the Blacklight Arrow

Build a Bridge, One Kevum at a Time — the One Plate Project

David Blacker — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:21:55 +0000

The One Plate Project is an initiative by Yamu and ad agency JWT to create a uniquely Sri Lankan practice online. During most religious and cultural celebrations such as the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year, Ramazan, Thai Pongal, and Christmas, people of all ethnicities look forward to the celebrations, regardless of whether that particular festival […]

Our Moment of Destiny

David Blacker — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:18:12 +0000

I think every generation faces its own particular challenges; but the greatest and most defining ones are those of morality and courage. That moment, if missed, condemns that generation — and often many that follow — to a world far more unpleasant and evil than we would wish it to be. For many in the […]

LIttle Talks by Of Monsters & Men

David Blacker — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:06:51 +0000

Hey! Hey! Hey! I don’t like walking around this old and empty house. So hold my hand, I’ll walk with you my dear The stairs creak as I sleep, it’s keeping me awake It’s the house telling you to close your eyes Some days I can’t even dress myself. It’s killing me to see you […]

Chandraprema’s War – a Review of Gota’s War

David Blacker — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 17:05:42 +0000

Unfortunately, much of history is written by journalists. And Gota’s War is no different. If you’re looking for a military history of Sri Lanka’s war, this is not the book for you. In fact, that book has yet to be written. CA Chandraprema looks at the conflict through the lens of the media — the […]

Parama Weera

David Blacker — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:16:51 +0000

The eyes stared expressionlessly back at me from the fifteen small pictures, some clear, and some blurred; reflections that only hinted at the men behind those eyes. But sharp or soft, they all looked so innocuous, so devoid of any indication of what they had once seen. So normal. To look into those fifteen pairs […]

Pedestrian Crossings in Colombo

David Blacker — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:12:42 +0000

A couple of weekends ago, on a Saturday afternoon, I was driving past the Apollo Hospital on the way to the supermarket and was approaching the pedestrian crossing opposite the hospital. Traffic was moderate for Colombo, and I’m doing around 30-kmph. A pedestrian gallops across the crossing in the usual I’m-Gonna-Cross-Here-So-Stop-You-Bastards stance necessary for using […]

Speeding on the Southern Expressway

David Blacker — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:29:23 +0000

So on my sixth trip down the E01, they nailed me for speeding. It was actually a bit of a relief. Like a serial killer giving up to the inevitable. And I have been speeding. Probably still will. The relief came from finally knowing how they were going to catch me. I had been told […]

My Frankfurt Motor Show

David Blacker — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:30:21 +0000

The Frankfurt Motor Show is arguably the best such event on the planet. Unlike Geneva in March, and Paris in October, Frankfurt happens only once in two years, and gives visitors a chance to see new concepts as well as models that have been launched over 24 months instead of just 12. For a Sri […]

The Holes in the Darusman Defence — Examining the Probable Events

David Blacker — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:52:51 +0000

Last week, I attended a seminar conducted by the Colombo-based Marga Institute, a think tank devoted to studying and influencing human development in Sri Lanka. Marga is in the process of putting together a review of the UN Secretary General’s advisory panel report on Sri Lanka (the well-known Darusman Report), which will analyze several aspects […]

Why does the Darusman Panel Ignore Evidence of War Crimes?

David Blacker — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:07:23 +0000

In June 2010, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed a panel to investigate and and advise him on the possibility of large scale human rights violations in the closing stages of the war in Sri Lanka, primarily in the first quarter of 2009. This was done close on the heels of the UN Human […]