Patience and Public Engagement Essential for Meaningful Change – Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that patience, dialogue, and continuous public engagement are essential in bringing about meaningful social and political change.
She made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Annual Lecture of the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies held at the University of Oxford under the theme, “The Politics of Development: Sri Lanka and Beyond.”
During her speech, the Prime Minister emphasized that development cannot be understood solely through policies, statistics, or economic models, but must also be viewed through the lived experiences of ordinary people.
She noted that for countries recovering from economic crises, institutional challenges, and long-standing inequalities, governments must carefully balance policy-making with practical realities on the ground.
Speaking on women’s political participation, Dr. Amarasuriya said that women are increasingly taking part in grassroots political movements and leadership roles. While efforts are being made to create greater political opportunities for women, she pointed out that deeply rooted social and political structures continue to present major challenges.
Referring to economic recovery and social policy, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of recognizing both paid and unpaid care work. She stated that the contributions women make to families, communities, and the national economy are often overlooked within traditional economic systems.
She further stated that sustainable development should not only focus on economic growth, but also protect human dignity, social justice, and public welfare.
Commenting on the relationship between governments, international development agencies, and local institutions, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of ensuring that development priorities are aligned with local realities and remain accountable to the people.
She also highlighted the challenges involved in transforming public protests and people’s movements into long-term policy reforms and institutional change, adding that meaningful transformation requires patience, negotiation, and sustained public participation.
Following the lecture, an interactive discussion session was held with the audience, during which topics such as good governance, institutional independence, political reform, economic recovery, democratic accountability, and balancing policy implementation were discussed in detail.
