course it is an issue if he is using the sacred saffron robes to wipe out the spills after his thrills despite being a monk..

Any way before Gnanassara  there were monks who were handcuffed and incarcerated , the most well known  among them were Thalduwe  Somarama and Mapitigama Buddharakitha .But of course Buddharakitha was the chief prelate of  Kelaniya raja mahavihara unlike Gnanassara who is a two penny half penny debauched  dipsomaniac self degrading monk  .It is a fact that   after being  found guilty by the court they were all  disrobed and were made to wear the jumper which is the dress of sentenced prisoners.

The law itself has ensured this in order  to give  respect to the Buddhist robe  , and for no other reason. A robed monk performing rigorous tasks under rigorous imprisonment is indeed  an insult to the sacred robe.

However , it must be emphatically stated , the  Buddhist robe is not a  license to violate the country’s penal code. If the penal code was  violated , any religious priest whether he is a Buddhist , Hindu , Christian or Muslim he / she is  liable to punishment , and had  been jailed in SL. Mathew Peiris is an example.

How come Ulapone who spoke of enthroning law is now against it ?

It is the presidential  advisor Ulapone who while distorting the truths said, this is the  ‘warring period of religion’ and that laws shall be enthroned addressing media briefings after forming a so called Anti corruption front . He is the same hypocrite who made fiery speeches   in front of the  mike. He is the  same Ualpone who was most vociferous that laws shall be upheld is now threatening to take to the streets on the 18 th on behalf of notorious criminal Gnanassara who was sentenced for contempt of court and other criminal involvements under those same laws . Double tongued double faced Ulapone is  therefore duping the people and discrediting  the judiciary .

Believe it or not Ulapone is the advisor to the president ,of all people , who  while Gnanassara was unlawfully  dodging the  courts took Gnanassara to  court and got him released on bail in five criminal cases in one day.  After the communal violence in Kandy when president Gamarala took Gnanassara to Japan , Ulapone too accompanied him. Now what Ulapone is trying to do is create a fake scene of riots to get a presidential pardon for Gnanassara while also whitewashing Gamarala’s behind the scene crooked  maneuvers .

Gnanassara has not told he would not remove his robe

he is well accustomed to stripping himself of it ( even in public) .  The issue is therefore not with Gnanassara who is inside  but with Ulapones and Medagodas who are outside and suffering from bleeding piles . When  Gnanassara was being taken to prison he  said  , ‘ the court performed its duties duly , and the police performed their duties duly.’ In fact in respect of Gnanassara , even to file an appeal is  incorrect  because Gnanassara himself  admitted  categorically the court had carried out its duties correctly. 

Based on reports Gnanassara has not said he would not remove his robes within prison .The prison officials too  told the media on the 16 th  he has undertaken his prison tasks  peacefully under the terms of rigorous imprisonment .

Gnanassara is an individual well accustomed to readily removing his robes to wear  trousers and shirt . When he goes to France to meet his wife or when she comes to Sri Lanka he does his secret jaunts and ‘ jumps’ wearing shirt and trousers. Therefore to him removing the robe which has  no sacred value as far as  he is concerned  , and wearing the jumper is as  simple as putting a ‘jump’  . Hence the genuine monks are not surprised when Gnanassara after removing his robe wears the jumper and eats hirabath  ( serves jail sentence ). Lanka e news has already published photographs depicting how the BBS members – the Gnanassara lackeys gourmandize  inside the prison.

Medagoda’s  bizarre  religious disciplinary code…

Medagoda had said , it is only the religious disciplinary sector  that is empowered to remove the robe, and the temporal  laws of the country do not  come within that ambit . The religious disciplinary sector  is under the purview of the Bhikkhu administration. Hence , first and foremost Medagoda should understand if Gnanassara has conducted himself according to the religious disciplinary code  , he hasn’t the need  to eat hirabath  ( serve a jail term) today.

Already exposures have been made with cogent and copious evidence about ‘Kiri Vehera koba’ ( Kiri Vehera womanizer) alias local Don Juan who chases  women on the sly  after removing his robe and donning trousers and shirt  to cure his itch in the wrong place . Hence Medagoda should now answer whether Gnanassara ‘s robe should be removed or not . If truly the religious disciplinary code is followed duly , not only Medagoda’s but even the robes of Mahanayakes would have been removed long ago.

