Neshan Gunasekera is a lawyer by profession and is a member of the Asian Society of International Law and the Commonwealth Legal Education Association. He has been working as the Project Director of WICPER and Legal Assistant to Judge Weeramantry since 2007 and has attended several international conferences and meetings in various parts of the world. He was selected as a member of the Sri Lankan delegation of International Students who took part in the course “Proposals toward Reconciliation in Sri Lanka” on board the 49th Peace Boat Voyage in 2005.
Neshan carries over a decade of experience working with young leaders and has functioned as the Director of the Training for Trusteeship Workshop, which is a pioneering educational project of WICPER from its inception in 2008 to date. He lectures and travels widely to communicate the ideals of international peace and justice through law at various forums. He is also the Director, South Asia Office of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) and facilitates numerous workshops on education and awareness raising on matters relating to the threat of nuclear weapons and energy.
He has followed special training in conflict transformation, resolution and mediation and lectures on subjects such as sustainable development, trusteeship, peace and cross cultural understanding, rule of law, leadership etc.
Sujatha served the Government of Sri Lanka since 1950 for a period of 27 years working in a number of Ministries, the last being the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, in the capacity of a stenographer/secretary. In 1976 she had the opportunity of serving the Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Conference Dr. Vernon Mendis, as his Personal Assistant in organizing the first ever meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Sri Lanka. On retiring from the Public Service, she joined the United Nations Development Programme Colombo in 1979 and continued to work within the programme and administrative divisions for a period of twelve years till her retirement. She continues to function as Secretary to Judge Weeramantry since the inception of WICPER in 2001.
Gayani joined WICPER in the year 2004 and functioned as a Research Assistant to Judge Weeramantry and also carried out various administrative duties until the year 2007. She is currently the Project/Finance Coordinator of WICPER. She is a past pupil of Musaeus College and has obtained her LL.B from the Open University of Sri Lanka and is currently reading for the Final Year at the Sri Lanka Law College.
Gayani was also selected as a member of the Sri Lankan delegation of International Students who took part in the course “Proposals toward Reconciliation in Sri Lanka” on board the 49th Peace Boat Voyage in 2005. She has also been part of numerous legal and peace related research and educational projects of WICPER during this period.
Gayani is also the Finance Director of the annual Training for Trusteeship Workshop since 2009.
Janani Wijetunge is a past pupil of Bishop’s College, Colombo, and obtained an LL.B (Hons) from the University of London. She has a Diploma in International Relations from the Bandaranaike Centre for International Relations and is currently a student of Sri Lanka Law College. She has been an intern at the Weeramantry International Centre from December 2007 and has assisted in numerous research and educational projects. Since 2008 she has coordinated and assisted in the logistics and administration of the annual Training for Trusteeship Workshop which is one of the key projects of the Centre.
While reading for her LL.B from the University of London International Programme, Damithri is currently the project coordinator of multi-cultural research of WICPER. Damithri has directed the Cultural Evening organized for the Training for Trusteeship Programme from its inception. This event brings together leading audio-visual performing artists, cultural artists and those who are physically challenged to one forum to focus on the importance of multicultural aspects of society.
Kaveesh is interning at WICPER as an IT Coordinator and research assistant. He has been a member of the organizing committee of the annual Training for Trusteeship Workshops that were organized by WICPER from 2009. He has been involved in the organizing of several of the follow-up projects of the TFT workshops and has actively participated in several projects of WICPER and coordinated the Media and IT aspects of these projects.
N.Arvinth – Physiotherapy Student
Manoj Weeraduwage - LLB Student
Chathuranga Adhikari – IT Coordinator/Intern
Nirma Suriyabandara LLB / Final Year Sri Lanka Law College
Anjalie Peiris LL.B (Hons.)
Ayesha Casie Chetty LL.B (Hons.)
