CN INSIDER

VOL 1

table
of

content

6. upcoming Events

• Sparkles
• 300 Minutes
• LEAD

1. What is AIESEC? 7. CN Excellence

2. What is AIESEC in • In Conversation with Sapna
University of Kelaniya Madurangi

3. Legacy of CN • Message from Mithuni
Jayawardana
• Executive Board 20.21 • Message from Kasun
• Executive Board 21.22 Balasooriya
• Message from Spirit of the month
• Appreciation for Members of the

month

4. CN Highlights 8. Partner space

• Outgoing Global Talent & Teacher • Imperial College of Business
Functional News Studies

• Outgoing Global Volunteer • Naturals
Functional News • CHOKOLAATE
• Good PR
• Outgoing Exchange Functional News • Gift Partners
• Incoming Exchange Functional
9. quote of the month
News
• Incoming Global Talent & Teacher 10. team behind

functional News
• Incoming Global Volunteer

Functional News
• Partnership Development and

Public Relations Functional News
• People Management Functional

News
• Finance and Legal Functional News
• Marketing Functional News

5. Events

• VLEAD
• QUILL IT
• Newbie Meetup

CN INSIDER

what
is
aiesec?

AIESEC is the world’s largest global youth-run
network established for youth to explore and
develop their potential to positively impact
society through international internships and
volunteer opportunities. This non-governmental,
non-profit organization was established in 1948
after the Second World War with the dream of
building cross-cultural understanding across the
world while empowering youth to make a positive
impact on society with the vision of peace and
fulfillment of humankind’s potential. By 1977,
AIESEC was spread across six continents and over
50 countries with 40,000 young people who were
interested in world issues, leadership, and man-
agement. AIESEC delivered 10,000 experiences in
one year alone for the first time in 2010. Current-
ly, over 230,000 experiences have been provided
and they commit to the Sustainable Development
Goals as well. To this date, the AIESEC network
includes approximately 120+ countries with
40000+ youth active members delivering impact-
ful experiences around the world.

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ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

aiesec
in
university of kelaniya
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya (
Also known as Colombo North or Having been recognized as one of the fast-
CN ) was established within the Uni- est-growing local committees in the world by
versity of Kelaniya in late 90s , as one of the AIESEC International, AIESEC in University
first local committees of AIESEC Sri Lanka of Kelaniya continues to attain great heights
with undergraduates from all the faculties. by collaborating with like-minded organiza-
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya has pro- tions to create sustainable partnerships. Also,
vided leadership and exchange opportunities AIESEC in University of Kelaniya organizes
for undergraduates by positively impacting impactful volunteering projects, glamorous
experience-centered leadership development awarding ceremonies, leadership development
since its inception. AIESEC in University of seminars to accelerate the motivation of mem-
Kelaniya has been delivering life-changing bers for high performance and the develop-
experiences through foreign exchanges and ment of their leadership potential.
local volunteers. It has also been awarded All in all,AIESEC in University of Kelaniya
multiple awards locally and internationally continues to strive for excellence with the un-
for its excellence; biggest, loudest, and best wavering commitment of the resilient mem-
local committee in Asia Pacific Leadership bership despite challenges that arise.
Seminar, most progressive, and outstanding
local committee in NLDS awarding ceremo-
ny 2018.

