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Why every Sri Lankan on the planet should be concerned! – By: Aubrey Joachim Two days ago my son was returning from Italy to London when the Italian border force officer at departure control looked at his British passport and said ‘Sri Lankan eh? What is happening there?’ Of course his passport divulged his country of birth. My son has lived in Sri Lanka cumulatively for less than a few months as he left Sri Lanka for overseas soon after birth and has only returned on short holidays. Thirty something years on he is reminded of his Sri Lankan DNA for all the wrong reasons. At this moment every Sri Lankan on the planet is glued on to every form of social media watching by the minute what is transpiring back in the country of their birth. Facebook and Whatsapp are in overdrive. Data usage on mobile devices has skyrocketed. Rightly ...

Apr 6, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Sri Lanka who are impacted by the unfolding crisis, Sri Lankans who domiciled in any country

A crisis of identity By Aubrey Joachim Last night all Australians would have filled in their census data. In a few months the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) would have churned out the analytics that paint a picture of the nation. No doubt the insights will reveal a changing demographic of a nation which is a kaleidoscope of migrants from all parts of the world who have left behind cultures, languages and hopefully their petty differences to enjoy the privileges of a first-world nation and transform into a single Australian identity going forward. As has been seen from past ABS statistics – and surely from this current census – Sri Lankans come out very favourably in the context of English speaking capability, educational qualifications, professional competencies, employability, job positions and income earning levels. These are laudable performance criteria that project the image of a migrant community that is positively ...

Aug 12, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged "SRI-LANKANS", A crisis of identity, Australian Bureau of Statistics

Lankan family in distress impresses Aussie community. By Aubrey Joachim Image Source ABC News Just a few days ago we Australian Lankans were lauding the achievements of eleven year old Georgia who reached out to every Australian household and heart when she demonstrated her culinary prowess on national TV. Last evening (12th November) a Sri Lankan family also appeared on national TV (ABC 7.30 report – link below) in starkly contrasting circumstances. To me both instances bring out unique Sri Lankan stories. Raj Udawatta came to Australia in 2014 on a 457 visa to work as a mechanic and from all reports he was a very good one. In 2016 the family – wife Florence and their four children – joined him in Kempsey where they very quickly became ‘Australianised’. Florence interacted with the local church and got involved in a number of voluntary pursuits – a choice that would ...

Nov 13, 2020 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Florence Udawatta, Raj Udawatta, Ray Hadley 2GB

Kid talent does Sri Lanka – and Sri Lankan cuisine – proud! – By Aubrey Joachim Image Source: Daily Mail An eleven year old girl did Sri Lanka proud when she clinched Australia’s Junior Master Chef title 2020 on Monday night. Little Georgia of Lankan burgher heritage put Sri Lankan cuisine into the limelight when she enthralled Australian TV audiences (and now global online viewers) with exciting dishes that her ‘Sri Lankan nanna’ had taught her. Georgia, with her two bunny-like front teeth, sweet smile and innocent candour not only won over the show’s judges but the entire watching audience. Not only has she excellent cooking skills but also a sense of sparkling innovation. In the final dish of the competition when the presentation of her dessert combination did not come up to her expectations – and even made her cry – she promptly came up with a ...

Nov 10, 2020 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Georgia MasterChef Australia Comments 0

Click here for the photos of the Dance on eLanka Facebook page A Peerless Pearl – By Aubrey Joachim Sydney’s Sri Lankan social happenings require a ‘What’s On’ magazine of its own. Every weekend sees multiple events – dances, parties, foodie events and the like. However, last weekend saw one of the best ever Sri Lankan social events. An year in the planning ‘Peerless Pearl’ will certainly set Sri Lankan tongues wagging and social media on fire. The gala 30th anniversary dance of the Old Josephians’ Association of New South Wales was a cut above any event seen in Sydney for many years. The president of the Association Chrys Fernando and his dance committee worked tirelessly and meticulously over 12 months to put on a show-piece event at the fantastic Events Hornsby Showroom – Hornsby RSL. The theme ‘Peerless Pearl’ was conceptualised and developed by Old Joe Kumar Fernando ...

