Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne

FRSA
Education
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Conservationist, Environmentalist, Social Entrepreneur, Lawyer
Known forMangrove conservation, Social enterprise
Notable workMangrove replantation and popularization, Animal Welfare Bill Sri Lanka
Awards
  • Commonwealth Youth Award
  • Forbes 30 Under 30
  • World Economic Forum New Champion
  • All Island Winner Solo Piano Sri Lanka Festival of Music
  • World Economic Forum Global Shaper
  • Cosmopolitan 35 Under 35 2020
  • World Youth Forum Award 2017
Websiteanokaabe.com

Anoka Primrose Pelpola Ekanayake Abeyrathne (Sinhala: අනෝකා අබේරත්න), also known as Anoka Abeyratne, is a Sri Lankan conservationist, award-winning social entrepreneur,[1][2] and activist on sustainable development issues who served as the Asia-Pacific representative to United Nationa Habitat YAB.[3][4] She is the elected Environment Lead of the Royal Commonwealth Society.[5] In 2019, Abeyrathne appeared in the list of "Iconic Sri Lankan Women Who Have Shaped History"[6] with relative UN Human Rights awardee Sunila Abeysekera and featured as one of the 5 Young Women Changing the World in 2023.[7] She is the current Royal Commonwealth Society regional coordinator for Asia.[8]

Early life

Abeyrathne completed her education in Biology at Bishop's College whilst excelling academically and in sports[9] and is an accomplished pianist who has won the national competitions for solo piano. Her worldview has been attributed to growing up in multicultural environments including the United Kingdom, Japan, India and Germany.

Instead of becoming a vetenerarian as initially intended, she opted to study law and business which later influenced her policy making.[10] She gained experience working at the United Nations as well as the corporate sector[11] whilst running a social enterprise. Having read for an undergraduate degree in law, she graduated with a master's degree from the Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge.[12][13]

Activism and work

When the 2004 tsunami struck Sri Lanka, Abeyrathne started volunteering to improve the local environment by planting Mangrove trees. She co-founded the organisation Sustain Solutions to run the Growin' Money Mangrove project.[14] Growin' Money provided families the opportunity to gain an income through handicrafts, organic farming, and eco-tourism, along with offering access to education and skills training.[9] The organization has replanted over 60,000 Mangroves in over 5 countries while training over 50000 women and youth over 10 years.[15][16][17]

Anoka initiated Sri Lanka's most signed petition to revive and advocate for the stagnant Animal Welfare Bill with over 126,000 signatures from citizens and organisations concerned about animal welfare in Sri Lanka. This petition was handed over to the minister in charge to be tabled in Parliament. This inspired a trend of creating petitions for social causes in the country.[18][19] For her work as an environmentalist and activism she was selected as a Global Changemaker in 2011.

Upon being sexually harassed on the streets of Colombo, Abeyrathne created a video of the incident which sparked nationwide outrage regarding the perpetrator, which resulted in the perpetrator being jailed for the crime. Abeyrathne's actions sparked a movement across the country of creating videos of sexual harassers, providing easier access for justice for many women and girls.[20]

Abeyrathne has experience in the corporate, civil and government sectors having worked as an assistant director under the Government of Sri Lanka.[21][22] She continues to support conservation and climate work, by empowering vulnerable communities.[23] She recently stated that environmental advocacy cannot be only donor driven and must also listen to the needs of the community.[24]

Awards and recognition

Anoka Abeyrathne with fellow US State Department colleagues

Abeyrathne was elected to lead the Environmental Working Group of the Royal Commonwealth Society - the first Sri Lankan[13] to be accoladed. In 2020, she delivered the keynote address to mark the International Women's Day 2020 and rang the opening bell of the Colombo Stock Exchange.[3][4] She is featured in the Cosmopolitan Magazine Sri Lanka's inaugural 35 under 35 list and is Sri Lanka's first female World Economic Forum New Champion.[25] In 2019, Abeyrathne appeared in a list of "Iconic Sri Lankan Women Who Have Shaped History".[6] She received the Commonwealth Youth Award[26] and featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.[27] She served as one of the 12 shapers on the United Nations–World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Council working towards mainstreaming sustainability, and is the first female New Champion of the World Economic Forum in Sri Lanka.[28] Abeyratne delivered the keynote speech at the Youth Leaders Forum, Commonwealth Asia Youth Ministers Meeting.[29] She was elected to the Asia-Pacific region to the UN Habitat Global Youth Advisory Board [30] and featured as one of the 5 Young Women Changing the World in 2023.[7]