If an appeal has been filed lawfully against the decision of the magistrate court , it is for the president of the country to  see to it the laws are enforced duly and put a full stop to  his advisors from  becoming  ‘madvisors’ taking the law into their hands to the detriment of the entire country.  If such steps are not taken the fact that Ulapones are undoubtedly conducting  themselves this unlawfully and unethically  with the consent and knowledge of the president  cannot be hidden from the people

It is very evident the plan of the president and his close sidekicks currently is to fasten all their misdeeds and wrongdoings on the UNF faction , while whitewashing the president and getting the SLFP out from the consensual government . It is obvious even monk Gnanassara’s self degrading disgraceful episode of his  jail sentence is going to be exploited to achieve such an end based on the conduct of the advisor to the president .

Chandrapradeep

Translated by Jeff 

---------------------------
by     (2018-06-17 22:35:19)

One dead after police open fire during clash in Tellippalai

By Yusuf Ariff-June 17, 2018

A 33-year-old was killed after police opened fire at a group with sword attacking two policemen at Mallakam Junction in Tellippalai, Jaffna.

Ada Derana reporter said that a clash had occurred between two groups near the Tellippalai church during a festival and that police officers intervened to disperse the crowd.

However, a group wielding swords had attacked two police officers prompting police to open fire at them.

Another persons was reportedly injured in the shooting and has been admitted to hospital.
Tellippalai police are conducting investigations into the incident.

Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel have been deployed in the area to control the situation and maintain the peace. 

Scary Situation

JUN 18 2018

Targeting the Chief Prelate of Kiri Vehera Rajamaha Viharaya in Kataragama which is one of the holiest places of worship in the country highlights how far the crime rate has increased with criminals ridiculing law and order.

Escalation of serious criminal activities has forced the law enforcement officials to adopt stringent measures to strengthen the special operations to deal with the notorious elements.

Prominent figures of the present regime mention frequently that unlike in the previous regime people could move around freely without the fear of `white van’ abductions, kidnappings and various types of criminal activities.

According to a senior Police official, Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) and Organized Crime Division (OCD) have been activated extensively with the deployment of the Special Task Force (STF) to deal with serious crimes which are on the increase in recent months.

The new initiative will put into action all 63 camps of the Directorate of Special Operations islandwide to tackle the notorious elements which remain a challenge to law and order in the country.

It is very shocking to understand the country is in a terrorized atmosphere with the sword wielding gangsters in the North and the gun totting underworld elements in the South.

The reports from Jaffna Peninsula indicate sword attacks have become the order of the day and even the law enforcement officials remain helpless in bringing the situation under control.

The sword wielding gangsters of Jaffna Peninsula are active carrying out their attacks even in the broad day light in various places in the region. They go into houses and business establishments threatening the innocent civilians with their notorious activities.

In the meantime several shooting incidents had taken place in various parts in the South in recent weeks and the attack on the Chief Prelate of Kiri Vehera, Kataragama a few days ago has thrown a big challenge to the law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of the law abiding citizens of the country.

The special Police operations which have been launched already have led to the arrests of several underworld ring leaders and their accomplices.

A few days ago an accident involving State Minister Palitha Range Bandara’s son Yashoda and Puttalam Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Anjana Sandaruwan in Chilaw has pointed to how law and order has been ridiculed by those who come from a high profile political background.

At the time of the accident State Minister Bandara’s son Yashoda and Puttalam Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Sandaruwan were under the influence of liquor and the vehicle they used belonged to the Irrigation Ministry.

Therefore, when the law enforcement officials have flexed their muscles to maintain law and order, the irresponsible behaviour of the son of a State Minister and a Local Government politician holding an important position has made us to think how successfully the law and order situation could be brought under control with the cooperation of those who have been elected by the people to be their credible representatives.

Giving Police officials a free hand without meddling in their task of maintaining law and order only will help to a great extent in curbing serious crimes in the country.

The day to day reports reaching the media institutions have highlighted the manner the drug dealers, murderers, high profile corrupt and fraudulent individuals have become a threat not only to the peaceful existence of the law abiding citizens but also to the healthy socio-economic development of the country.

Therefore, the tasks of the Directorate of Special Operations and the Organized Crime Division backed by the Police Special Task Force should be allowed to be independent under the directive of skilful and responsible officials to ensure every nook and corner of the country is freed from the outlaws.

Kiri Vehera Chief Incumbent’s shooting-Five suspects arrested

Feron Jayawardene and Duminda Senerath-Monday, June 18, 2018

The suspects arrested in connection with the shooting of the Chief Incumbent of the Kataragama Kiri Vehera Raja Maha Viharaya, Ven. Kobawaka Dhamminda Thera and another monk being brought to the Tangalle Division Crimes Investigation Unit yesterday. Pictu

The Police have arrested five suspects in connection with the recent shooting of the Chief Incumbent of the Kataragama Kiri Vehera Raja Maha Viharaya, Ven. Kobawaka Dhamminda Thera and another monk.

