User:VAN ARKADIE, Alexander/sandbox/Sri Lanka Association Italy

New article name goes here'''Sri Lanka Association Italy

New article content ... Our beginning dates back to 1980 ! ... a period when together with other immigrant workers in Rome, we Lankan Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and Moslems, congregated late afternoon each Sunday and/or on Italian Holidays 'for fraternalizing and socializing' in the cortile of Chiesa San Sylvestro (Roma). We shared one common desire: to meet in brotherhood and observe religious ceremonies as well as celebrate days of national significance. Membership interest being centred on communal and ethnic harmony through appreciation of our inter-religious, ethno-cultural richness, a pro-tem committee was elected for the purpose of Founding a Sri Lankan Association in Rome. Elected Committee Members included Messrs: Mohamed Nowfer (President), George Michael (Vice President), Wije Liyanagunawardena (Treasurer) and Alex. Van Arkadie (Secretary). The Draft Constitution prepared by the Secretary and approved by the Committee was publicly approved on 06 February 1983 at the Association's Inaugural Meeting held at the Cristo Re Hall in Rome. Thereafter, a series of social get-togethers were held to celebrate events of National Significance and to coincide with feasts of religious significance, viz. Vesak, Poson, Ramadan, Christmas, Easter, Divali and Thai Pongal as well as a series of variety entertainment programs and popular Lankan films. These and much more continued to attract growing numbers of Lankan participants including Italian enthusiasts as much as other migrant communities. Upon subsequent proposals the Association became re-named, 'the Sri Lanmka Association in Italy' to “help link-up and embrace together similar groups for Lankans in all provinces of Italy”. As Founding Secretary of the Sri Lankan Association Italy, I remain obliged and thankful on behalf of the Committee to recall with respectful gratitude the Honorary Patronage rendered to all of the Sri Lankan community in Italy by our Former Ambassadors: His Excellencies Hon. A.F. Wijemanne, Chandra de Zoysa and M.A. Piyasekera (1977-1983). On Sunday 27 November 2016, the 'Sri Lanka Association of Italy' publicly celebrated its 35th Anniversary in Rome at which commemorative plaques of appreciation were awarded to Founding Members of the Association.