The Rice Thresher, Vol. 92, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, April 1, 2005 Page: 4 of 24
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Rice University Woodson Research Center.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
!i
THE MCE THRESHER
FRIDAY. APRIL 1.2005
Rice joins in videoconference with Sri Lankan Distance Learning Center
by Ruth Samuetson
nmoHUiZTMn
Sri Lankan tsunami relief workers
spoke to students at Rice and five
other universities about the tsunami's
damage, recent restoration efforts
and the country's civil conflict in a
videoconference Monday.
The conference, 'Rebuilding Af-
ter Devastation," was second in the
Partner* for Progress series, which
aims to connect Americans with
people from the regions hit by the
Dec. 26 tsunami.
The videoconference occurred
only a few hours after an earthquake
hit Indonesia, raising concerns about
the possibility of another deadly
tidal wave.
.About 30 people attended the
videoconference, which was open to
the public. The event was organized
at Rice by Martel freshman .Ann
Wang, a member of the national
student organization Americans for
Informed Democracy, which is part
of the coalition of groups producing
th<- Partners for Progress series.
Wang joined .AID independently in
the fall and said she hopes to start a
Rice chapter soon.
Theconference began with short
statements from representatives
at the six participating universities
— Australian National University,
Rice. San Francisco State Uni-
versity. St. Mary's University in
San Antonio, Stanford University
and the University of California-
Berkeley.
Panelists at the Sri Lanka Dis-
tance Learning Center in Colombo
then gave presentations on relief
and rebuilding efforts. Sri Lanka
has listed 30.900 dead and 10.000
missing from the tsunami — the
largest death toll after Indonesia,
which has listed 135,000 dead.
Lionel Fernando, chair of the Di-
saster Relief Monitoring Unit of
the Human Rights Commission of
Sri Lanka, said.
A doctor working with relief pro-
grams discussed Sri Lanka's progress
since the initial disaster. Immediate
food, medical and housing needs
have been met, he said. With 450.000
people in refugee camps. Sri Lanka
is now beginning to reorganize and
rebuild, he said.
"Phase one of the tsunami disaster
is over," the panelist said. "We are now
moving very quickly to the second
They paid $260 for their ad.
We spent our money on kegs.
phase, which is much longer, more
complex and more difficult.
He said the most pressing con-
cern in Sri Lanka is the upcoming
monsoon season. The refugee camps
cannot handle daily torrential rains,
and entire villages within 100 meters
of the shore must be evacuated, the
panelist said.
The tsunami waves carried away
important land titles and other
government-issued documents, and
flooding has contaminated many
weOs, panelists said.
Some non-governmental organi-
zations in Sri Lanka need help writing
proposals, leading and managing
projects, and providing technological
assistance, one panelist said.
People who want to get involved
should contact policy groups
working to pass new government
programs in Sri Lanka, another
panelist said.
"Our non-governmental organiza-
tions are very weak." a panelist said.
"They have little capacity to exert
power in this large, complicated
situation."
With $1 billion in aid pledged,
the country is in need of volunteers
more than monetary contributions.
Fernando said.
"We will need more manpower and
more human resources in order to
regain the country and regenerate the
resources that we have." he said.
Following the Distance Learning
Center panelists' statements, viewers
from the different universities took
turns asking questions.
Many viewers inquired about
the relocation of displaced people,
which proved to be a contentious
issue for the panelists. One panelist
said cleanup efforts in the "coastal
slums" are necessary and would
enhance eco-tourism. Another panel-
ist argued population removal could
destabilize communities.
"It's not just about building houses
Princeton Review rates Acton MBA students & teachers
Better than Harvard.
Better than Stanford.
Better than Wharton.
The Acton MBA in Enfrepreneurship is a
revolutionary 1-year MBA program with
an award-winning curriculum taught by
successful entrepreneur-teachers who
help you find a calling, not just a career.
And, we admit superstars right out of college
Information Session
Tuesday, February 22 • 6 to 8 pm
Four Seasons Hotel • 1300 Lamar Street
Houston, Texas
RSVP: 512-703-1232
www.actonmba.org
The ACTON MBA in Entrepreneurship
An MBA for the real world.
HARDIN-SlMMONS
© 2005 Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence
cni-vidcorif
JENN MOLHOLT, THRESHER
Panelists from Sri Lanka discuss the country's relief efforts after the Dec. 26
tsunami. About 30 people attended the videoconference, held in Keck Hall.
— it's more about building homes,"
he said. "When we rebuild a village,
we want new houses, but we also
want a new way of organizing power
politics in the village"
Several questions addressed the
internal conflict that has persisted
in Sri Lanka after the tsunami. The
militant group Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam has been lighting for the
Tamil state's independence since the
1980s. Non-governmental organiza-
tions and the Sri I^ankan government
have exhibited no bias in aiding the
victims, a panelist said.
Dilanka Seimon was the first audi-
ence member at Rice to participate.
Seimon, who is not affiliated with
Rice, was traveling in his native Sri
Lanka when the tsunami hit.
Since returning to the United
States, Seimon has raised funds for
victims, spoken at churches and
attended local events about the re-
building process.
Seimon said the speakers were
accurate and informative. He said
the most pressing concern in Sri
Lanka today is the distribution of
relief funds.
"If a billion dollars comes in, that's
a great way to develop the country,"
Seimon said. "But there is a huge bu-
reaucracy. [Sri I^ankal isademocracy.
... There is no one person directing
the country."
Seimon also said the government's
rebuilding will probably be slow but
meticulous.
"When it is done, it will be done pret-
ty well,"Seimon said. 'That'sSri I iuika's
way.... They take their time."
Martel College freshman Matt
Drwenski said he was impressed
by the level of organization in Sri
Lanka.
"I figured that Sri Lanka, with
its ethnic conflicts, was a lot more
chaotic," he said. "The people that
we talked to painted a picture that
the country was really orderly and
that people were taking what we had
given them and [werel really using
it effectively."
G.R.E.
Preparatory Workshops/Seminars
Boost your G.R.E, scores!
Affordable. 7-hour seminars available
monthly.
4:1 student, instructor ratio
Experienced.degreed instructors
provided an interactive, cooperative
learning environment.
Visit us on the Internet at
www.aciuletnicinstrui'tion t nm or
call for more information:
713-446-9872
academic instruction, com
«>
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Obermeyer, Amber. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 92, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, April 1, 2005, newspaper, April 1, 2005; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443016/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=270: accessed June 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.