| The silent waves of Gulf of Mannar towards | | | | Aquarius Sports Resort Hotel, the "Night of a |
| the sandy shores of Marawila, a western | | | | Thousand Dinners", an initiative of |
| coastal town of Sri Lanka was creating a | | | | Adopt-A-Minefield, a program of the United |
| symphony of ecstasy, made by mind often in a | | | | Nations Association of the USA and the |
| state of standstill.Watching the horizon of | | | | Canadian Landmine Foundation that began as an |
| the shiny blue sky, above the Indian Ocean, | | | | opportunity for people and institutions |
| while sipping blended coffee is always an | | | | globally to come together on a single night, |
| unforgettable experience at the beach-end | | | | enjoy a meal and help solve the global |
| restaurant of Aquarius Sports Resort Hotel, | | | | landmine crisis with discussions on world |
| which is surrounded by greeneries of scenic | | | | affairs.The event was observed a couple of |
| view, which is unique only to this | | | | years ago first time in Sri Lanka by the PDIP |
| Island-paradise.More than enjoying the taste | | | | with the participation of its Patron Dr. |
| of the nature's gifts around there, | | | | James W. Spain, a former US Ambassador for |
| conversing on the issues of world affairs | | | | Sri Lanka and the UN with a global |
| focusing Germany and rest of the Europe will | | | | participation of the US State Department and |
| become always a hot topic in the restaurant | | | | its embassies, the Canadian Foreign Ministry |
| and will make at times, the environment into | | | | and its consulates, the American Chambers of |
| a German hamlet of Asia.The Aquarius Sports | | | | Commerce and Rotary International.The event |
| Resort Hotel, which hosts the Asian-German | | | | has given me an opportunity to address and |
| Sports Exchange Program (AGSEP), a | | | | share various international issues with |
| Non-Governmental Organisation, operating in | | | | German students and others and has taken me |
| the development political sector with a | | | | back to the Second World Era of Germany.Even |
| partner office is in Essen, Germany. | | | | in Germany there had been acts of resistance |
| | | | against the Nazis by individuals or |
| The Resort also accommodates the Sri Lanka | | | | resistance groups throughout the years. They |
| division of the International Institute for | | | | came from all walks of life. A bomb attack |
| Ratings and Consultancy (IIRC), a German | | | | initiated by Graf Stauffenberg and other |
| based Think-Tank, which facilitates surveys | | | | resistance fighters on July 20, 1944 failed: |
| and consultancy and currently carrying out a | | | | Hitler survived and had more than 4,000 |
| survey on the tsunami devastations for | | | | people executed in retaliation. The war |
| presenting donors around the world.My | | | | continued, claiming huge casualties on both |
| association with these institutions after the | | | | sides, until the Allies occupied the entire |
| tsunami disaster has made me to visit often | | | | German Reich. Hilter committed suicide on |
| there and gave me a chance to know more about | | | | April 30, 1945 and a week later the darkest |
| the German history, economy and cultural | | | | chapter in the history of Germany was brought |
| issues through my conversation with students | | | | to an end with the country's unconditional |
| of leading German universities who are in | | | | capitulation.The hardship, which German |
| their exchange programs and doing their | | | | people suffered and underwent thereafter, has |
| undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the | | | | left them into a lasting trauma, which is so |
| fields of economics, political science, | | | | difficult to overcome even in the next |
| social science, engineering and other | | | | centuries.When I was quoting in my brief |
| disciplines.Dietmar Doring, the founder | | | | speech at the dinner that the tragedy where |
| director of the AGSEP and the country | | | | by March, 1945 as the advancing Soviets under |
| director of the IIRC was an amateur national | | | | the slogan, "There will be no pity. They have |
| coach for the table tennis team of Sri Lanka | | | | sown the wind and now they are harvesting the |
| and could be proud of his decision to use the | | | | whirlwind" tortured at east two million |
| sports events as a medium for encouraging | | | | German women in an undisciplined advance that |
| peace in this island, has gone a long way.He | | | | is now acknowledged as the largest case of |
| has salvaged his personal trauma of the | | | | mass violation against women in history, I |
| war-torn experience by the decades-long civil | | | | too experienced the horror of many decades |
| war in Sri Lanka and beyond that by the | | | | back in Germany through the eyes of those |
| lasting trauma caused by the destructions in | | | | young female German students who were |
| Germany in the major world - wars.The | | | | participating in the event.Now the search for |
| dedication of Dietmar Doring and his AGSEP | | | | inner-peace by finding peace in other |
| students who have done a memorable service to | | | | countries and helping others who are affected |
| this Island in the tsunami period and | | | | by the war and natural disaster, is the only |
| thereafter, by importing goods and medicines | | | | objective for these young |
| directly from Germany which is worth more | | | | Germans.Consequently achieving a positive |
| than US$ 5 Million cannot be forgotten by Sri | | | | contribution to the re-establishment of peace |
| Lankans forever.Their kind and caring nature | | | | in the war-ravaged country with the help of |
| has prompted me to associate with AGSEP in | | | | sporting events the AGSEP aims to help the |
| number of ways and it is an unforgettable | | | | divided ethnic groups to become closer |
| experience in associating with them.Recently | | | | together and to give an impulse towards peace |
| we had a joint event of the AGSEP and the | | | | and spread the message beyond the shores of |
| PDIP: A Think-Tank on Post Conflict, Economic | | | | this Island. |
| and Gender issues at the restaurant of the | | | | |