The Sri Lanka Army is primed and ready to conduct their annual defence seminar. This was announced at a media briefing chaired by Army Commander Lt. General Mahesh Senanayake.
Other senior officers present were Chief of Staff Maj. General Amal Karunasekera, Director General - Generals Staff Maj. General Piyal Wickremeratne, Director Training Maj. General Ravipriya, Military Secretary Maj. General Priyantha Jayasundera and Director Media Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne.
The intellectual forum, ‘Colombo Defence Seminar,’ is slated to discuss a wide range of geo-strategic security concerns with special focus on regional issues, was first held in 2011 bridging a long-felt gap that prevailed particularly in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s sustained fight against terrorism.
The sessions would deliberate on the theme ‘Countering Violent Extremism: Global Trends’, a topic that underlines security issues unfolding globally in the wake of rapidly spreading violent extremist trends.
Lt. General Senanayake said, ‘It is an opportunity for us to showcase to the world our experience in combating terrorism.
Commencing 28-29 August at the BMICH the seminar is expected to draw an audience of 800 foreign and local representatives, analysts, advisers and experts from the defence sector, including 15 foreign and 12 local speakers. We can also learn from the experience of other delegates. We hope to enhance inter – regional military co-operation”. It is in this backdrop, efforts were launched by the Army to reach a comprehensive understanding of the multiplicity of challenging security issues, many of which remain influenced and are borne as the result of radical ideologies of religious, political or social relevance.
Aimed at accommodating a wider discourse with scholars and promoting intellectual connectivity among regional partners, the ‘Colombo Defence Seminar - 2017’ provides an ideal platform for exchange of experiences and expertise with focus on formulation of collective mechanisms to counter extremism.
This year’s sessions are expected to enlighten participants on the sub themes of ‘Violent Extremism’, ‘Countering Extremism’, ‘The Role of Armed Forces in Countering Violent Extremism’- supplemented by subjects such as ‘Challenges and Dilemmas, National Perspectives - East Asia and West Asia’, ‘Impact of Global Governance’, ‘Legal Implications’, ‘Intelligence Cyber Challenges and Strategies’, ‘Specific Tasks of Armed Forces and Civil-Military Relations’, ‘UN Strategies’, ‘Education Strategies in Internal Security’, ‘Public Diplomacy in Countering Violent Extremism’, ‘Balancing Hard Power and Soft Power’, ‘Role of Military in Global Governance’, ‘Empowering Communities to Counter Violent Extremism’, ‘Use of Fourth Generation Warfare to Counter Violent Extremism’.