Being the youngest panelist on Sri Lanka's first Social Innovation Forum[31] and the Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministerial Meeting,[32] she gave a keynote speech at the Youth Leaders Forum, Commonwealth Asia Region Youth Ministers Meeting 2015.[29] Abeyrathne continues engagement in disaster management and sustainability analysis under the auspices of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka – Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka).[33] Abeyrathne received a World Youth award in 2017 for her contribution to youth and sustainability[34] and she was a British Council International Climate Champion.[35][36]

References

  1. ↑ Weerasooriya, Sahan. "Sri Lankan Environmental activist speaks at COP27". Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Mudalige, Disna (19 April 2013). "Lankan wins Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work". archives.dailynews.lk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality event: Anoka Abeyrathne delivers keynote address". CeylonToday. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 "The Island". www.island.lk. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Weerasooriya, Sahan. "Sri Lankan elected as Lead position of the Royal Commonwealth Society". Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 Ubeyratne, Renushi (8 March 2019). "Iconic Sri Lankan Women Who Have Shaped History". Pulse. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  7. 1 2 Walpola, Thilina. "Anoka Abeyrathne featured on the list of 5 Young Women Changing the World". Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  8. ↑ Valk, Elizabeth van der (18 September 2023). "Regional Coordinators appointed". Royal Commonwealth S. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 Migara Wijesinghe (28 August 2014). "Anoka". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "Pulse Magazine Issue 012 by ianmark - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Admin, Youth (1 October 2015). "Young people of the world elect a new UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board". Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  12. ↑ JAYAWARDANA, Ruwini. "Bringing about change, the Anoka way". Daily News. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  13. 1 2 Weerasooriya, Sahan. "Sri Lankan elected as Lead position of the Royal Commonwealth Society". Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Zilonka, Revital (2008). "Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne, Sri Lanka". In Steinberg, Shirley R (ed.). Activists under 30: Global Youth, Social Justice, and Good Work. Brill Sense. pp. 14–19. ISBN 9789004377189.
  15. ↑ "Anoka Abeyratne on the Cosmopolitan Magazine 35 under 35". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  16. ↑ JAYAWARDANA, Ruwini. "Bringing about change, the Anoka way". Daily News. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "Anoka Primrose Abeyrathna - 35 Under 35 Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka". Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka 35 Under 35. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "Public uproar against animal cruelty: It's time to approve the Animal Welfare Bill". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  19. ↑ "The Island". www.island.lk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  20. ↑ "Tuk Tuk Drivers' Sexual Harassment Gives Women & Tourism A Rising Headache". Colombo Telegraph. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  21. ↑ Weerasooriya, Sahan. "Sri Lankan elected as Lead position of the Royal Commonwealth Society". Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Anoka Abeyratne Elected for the Lead Position of the Royal Commonwealth Society". Nation Online. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  23. ↑ Nadeera, Dilshan. "The British Council launches compelling report – 'Young People on Climate Change: A Perception Survey'". Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  24. ↑ "'Environment Advocacy Can't Always Be Donor Driven' : Anoka Abeyrathne on #TheDebrief w/Roel Raymond". roar.media. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  25. ↑ "Anoka Primrose Abeyrathna - 35 Under 35 Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka". Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka 35 Under 35. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  26. ↑ "Sri Lanka : Young Sri Lankan development worker wins Commonwealth Youth Award". 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  27. ↑ "Anoka Abeyrathne". Forbes. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  28. ↑ "How sustainability can transform the Indian subcontinent – Agenda – The World Economic Forum". Agenda.weforum.org. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  29. 1 2 "Spotlight on young people at ministerial meeting in New Delhi". thecommonwealth.org. The Commonwealth. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  30. ↑ "Young people of the world elect a new UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board – UN-Habitat". unhabitat.org. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  31. ↑ "British Council joins Dialog, Softlogic, Brandix, AMW, Horizon Campus to look into the future, beyond 2020". Social Innovation Forum. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  32. ↑ "10th Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministerial Meeting Partners' Forum" (PDF). Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministerial Meeting. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  33. ↑ "INSSSL conducts a special lecture on Human Security in a changing climate". www.defence.lk. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  34. ↑ "Sri Lanka's youngest change-maker honored at WYF's closing". Egypt Today. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  35. ↑ Abeyrathne, Anoka. "Anoka Abeyrathne | British Council Sri Lanka". www.britishcouncil.lk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  36. ↑ Rodrigo, Malaka (17 October 2010). "Championing the fight against climate change". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 7 September 2010.
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