Nov 18, 2019 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Duleep Fernando, Old Josephians Association of New South Wales Comments 0

Fare thee well Lal Wickrematunge – diplomat extraordinaire By Aubrey Joachim Diplomacy – the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and tactful way. Lal Wickrematunge epitomises this definition to the letter. It is for this reason that he is being felicitated by hundreds of Sri Lankans from multiple groups and social organisations in New South Wales leading up to his departure from Sydney mid-October. His four year stint as Sri Lankan Consul General in Sydney has come to an end all too soon. There has not been a predecessor who has achieved as much as Lal has during his time in office. Perhaps the most important on the list of achievements has been his attempt to bring the whole community together and projecting a united Sri Lankan diaspora. Let’s hope that what he started will continue. Lal had the uncanny ability to engage with every Sri Lankan ...

Sep 22, 2019 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Aubrey Joachim, Lal Wickrematunge, St. Mary’s Cathedral Comments 0

OBITUARY: Claude Denzil Joachim Claude Denzil Joachim, (Retd. P&T Dept. SL) Dearly beloved husband of late Emilda, loving father of Aubrey and Doyne Joachim and father-in-law of Nelum and Angela, much loved grandfather of Ryle and Dale, Nichole, Linda and Suzette and great grand-father of Zara and Hazel passed away peacefully on July 10th. Claude enjoyed 96 years of life in God’s great garden. Viewing and prayers will take place at White Lady Funeral Home, Pennant Hills, NSW, on Thursday,18th July from 6 PM to 8 PM. Thanksgiving Mass at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, Barnier Drive, Quakers Hill, NSW, on Friday, 19th July at 10 AM, followed by burial at Castlebrook Memorial Park, Rouse Hill NSW at 12 noon. ...

Jul 13, 2019 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim, Obituaries Tagged Claude Denzil Joachim Comments 0

Photos from The NSW Police Briefing for the Sri Lankan Community in Sydney Click here or on the photos below to view the full album of photos on eLanka Facebook page Community Watch – Engaging and intervening for a safer Sri Lanka By Aubrey Joachim To Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans terrorism is not a new experience. The country suffered a 30 year scourge where the intent of the perpetrators was achieving a specific political and demographic outcome. The country is now facing a type of terrorism driven by an entirely different global agenda – one of ideology and hate of a way of life that is alien to the warped beliefs of a particular minority group. How Sri Lanka became fertile ground for such ideology is a topic for another day. The immediate need is for a strategy to curb and eliminate the cancerous spread of this malice ...

May 18, 2019 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Comments 0

Community Watch – Engaging and intervening for a safer Sri Lanka By Aubrey Joachim To Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans terrorism is not a new experience. The country suffered a 30 year scourge where the intent of the perpetrators was achieving a specific political and demographic outcome. The country is now facing a type of terrorism driven by an entirely different global agenda – one of ideology and hate of a way of life that is alien to the warped beliefs of a particular minority group. How Sri Lanka became fertile ground for such ideology is a topic for another day. The immediate need is for a strategy to curb and eliminate the cancerous spread of this malice not just in Sri Lanka but wherever it may take root. It must also be recognised that an ideology cannot be confined to geographical or spatial boundaries. Its tentacles can permeate across physical ...

May 16, 2019 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Aubrey Joachim, Community Watch, Lal Wickrematunge, safer Sri Lanka Comments 0

Does it take terror to unify Sri Lankans? – An opinion by Aubrey Joachim Mass of Remembrance and Prayer Vigil for Sri Lanka from Archdiocese of Sydney on Vimeo. The Cathedral was packed to capacity. In fact it was overflowing. The crowd was whispering in soft murmurs. Politicians of all hues, service personnel, diplomats, religious dignitaries, and thousands of ordinary men and women had gathered. The ringing of bells signaled the beginning of proceedings. Silence. The scent of incense wafted over the congregation. The cast of clergy made their orderly entry into the sanctuary in carefully choreographed sequence – seminarians, deacons, priests, bishops and behind them all walked the Archbishop of Sydney, the reverend Dr. Anthony Fisher. The multiple TV cameras and their operators swung into action. The throng of photographers began clicking. The clergy ascended the high alter sanctuary. It is not often that a Catholic service is presided over ...

Apr 27, 2019 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Aubrey Joachim Tagged Aubrey Joachim, Does it take terror to unify Sri Lankans? Comments 0