Discussion on Presidential Election and Us – A Christian Perspective
This program was held on October 22, 2019 at St. Luke’s Church (Boralle) Hall with a panel comprising of Nishan De Mel – Executive Director and Head of Research of Verité Research, Prashan De Visser – President and Founder of Sri Lanka Unites and Elijah Hoole – columnist and entrepreneur. The event organized by GCF/FOCUS in collaboration with the Reconciliation and Peace (RAP) Desk of the Colombo Diocese of Church of Ceylon was attended by nearly 200 inter-denominational participants and was live-streamed for those outside Colombo.
At the outset, Nishan De Mel discussed a Biblical framework in relation to government and our choice in determining its leaders, briefly introducing the most important ‘national issues’ at stake during this election and biblical instruction on how we should respond. Speaker Elijah Hoole presented voter pattern analysis and projections and what they tell us, and the use and abuse of social media in campaigning. Speaker Prashan De Visser highlighted the importance of continued engagement (beyond elections) in governance as individuals and communities, and discussed methods of engagements. An interactive discussion followed with audience participation engaging with the panel. Programs such as this will continue to be organized periodically to connect the wider church, expanding FOCUS/GCF reach.
Additional materials and event pictures are attached below :