About Us
The Sri Lanka Pugwash group was set up on 29 April 1981
at a meeting in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, called by newspaper
advertisement in the Daily News, by D L O Mendis, Convenor.
At that time an offer had been made by a Sri Lankan engineer, V Tharumaratnam,
to host an international Pugwash Conference at an estimated cost of
one million rupees. Professor Joseph Rotblat had visited Sri Lanka and
met local scientists in this connection. Following his recommendation
to the Pugwash Council, an announcement was made in the Pugwash Newsletter
forward program that the 33rd international conference would be held
in Sri Lanka in 1983. However, some local scientists at the inaugural
meeting expressed the view that it was not quite correct to spend such
a large sum of money on foreign scientists when local science and scientists
were starved for funds.
Pugwash Council and Mr. Tharumaratnam were informed accordingly, and
the Sri Lanka Pugwash Group organised a Symposium on Tropical Agriculture
in 1982 instead of the international conference in 1983. Pugwash was
represented by the late Professor Roger Revelle at the Symposium, which
was reported in the Pugwash Newsletter as a great success.
Since that time, Sri Lanka has become the scene of some of the worst
internecine conflicts of our time, beginning with extensive civil disturbances
that started in Colombo in July 1983, and spread to virtually all parts
of the island.
The Sri Lanka Pugwash Group has remained an informal organisation from
the time of its inauguration, similar in some respects to international
Pugwash (http://www.pugwash.org/index.htm) which was managed by
a Continuing Committee for the first 17 years of its existence. It is
felt that the time has now come, mid 2001, for the Sri Lanka Pugwash
Group to assume a more formal structure, of which this web site will
be the first manifestation. It will be updated from time to time.
For more information: pugwash@sltnet.lk