2

CN INSIDER

legacy of cn
AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya (also known The EDU CN series, Cultural Cultural Fiesta was another
as Colombo North or Fiesta, ALorama, Eventourage, event organized by AIESEC in
CN) during the term 20/21, 300 Minutes, VLEAD, and University of Kelaniya to main-
displayed resilient leadership virtual projects such as Iden- tain and improve international
since a lot of plans were sub- tity are some of the innovative relations and partnerships
jected to change due to the initiatives. amidst the pandemic situation.
pandemic situation. The goals Moreover, especially the EDU Apart from that, the event
set for a physical term at the CN series was a great plat- created a platform for over 50
National Planning Summit, form for members of AIESEC countries to gather and cele-
where all the local committees in University of Kelaniya to brate their cultural differences.
of AIESEC Sri Lanka plan their share knowledge with past Hence, it was a remarkable
goals and strategies, changed AIESECers and draw valuable milestone for the celebration of
immensely. Being resilient and inspirations. These initiatives cultural diversity and enhance-
committed, the 20/21 executive were conducted with the aim of ment along with cross-cultural
board adapted to the shift to enhancing the CN performing understanding in a virtual
a virtual environment while culture amidst the challenges setting.
changing their priorities; areas they were facing.
that were not covered when
the physical operations were
happening in the usual way
inside the Local Committee of
Colombo North.
Thus, they gave their main
priority to the membership
instead of foreign and local vol-
unteers of outgoing and incom-
ing global volunteer functions
since the physical operations
have been stopped. The execu-
tive board focused on member
engagement and development
by introducing multiple ini-
tiatives to enhance the func-
tional and overall knowledge
of AIESECers in University of
Kelaniya.

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ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, It was an interactive and in-
even if it’s less good than the one you had spiring initiative to build the
before. You can fight it, you can do nothing capacity of the middle manage-
but scream about what you’ve lost, or you ment of AIESEC in University
of Kelaniya and to strengthen
can accept that and try to put together the bond between cross-func-
something that’s good.” tional members. Also, the
-Elizabeth Edwards- monthly event VLEAD fea-
tured a foreign AIESECer
executive board 20.21 and their AIESEC journey to
inspire the membership. Even
Furthermore, the event hosted Also,the grand event, Eventou- though the physical exchang-
by the Outgoing Global Volun- rage organized by the Outgoing es were temporarily stopped,
teer function named ALorama Global Talent function, was the Incoming global volunteer
mainly focused on A/L stu- mainly focused on fresh grad- function strived to be agile by
dents in Sri Lanka. uates and undergraduates since organizing impactful virtual
The event was planned ex- they are the ideal audience for projects such as Identity, Busi-
clusively for Advanced Level foreign internship opportu- ness Gate, and Les Animaux
students, which gave them a nities offered by AIESEC in 5.0 to reduce issues such as
portal to learn about career University of Kelaniya. The gender inequality, unemploy-
goals and opportunities from well-distinguished panel of ment, and animal cruelty.
industry experts. While raising guest speakers from differ- In a nutshell, AIESEC in Uni-
awareness about career oppor- ent backgrounds inspired the versity of Kelaniya was capable
tunities, global volunteer op- audience and raised awareness of increasing membership en-
portunities were also promoted about a variety of career oppor- gagement, performing culture
among the audience. tunities. The event 300 Minutes inside the Local Committee as
was the first capacity-building they wanted to bring Colombo
program for the Leadership North to one of the top entities.
Board of AIESEC in University Having increased the number
of Kelaniya. of MOUs signed for external
entities and achieving the
highest number of approvals
in the Incoming Global Vol-
unteer function in AIESEC Sri
Lanka,AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya was capable of being
on top of the monthly perfor-
mance charts of AIESEC Sri
Lanka.
In the interview, the local
committee president for 20/21,
Pabasara Herath added that she
would sum up the whole term
with the word ‘Resilience’ since
they’ve managed to strive for
excellence amidst a variety of
unforeseen challenges.

4

CN INSIDER

executive board 21.22

“Action is the For the AIESEC term 2021/2022, the Co-
foundational key to lombo North Local Committee has made
all success” its vision to transform with purpose. Along
with novel initiatives that would bring about
5 a unique transformation within the entity to
appear as an upgraded self, AIESEC in Univer-
sity of Kelaniya would focus upon its immense
potential to further establish its reputation as a
strong entity with an abundance of dedicated
members. Similarly, to be precise, the local com-
mittee would be driven towards its achievements
under a modus operandi based on transforma-
tions with purpose. Therefore, the local commit-
tee president for the term 2021/2022, Dinushie
Dissanayake, with her passionate yet pragmatic
resolutions invested towards the betterment of
the entity, intends to showcase the ideal capabili-
ty of the Executive Board to adapt to challenging
situations.

