Laura Davies
Former Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Part of
UK in Sri Lanka
19th June 2017
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours List this month included Lynn Stanier, the founder of Their Future Today, a British charity in Sri Lanka supporting some of the most vulnerable children and families in society. She was awarded an MBE for this work, which she describes below. I was in complete shock! The High Commissioner […]
Read more on For services to the community – from Her Majesty The Queen | Reply
4th April 2017
Colombo, Sri Lanka
It’s 20 years since Princess Diana walked through a minefield in Angola and changed the way we think about land mines. And it’s 20 years since the Ottawa Convention banning their use was concluded. But mines and unexploded ordnance still cause indiscriminate destruction and hinder development in over 63 countries and territories around the world […]
Read more on Digging up the legacy of war | Reply
15th February 2017
Colombo, Sri Lanka
The UK and Sri Lanka are both island nations. This doesn’t mean much, however, when it comes to cyber security. Earlier today, I addressed a group of nearly 50 Chief Information Officers and IT Directors from across the Sri Lankan civil service. This was as part of a project the UK is funding with our […]
Read more on Staying safe in cyberspace | Reply (1)
13th January 2017
Colombo, Sri Lanka
A cross section of staff from the High Commission lighting the traditional oil lamp during New Year celebrations. The inaugural International ‘Parity at Work Day’ was celebrated on Wednesday in London. This new International Day champions workplace diversity, and recognises the importance that everyone – regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation – is given […]
Read more on Balancing the scales in the work place | Reply (2)
5th January 2017
Colombo, Sri Lanka
At the start of the new year, many of us make resolutions to live more healthily. So this blog looks at one aspect of the ever expanding relationship between the UK and Sri Lankan medical establishments. This relationship has always been close. The convention that Sri Lankan doctors can only progress to Consultant on completion […]
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9th December 2016
Colombo, Sri Lanka
On Monday, I went to the opening of the London Stock Exchange Group’s new technology hub in Sri Lanka. The hub is in the TRACE Expert City precinct of Colombo. It’s a lovely location: working closely with the Urban Development Authority, the Group’s architects have converted beautiful old brick railway buildings into light and spacious […]
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13th November 2016
Colombo, Sri Lanka
On Friday 11 November, we held our usual ceremony for Remembrance Day. The Commonwealth War Graves enclosure of the Liveramentu cemetery on Torrington Road was as serene as ever. The headstones are a startling white against the immaculate green grass. The tropical sun beats down. Birdsong fills the two minute silence. The reading from Kenny […]
Read more on The Double Sunrise of Peace | Reply
15th September 2016
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Democracy is the best path to long term peace, stability and sustainable development. It doesn’t just mean elections, though they are important too. It’s about having a say in the decisions that affect us, independent institutions that function as they were intended to and rule of law that upholds our human rights and protects us […]
Read more on Protecting the space | Reply
18th August 2016
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Since arriving in Sri Lanka, I have become a bit of an expert on visas. In fact, when my phone rings, there’s almost a one in two chance that someone is calling about their visa. Getting a visa can be complex, frustrating and time-consuming. My colleagues in UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) work really hard […]
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19th July 2016
Colombo, Sri Lanka
My blogs are usually about links between the UK and Sri Lanka. Today it’s the turn of some of the less sung heroes, those who work or volunteer in Sri Lanka’s charitable sector. I’m focusing on two long-standing partners of the High Commission, CAL and MENCAFEP, who just two of the many good people are […]
Read more on Volunteerism beyond borders | Reply (2)