Rajgir, India. Following several days in Bodh Gaya, where Buddha obtained enlightenment under the tree, we continue our pilgrimage to another holy site of Buddhism: Rajgir. One of eight great places of the traditional Buddhist pilgrimage, Rajgir is located in a green valley surrounded by rocky hills. Here and nearby, especially at Vultures’ Peak, many important […]
Tag Archives: Galle
Celebration for Union Army Colonel Who Changed Course of Sri Lankan Culture
By Dr. Wije Kottahachchi, edited by Jim Luce. Orange, New Jersey. When Colonel Henry Steel Olcott landed by ship in the southern coastal town of Galle in the British colonized island of Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) on May 17th 1880, the natives of that island were cocooned in their own culture and religious practices. The […]
U.N. Blue Helmets from Sri Lanka Come to Our Assistance in Haiti
Leogane, Haiti. Another early day here in Leogane, Haiti — epicenter of the earthquake — for our international NGO post-disaster relief team. I brief the team over breakfast at 7am and by 8am we are at the U.N. Coordinating Committee compound to continue our introduction to them. Known as “OCHA,” this U.N. branch is connecting the […]
In Sri Lanka: Home for Disabled Children
Galle, Sri Lanka. Carla Browne came to Sri Lanka from the U.K. to help following the Tsunami of 2004. She has lived here ever since. Carla Browne came to Sri Lanka to help and never left. “We have been able to build this beautiful dormitory,” Carla told me. It houses 30 boys on the first floor, […]
In Sri Lanka: On the Streets of Colombo
Colombo, Sri Lanka. The euphoria remains on the balmy streets of Colombo. One week ago the Tamil Tigers were at last defeated — on the beaches of the north — after 26 years of terrorism. Their human hostages have escaped. The Sri Lankan flag flies now from virtually every tuk-tuk (three-wheeled taxi) and every building. Children grin broadly […]
2,870 Mayors for Peace: Does Yours Belong?
New York, N.Y. 2,870 cities in 134 countries. That’s how many cities have committed themselves to not being a nuclear target by joining the U.N.-associated Mayors for Peace. “Being in favor of nuclear disarmament is a no-brainer for cities. Atomic weapons were developed to destroy cities,” Aaron Tovish explained to me over coffee at the […]