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

It is their motivation to debunk the monotony LCP
and promote an original and unparalleled per- Dinushie Dissanayake
sona that is the Local Committee of AIESEC in
University of Kelaniya. Similarly, it is with great LCVP Finance & Legal
pleasure and pride that we introduce the Execu- Dumindi Wimalasiri
tive Board of AIESEC in Colombo North for the
term 2021/2022. It is guaranteed that their high LCVP iCX Matching and IR
potential to direct their professional strengths Thilini Mediwake
coupled with the academic curricula will moti-
vate the overall membership to act as a unified LCVP iGT VD and B2B
whole towards a common motive. They will con- Aaqil Yoosuf
tinue to uphold and resignify the legacy of the
past Executive Boards of AIESEC in University LCVP iGV VD
of Kelaniya so that the Local Committee further Shelini Jayawardhana
establishes its reputation among the other enti-
ties as an assiduous and persevering professional LCVP Marketing Branding and
body. Showcasing
Sudheera Fernando

LCVP Marketing PS
Kumuditha Wiyathunga

LCVP oGX B2B and B2C
Yomalee Jayatilake

LCVP oGT PS
Hasanjale Gunawardana

LCVP oGV PS
Hashini Vidanage

LCVP PD & PR
Shehani Fernando

LCVP PM
Sayuri Bogahawaththage

6

CN INSIDER

Outgoing Global
Talent & teacher

LFunctional News
ooking at the month of May, Leadership
Body recruitment and training and the
VLead event are the highlights of the Out-
going Global Talent (oGT) function. Going deep
into the impact created, the function has been
restructured at a substantial level by implement-
ing novel yet effective initiatives.

CN
Highlights

In order to improve the efficiency of functional
work, the Leadership body has been given neces-
sary training programs and transitions from the
former coordinators. It is also done with the aim
of empowering the Leadership Board to discuss
the strategies and to motivate each other for the
betterment of the organization and themselves as
individuals. Furthermore, the Outgoing Glob-
al Talent function is planning to refilter the old
intern groups and find the potential EPs to match
their qualifications with the best opportunities.
It would help them to develop their professional
skills and solve their doubts especially through
webinars, seminars, and virtual sessions. Also,
the Outgoing Global Talent Function intends to
utilize new members for upcoming events such as
VLead, Career fair, and so on.

7

Accordingly, the ultimate goal is to give the ex- ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021
perience and exposure of Organizing committees
to every member of the Outgoing Global Talent Mohamed Mujahid
function and to transform the function while Sahanya Nonis
maintaining the professionalism of the members Sajana Sandaranga
as per their tagline Sarala Subasingha
#say_it_with_transform.

Outgoing Global
Voluteer

TFunctional News
he Outgoing Volunteer function is main-
ly focused on volunteering opportunities
which are guaranteed to change the volun-
teers’ life. The function has recruited a stupendous
leadership body to fulfil the functional goals along
with the support of the wonderful local com-
mittee vice president. The Outgoing Volunteer
function has been able to approve 5 volunteers to
Lüneburg in Germany and 1 volunteer to Deh-
radun in India for the next year, showcasing the
perseverance and unwavering commitment of the
members of the function. The Outgoing Volunteer
function has also planned to organize remarkable
events in the future; Cultural Fiesta and Living
International. The leadership body and the local
committee vice presidents are excited to empower
people and to strive for excellence.

Noyeli Liyanage
8

CN INSIDER the said recruits of AIESEC in Uwa Wellassa
University and AIESEC in Informatics Institute of
Outgoing Exchange Technology (IIT) with the intention of creating a
functional News performance culture within the initiative groups
and accessing an extended talent pool to help
As the professional body that overlooks evolve AIESEC as a whole. Here, it is evident that
the functioning of volunteers and interns AIESEC in University of Kelaniya is indeed an en-
(exchange participants) who represent tity that accommodates a resilient auxiliary force
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya, the Outgoing which will further ensure the organization’s recog-
Exchange function,has unleashed numerous res- nition within the national context as a gateway for
olutions for the upcoming month of the AIESEC promising youthful talent acquisition.
term 21/22 all the while laying the foundation
for a crew that strictly practices a motivational Incoming Exchange
methodology to upskill their course of action. The Functional News
speciality in their collaborative spirit is evoked
through the discipline that exists in synchroniza-
tion of the said motivation. Similarly, it is guar-
anteed that their commitment will be the driving
force to result in the success of their upcoming
events: Newbie Training, Team Allocation, Cre-
ating a CV Booklet and the novel yet original
project implementation: “Languagely”. In addi-
tion, Similar to the Incoming Exchange function,
they would exert their maximum skills available
in their inventory to augment the MoUs: Mem-
orandum of Understanding raised by the entity
within the term.