The Police yesterday said the shooting had been carried out by two 18 year old hit-men hired by the main suspect Asela Bandara for Rs. three million.

A special Police team was able to arrest the main suspect of the shooting Bopegedara Asela Lakmal Bandara who had previously served as a custodian (Kapu Rala) of the Mahasen Devalaya at the temple along with two other suspects named Jayawickrama Kankanamge Nuwan Kumara and Jayawickrama Kankanamge Danushka Kumara on Saturday night at Pepiliyana.

 Jayawickrama Kankanamge Nuwan Kumara and Jayawickrama Kankanamge Danushka Kumara were identified as 24-year-old twin brothers who assisted the main suspect in coordinating the attack.

The Police had also arrested the two suspects who are said to have carried out the shooting. They were identified as Marapathiranage Kawishka Dilshan (Kurulu) who was hiding in the jungle in the Wallimathagama area and Galwalagamage Hasan Anuradha (Malli) who was arrested in the Gaminipura area. Both these alleged shooters are residents of Gaminipura in Katharagama and are 18-years-old.

The Police said they had found the firearm used by Kawishka Dilshan dumped near the Manik Ganga in the Gaminipura area while another ‘Galkatas’ rifle used by Hasan Anuradha was also found in a jungle in the Gaminipura area.

Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara stated that Asela Bandara had promised Rs. 3 million to the two shooters for carrying out the attack.

“Investigations were conducted by eight special Police teams under the supervision of IGP Pujith Jayasundara. These Police teams are working further to investigate the involvement of the suspects involved in the incident,” SP Gunasekara stated.

Ven. Kobawaka Dhamminda Thera was shot in the temple premises at around 10 p.m. on June 12 while another monk who was with the Chief Incumbent, Ven. Dhamminda Thera also received gunshot wounds.

The two monks were admitted to the Kataragama Hospital and later transferred to the Hambanthota General Hospital.

Later, Ven. Dhamminda Thera was flown to a private hospital in Colombo for further treatment. 

Palestinians deserve better than PA brutality

Palestinians take part in a protest demanding the lifting of Palestinian Authority sanctions on the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on 10 June. The PA used riot police and party thugs to violently suppress a similar protest on 13 June.Eyad JadallahAPA images

15 June 2018

Human rights workers seldom agree with Donald Trump and his entourage.

Yet this week I found myself echoing a view expressed by Jason Greenblatt, a Middle East envoy for the US president. For very different reasons to the ones he cited, I arrived at the same conclusion as Greenblatt: the Palestinian people deserve better than the Palestinian Authority.

This was evident as I observed the PA’s handling of a protest on Wednesday evening.

The protest was organized by ordinary Palestinians who object to how the PA has imposed sanctions on Gaza. It was banned by the PA on the spurious pretext of avoiding disruptions to the Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrations.

Yet the protest went ahead – without official approval – in Ramallah, a city in the occupied West Bank. Its organizers refused to be bullied into canceling a display of solidarity with their fellow Palestinians in Gaza.

During the early stages of the protest, riot police working for the PA attacked its participants. They beat protesters, taking a number of them into custody. I saw one riot police officer – his face covered by a balaclava – rolling a stun grenade towards the crowd.

After about an hour, groups of thugs and secret police dispersed among the crowd took over the task of suppressing the protest.

The thugs in question wore hats, identifying themselves as supporters of Fatah, the party dominating the PA. Some of these hats depicted a kuffiyeh, the Palestinian checkered scarf. The irony involved here was sordid: the kuffiyeh is supposed to be a symbol of liberation.

Secret police

The secret police in the crowd were easy to spot, if you looked for them. They were men with large muscles, who watched over everyone else. They could be found in groups of four.

The secret police could be seen pointing out individuals to the thugs with the Fatah hats. If individuals who had been pointed out resisted arrest by these thugs, they were dragged away and beaten. None of the thugs looked older than 25.

The thugs grabbed many protesters and placed them in headlocks. Other protesters were punched and slapped in the head. One man had his shirt completely ripped off him by the thugs before they handed him over to the riot police.

Numerous protesters were rounded up and placed in vans, which were waiting near al-Manara Square in the city center. In one case, a protester was placed in an ambulance.

I later learned that protesters who had been rounded up were driven to police stations and to the headquarters of the PA’s “preventive security” division.

