Darshatha Gamage

I am me. But with time we change. So I might not be me. But I am still me.

[The Correspondent @correspondentlk]

It seems Sri Lanka’s Central Bank got scammed by PR people. — just a ‘good initiative’ taken the wrong way forward.

[Rajni Gamage @Rajni_Gamage]

At the second session of the Socialist Study Circle at the N M Perera Centre this Friday, discussion focused on “Republic at 54: Envisioning the Third Republican Constitution”, with speakers Deepika Udagama, M A Sumanthiran and Jayampathy Wickramaratne. Some notes we took below:

[The Correspondent @correspondentlk]

Reservoir levels down, electricity bills up. In Sri Lanka, even the water knows how to play politics. #lka
https://t.co/s1lfC9qFln

[Kalani Kumarasinghe @KalaniWrites]

How not to do media innovation with AI: sideline exceptional human talent for algorithmic drivel!
Extremely disappointing to see a newsroom with one of SL’s most talented cartoon desks not used, in favour of AI. Content will always be divisive, this choice didn’t have to be.

[Pamodi Waravita @purpleskiiess]

Govt MPs say any part of draft PSTA (near identical to an old draft) can be amended; it’s not final. If so, what exactly was the committee appointed to draft a NEW terror law doing the last year, when it met over 30 times? What was the point of this whole committee then?

[JDS @JDSLanka]

The 17th death anniversary of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was murdered in Colombo by armed members of state security forces, was marked on Thursday (8) by family members & fellow journalists at his grave site in Borella Cemetery.| 📷 Sakuna M. Gamage

[In-Brief @inbrieflk]

UNESCO has added Sri Lanka’s centuries-old tradition of #Kitul tapping — the extraction of sap from the kithul palm to make jaggery and syrup — to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

#SriLanka🇱🇰 #LivingHeritage #IntangibleHeritage

[UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 @UNESCO]

🔴 BREAKING

New inscription on the #IntangibleHeritage List: Kithul Madeema/Kithul Kapeema, an ancient indigenous technology for tapping Kithul in Sri Lanka, #SriLanka🇱🇰.

Congratulations!

https://t.co/xoL14QknFp #LivingHeritage

[Kalinga Athulathmudali @kalinga]

This is extremely worst handling of patience information by Durdans Hospital, my daughter was hospitalized last week and today I got a call from a Insurance company and asked for her, and clearly knew she was at Durdans and asked how I managed to make the payment - this is a complete breach of privacy!

[LIRNEasia @LIRNEasia]

The final panel discussion of the day, “The Use of AI to Counter Information Disorder”, featured Dhara Mungra (Co-Founder, SimPPL), Dr. Aldu Cornelissen (Co-Founder, Murmur Intelligence), Darshatha Gamage (Co-Founder & Director, IMPACT VOICES), and Dr. Uthayasanker Thayasivam (Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Moratuwa), moderated by Merl Chandana (Team Lead, Data, Algorithms & Policy, LIRNEasia).

Full discussion now available to watch: https://t.co/Ccf5hPXIMc

@merl_syrex | @DarshathaG | @AlduCornelissen

[JDS @JDSLanka]

Dr. Kāsipillai Manoharan (84), a persistent fighter who campaigned to get justice for his son Ragihar Manoharan (20) executed with 4 other students in Trincomalee in 02.01.2006 by Sri Lanka's Special Task Force, passed away in exile on Sunday(21), without seeing justice.
RIP🪔

[Darshatha Gamage @DarshathaG]

@Hanuman_Banda @melanirgk Thank you for sharing. I am not sure if we were able to fully address the points you outlined but the discussion did include these topics and also broadly discussed the role of citizens towards Justice and Peace.

[AFP News Agency @AFP]

#BREAKING United Nations investigators said Tuesday they had determined that Israel has since October 2023 committed "genocide" in Gaza, with the "intent to destroy the Palestinians" in the territory.

"We came to the conclusion that genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur, and the responsibility lies with the State of Israel"

[Netflix @netflix]

Youngest Emmy winner ever in any male acting category.

Congratulations to Adolescence's OWEN COOPER.

[Nalaka Gunawardene @NalakaG]

Both @DarshathaG & I critique #OnlineSafetyActLK which criminalizes #lka #disinformation. I call 2024 law “deeply flawed,” - a case of “the remedy being far worse than the ailment”. @NPPSLOfficial opposed it then, but in office since last Sep, has done little to repeal/amend it…

[UNDP in Sri Lanka @UNDPSriLanka]

#DidYouKnow starting today, seat belts are mandatory for all drivers and passengers on expressways in #SriLanka?🚍💺

To understand public sentiment, @CitraLabLK-a joint initiative of the Prime Minister’s Office and @UNDP #lka conducted a Public Perception Survey with support from the @ColomboUni & University of Moratuwa.

Over 2,100 respondents from Pettah, Makumbura, Kaduwela, and Kadawatha bus stands shared their views between August 7–11.

Speaking on today’s ‘Hathweni Peya’ on ITN 📺hear from Prof. H.R Pasindu and Ralani Weerasinghe on the overwhelmingly positive results and on what this means for safer travel in #SriLanka 🇱🇰

#BuckleUpSriLanka @UNDPasiapac @UNSriLanka

[IMPACT VOICES @impact_voices]

Our Co-Founder @DarshathaG will be live on V FM Sri Lanka today, exploring the essentials of #ArtificialInteligence, what it is, why it matters, and how it’s shaping the future! 📻💡
Join the conversation via https://t.co/y6Hq4pjz9b

#CivicTechFutures #SriLanka #TechTalk #Asia

[JDS @JDSLanka]

Sri Lanka's Counter Terrorism & Investigation Division (CTID) has summoned leading Tamil journalist & rights defender, Kanapathipillai Kumanan, informing him to appear at CTID Sub-station in Alampil, Mullaithivu on August 17th for an 'inquiry'. @RSF_inter @CPJAsia @ifjasiapacific

[Translating Falasteen (Palestine) @translatingpal]

♥️Incredible news! We posted about Osama Al-Raqab multiple times in the past few months and he was evacuated from Gaza on June 10, 2025, after months of starvation left him severely malnourished and weighing just 9 kilograms.

At the time, he was clinging to life at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, suffering from anemia, weakness, and exhaustion due to the Israeli occupation’s total blockade. His condition was so terrible that doctors described it as one of the worst they had seen.

But in less than two months, Osama made an incredible recovery. The photo on the left was taken on July 23, 2025, in Italy, where he is now receiving proper food, medicine, and care. Osama’s healing is proof of what Gaza could become, if only its people were allowed to live, eat, and be treated.

[NewsWire 🇱🇰 @NewsWireLK]

Factum Perspective: The curious case of the ‘Online Safety Act’ https://t.co/QufNrVnm8v