However, it should be specially mentioned that In synchronization with Incoming Global
the function successfully conducted its first ever Volunteer and Talent function, the ICX:
virtual Leader Board meetup and completed its Incoming Exchange function of AIESEC in
transition within a short and impressive time University of Kelaniya, propels the entity towards
duration of 3 days. In elaboration of the Lead- a sustainable evolution of itself by efficiently
er Board Transition programme, the Outgoing providing the newly recruited and eligible mem-
Exchange function facilitated the recruitment bers with the required mechanisms to grasp the
processes and the inductions that focused essence of International Relations and Matching
function. Similarly, a self-confident task force
9 would expedite the numerical indicators that
record the partnership realizations of Incoming
Global Volunteer and Incoming Global Talent
functions. Therefore, the strategic leadership of
the Local Committee Vice President of the re-
spective functions, will act as the erudite indica-
tor of the success of the synergy between the two
functions. In conclusion, as an entity, it is with
utmost pleasure that we look forward to their
immense

and promising subscription towards the Local ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021
Committee’s advantage.
offered by AIESEC in University of Kelaniya.
Incoming Global The Incoming Global Volunteer function, there-
Talent and Teacher fore, is strongly focused on providing the foreign
Functional News volunteers with an experience with optimum
satisfaction and responsible administration. As
The Incoming Global Talent and Teacher the fundamental action that is required to facil-
function is promoting the entity’s existence itate such a status, the function has directed its
and performance by developing partner- resources towards strengthening its structure and
ships with internship opportunities offered by therefore has begun the term with the Leader
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya. The function Board recruitment. Similarly, their overall con-
mainly focuses on providing the foreign interns tribution will intend to produce portals that will
with a remarkable internship experience. In showcase the entity’s high potential to become a
order to succeed in the function, the function has most significant unit of AIESEC Sri Lanka among
recruited a professional set of members with high many others. Moreover, they have meticulously
potential as its leadership board. Having received organized their upcoming goals as to executing
a thorough leadership training and useful func- the projects: iGV Ideathon, iGV experience shar-
tional knowledge the function is ready to rock ing sessions and most importantly the phase 2 of
the new term.With multiple impactful initiatives project Equilibrium as another highly anticipated
planned, the leadership board is ready to plan the achievement of EwA: “Engagement with AIESEC”
B2B Hunt Weeks and pitching Competition with projects.
AIESEC in UCL.

Incoming Global
Volunteer

TFunctional News
he Incoming Global Volunteer function
is one of the functions responsible for
maintaining and promoting the entity’s
existence and performance through developing
partnerships with volunteering opportunities

10

CN INSIDER

Partnership Development
and Public Relations
Functional News

CN Quadron, which is the Partnership
Development and Public Relations (PD &
PR) Force was recruited in the month of
May and is currently undergoing the training and
development phase where they prepare them-
selves for the challenging tasks ahead.

The function is having a Premium Partnership
with Imperial College of Business Studies and
the first Business Development Initiative of the
term is currently going on successfully which is a
Blogging Competition named as ‘Quill it’. Fur-
thermore, the Partnership Development team
has been assisting and conducting training for
the Organizing Committees of both ‘Quill it’ and
‘Sparkles 2021’ with their External Relations in
order to raise many sustainable partnerships.