While I was standing next to some protesters on Wednesday, I suddenly felt my arms being restrained. One of the secret police had forced my hands behind my back. He did not use extreme force to do so. But he was certainly asserting his control.

The man told me to come with him. He pushed me down a lane. “Don’t be scared,” he whispered. “We respect people.”

I would have laughed – if I was not worried about having my head bashed in, which the man could have done on a whim.

The secret police officer brought me near the vans full of protesters who had been arrested. He handed me over to another man, who was carrying a walkie-talkie. That man asked me – in fluent English – what I was doing at the protest. Where was I from? Was I a journalist?
I replied in Arabic that I was not a journalist.

The man took my phone and went through the photos and messages saved on it. When he handed the phone back to me, he asked me for my ID card. I told him I did not have it with me.

The man then instructed the secret police officer who had grabbed me to take me away. I was ordered to go home. As I did so, I was followed through the streets by three other secret police officers.

Police working for the Palestinian Authority are funded and trained by the European Union and the United States. A key purpose of this training is to ensure that the PA works in the interests of Israel.

The way they handled this week’s protests illustrated how the PA’s police can be similarly brutal to Israel’s forces of occupation. Palestinians surely deserve better than that.

The author is a human rights worker in Palestine. They requested anonymity as they had been instructed by their organization to remain silent on how the PA handled Wednesday’s protests.

Culture clash: Campaign in Syria's liberal Afrin tells women to cover up

Rebel group Ahrar al-Sharqiya is trying to encourage more modest dress in the former Kurdish stronghold - and it's going down badly

A sign in Syria's Afrin encourages women to take the veil, 8 June 2018 (MEE/Harun al-Aswad)

Harun al-Aswad

Friday 15 June 2018

AFRIN, Syria - Earlier this year, the tree-lined streets of Afrin in northern Syria witnessed ferocious battles and a weeks-long offensive.

Today, three months after hostilities ended, they are subject to a new conflict – one based on morals, religion and women's dress.

Across the city, posters have been erected instructing women to take the Islamic veil and wear modest clothing, a shock for many residents for whom such religious conservatism is a departure from Afrin's more secular tradition.

"I have seen signs in the main streets and sidestreets calling on women to take the veil and wear loose clothing. It is disagreeable for us in Afrin," Elizabeth, a Kurdish resident of Afrin, tells Middle East Eye.

Elizabeth runs a cosmetics shop in the city, which for much of the Syrian war felt relative security under the control of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

This all changed in January, when the Turkish military and some 25,000 allied Free Syrian Army rebels began a two-month operation known as "Operation Olive Branch" to take the city.

Women in Afrin have had a prominent role in society in recent years. (MEE/Harun al-Aswad)

In the months since Afrin fell under Turkish and FSA control, some of the city's previous stability has begun to return.

"My work here is getting better, and my customers are increasing in number," Elizabeth says.

Yet in swapping secular-minded Kurdish rule for that of more conservative FSA groups, Afrin is experiencing a clash of cultures, one that has spilled visibly into the streets.

'My daughter says she’s afraid to go out, because she wears whatever clothes she likes and does not want to wear the veil'

- Elizabeth, Kurdish Afrin resident

"My daughter is 16, but it is hard for her to leave the house. I need her to help me with my work in the store," Elizabeth says.

"My daughter says she's afraid to go out because she wears whatever clothes she likes and does not want to wear the veil. She is afraid of being criticized."

Veil a red line

The posters address women directly, calling them the granddaughters of the Prophet Mohammed's companions.

They tell Afrin's women that the veil is a "red line," and that they should wear loose clothing and avoid those that are translucent or figure-hugging.

"Choose your appearance freely but without disobedience," some banners read.

Choose your appearance freely but without disobedience

- Ahrar al-Sharqiya poster

The initiative belongs to Ahrar al-Sharqiya, an FSA rebel group that has gained prominence in the northern Aleppo countryside and helped Turkey take Afrin from the YPG.

Ahrar al-Sharqiya, formed in early 2016, is a collection of various brigades, mostly from the eastern Deir Ezzor province, opposing the Syrian government.

In August of the same year, the rebel group joined Turkey in its first operation in northern Syria, known as "Euphrates Shield," which targeted Islamic State (IS) group fighters and the YPG along the Turkish border.

Ankara considers the YPG to be the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), whose militants have been waging a decades-long insurgency in Turkey's south.

Culture shock

The Turkish-led assault on Afrin is estimated to have displaced at least 137,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Weeks after the operation concluded in March, the Syrian government's own offensive on the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta suburbs in the Damascus countryside sent a separate wave of displacement towards Syria's north.

