A Speech to Sri Lanka from 2048

“”Charged with deep emotion, profound historical insights, and an urgent call to action, this book is impossible to ignore.”” –– Angeline Ondatje A Speech to Sri Lanka from 2048 is the fictional transcript of an awards speech delivered in the year of 2048, outlining the three laws that helped Sri Lanka cross the US$40,000 per capita GPD mark, bringing the country to prosperity. Excerpt TODAY IN 2048, THE WORLD CALLS US the Indian Ocean Miracle. Honourable President, distinguished guests, friends, I’m honoured and humbled to be here. This is the new Colombo. I could see the change as I was coming here on Marine Drive, past the beachfront homes of Millionaire’s Row in Dehiwala and Wellawatta, past the Golden Mile entertainment district between what used to be Bambalapitiya and Colpetty railway stations—I see a theme park with rides that skim the ocean waves. I see cafes and bars, a carnival, a docked Princess Cruises ship full of holidaymakers, and the Rio ice cream shop still going strong. As we turn north past the tan, marble façade of the American embassy, past Temple Trees, past the stately Galle Face Hotel, then alongside Beira Lake, I could see the tip of the giant ferris wheel nicknamed Colombo Eye after its cousin in London… “”Asanka’s futuristic novella reduced me to tears. It makes the impossible seem possible. This, my country, is a must read. It is centred around a simple Utopian vision of Sri Lanka increasing per capita income tenfold by 2048. Think big. Think positive. That’s his mantra. He challenges planners to focus on three key drivers of growth to get there. Starting with human capital development and upskilling for employability, then environment, energy and resource management and finally globalising brand Sri lanka: her cuisine, her products and services and her regional alliances. Anathema for the doomsayers, but now with the new regime in place, this seems like perfect timing for bold and beautiful nation building.”” — Shehara de Silva Founder and CEO of LOVI Ceylon, Asanka de Mel, shares the motivation behind the book. “”I wrote this book to find you. You, who will go on to build an economically developed, rich Sri Lanka. You, who will go on to fulfill the Sri Lankan dream. I wrote this to bring all of you with a raging fire in your hearts together. To tell you that you’re not alone. To tell you that you’re not mad to believe you can do this. To be a crutch for your inevitable fails, and to clap for your eventual wins. To give you a clear roadmap for how this can work. Let’s get started. Our children’s future depends on it. Welcome to the fellowship.”” www.srilanka2048.org —- ISBN: 9798989298419 | ISBN10: B0DSFLTC5V | ISBN-13: 979-8989298419