Many of those displaced from Ghouta settled in Afrin, where rebels have reportedly offerednewcomers the houses of Kurdish residents that fled the city during Operation Olive Branch.

On Thursday, Human Rights Watch said FSA groups had looted and confiscated many of Afrin's deserted properties.

Afrin has seen a wave of displaced Syrians settle in the city (MEE/Harun al-Aswad)

The wave of displacement from Ghouta has only exacerbated the social juxtaposition Afrin witnesses today.

Most of Afrin's residents are Muslims, but there are followers of other faiths too, such as Yazidis and Christians.

Under Kurdish rule, the communities largely existed beside one another peacefully, despite Syria's war taking an increasingly sectarian complexion over the seven years it has raged.

During this period, women in Afrin also found increasing prominence, rights and respect. They began to see greater participation in politics, civil society and services, with some even serving in the city's Asayish police force.

Last year, Kurdish authorities introduced a law promoting "equality between men and women in all aspects of social and political life".

It sought to prevent polygamy, dowries, unilateral divorce and honour killings, and allowed women to occupy all political positions.

Afrin has multiple religions but also there is no respect for the rituals of religion - and people here believe that not wearing veil is normal!

- Mohammed Bassam, displaced Ghouta resident

"The city of Afrin looks very different to the countryside of Damascus," Mohammed Bassam, one of those displaced from Ghouta, tells MEE.

"Afrin has multiple religions but also there is no respect for the rituals of religion - and people here believe that not wearing veil is normal!"

Yet, despite his shock at the more liberal tendencies of Afrin's residents, Bassam does not agree with Ahrar al-Sharqiya's efforts to promote more conservative dress.

"In any case, I think it is more important to provide services to the region instead of spending money on advocacy campaigns," he says.

"No one wants to see any conflict between the displaced and the local population."

Unlicensed, unwanted

The administration of the city of Afrin and its environs is currently supervised by seven local councils under the umbrella of the opposition Syrian National Coalition.

The councils were established from civil society, with Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen origins.

Engineer Zuhair Haidar, the head of Afrin city's council, tells MEE that the posters were erected in the city without the body's approval.

He says the campaign is "unlicensed" and that some of the posters have been removed by the local police.

Residents have also targeted the banners, tearing some of them down in a show of disgust at what they say is interference with their personal freedoms.

A man gestures as he sits next to a Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army fighter in the center of Afrin, Syria on 24 March 2018 (Reuters)

Rafiq Abu Mohammed, an Afrin resident, says he thinks the posters are correct in principle, but the way they have been spread is not appropriate for the people of the region.

"It is a clear criticism of the Kurdish people. The issue is the customs and traditions of the people of the region. The non-wearing of veils by women in Afrin city is not due to lack of religion, it is just a habit, no more," he tells MEE.

"I think that advocacy campaigns can be more successful in Idlib province, where people have more religious awareness. Perhaps it could succeed in Afrin through educating civilians in mosques."

According to Abu Mohammed, the posters could give outsiders the wrong picture of life inside Afrin.

"Some people are taking advantage of the presence of banners by saying that the area is controlled by hard-line Islamic organizations, but that is not right," he says.

"The result of these posters has been negative rather than positive."

Frictions in Idlib

While Idlib may be a more naturally conservative area of Syria than Afrin, a similar campaign to encourage modest dress and religious conservatism there has also faced resistance.

Posters much like the ones now seen in the former Kurdish stronghold have been widely distributed in Idlib city since it was taken by rebel groups in early 2015.

There, the campaign is led by Hayiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which under its previous guise, the Nusra Front, acted as the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and now is largely in control of the province and its capital.

Much like in Afrin, however, Idlib residents grew resentful of the didactic posters and have tried to remove them, with little success.

According to the former director of Idlib local council’s media office, Ahmed Ghajar, soon after Nusra took the city in 2015 it launched an "Islamic awareness" campaign across the province, with the consent of the Army of Conquest, another prominent rebel group.

It would have been better to put up road signs rather than this graffiti

- Ahmed Ghajar, ex-Idlib council official

"The campaign involved writing Islamic phrases on most of the walls in Idlib. It would have been better to put up road signs rather than this graffiti," he says.

"There was popular discontent with the campaign because it cost more than $25,000, while the population was in desperate need of services."

Ghajar says the opposition's enemies used the campaign to portray Idlib in a bad light.

"The colours used to paint the phrases were exploited by counter-revolutionaries, helping to portray the area as black and classify it as a terrorist zone," he says.

"The campaign was overseen by a small number of people, who do not represent the entire population of Idlib."