Dilushini Douglas

So, CN QUADRON is doing a fantastic job by
working and learning hard right from the begin-
ning to ensure CN stands strong and proud for
many years to come!
Also, the training session for the Partnership
Development and Public Relations function was
done by the Member Committee Vice President
for Partnership Development and Public Relations
21/22, Ms.Dilushini Douglas covering multiple
aspects of the function and answering the inquisi-
tive questions of the Quadron members.

CN Quadron is in the process of planning many
new Public Relations initiatives and is taking
many new steps to establish purposeful partner-
ships. One major initiative thus taken up is the
publishing of the monthly newsletter with all the
news of the entity. As a function moving forward
PD & PR aims to enhance the PD & PR culture
in AIESEC in University of Kelaniya and thereby
contribute towards the sustainability of the entity
as a whole.

11

Also, the Local Committee Vice President for ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021
incoming Global Volunteer for the term 19/20
in AIESEC in University of Jayawardenapura People Management
and the head of Public Relations in International Functional News
Presidents’ Meeting 21’ and Island-wide World’s
Largest Lesson project, Ms. Savindi Waduge did
a remarkable session on the importance of public
relations and shared her valuable experiences.

Savindi Waduge People Management within a professional
entity is a responsible task that requires
elaborated communication skills as well as
the psychological capacity to recognize and value
its members. Consequently, in the term 21/22
in AIESEC in University of Kelaniya, the People
Management team has made it their motive to
prioritize the enhancement of leadership poten-
tial and enthusiasm of the members. Similarly,
the team has successfully begun its journey by
completing the tasks and procedures for pocket
recruitment of terminated memberships, newbie
recruitment and People Management team re-
cruitments within a limited time duration. Conse-
quently, the newbie meetup was organized under
the supervision of the diligent Executive Board
and it reinforced over 50 participants with the ba-
sic yet compulsory AIESEC knowledge which in
a bigger picture, would also continue to facilitate
100% member participation and member engage-
ment that is the main goal of the term for People
Management. Subsequently, since the newbie
meetup concluded the goals set up for the month
of May, the function is looking forward to devel-
oping member motivation and talent within the
upcoming month. It is with utmost pleasure that
we foresee the potential in the people manage-
ment function to preserve its “No driving back”
perspective as its foundation for the betterment of
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya.

12

CN INSIDER

Finance and Legal
Functional News

As the financial foundation of AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya, the Finance & Legal function intends to fully

strengthen and efficiently manage the commercial
investments of the Local Committee with up-to-date
strategies and planning. Consequently, the function
places its focus upon the ongoing blogging competition
organized by AIESEC in University of Kelaniya, “Quill
It”, and the annual event for award and recognition
“Sparkles 2021”, due to their promising capability to
assert the Local Committee’s capacity to flourish. Most
importantly, its vision lies in parallel with the essence of
AIESEC which is to encourage youth to invest their ca-
pabilities within opportunities that enhance their lead-
ership skills. Subsequently, the execution of the LEAD
program rests as the strong blueprint that will influence
such a membership development during the 21/22 term.
However, since the function’s fundamental responsibil-
ities lie in the management of financial and legal assets
of the Local Committee, Local Committee Vice Presi-
dent for Legal & Finance, Dumindi Wimalasiri metic-
ulously manages the entity’s resources to maintain an
uninterrupted and solid profit to benefit the entity with
a sustainable commercial environment. Consequently,
such strong willpower would eventually bring AIESEC
in University of Kelaniya the higher probability to fur-
ther increase its financial sustainability. In conclusion,
the Legal & Finance function reestablishes itself as an
undeniably mandatory force that anticipates a pragmat-
ic evolution of the Local Committee among many other

entities.

13

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

Marketing
Functional News

Marketing Function or the CN creative Regiment
is excited to showcase the impact of AIESEC in
University of Kelaniya and to enhance the quali-
ty of marketing campaigns along with the newly
recruited team under the guidance of the Local
Committee Vice Presidents of the Marketing Func-
tion. They have planned to hold several sessions on
Graphic Designing, Video Producing and mentor-
ing sessions for the newly recruited members. Fur-
thermore, the team is excited to amplify the current
methods and come up with impactful marketing
campaigns as a team while staying excited about
the learning opportunities offered by the national
project by AIESEC Sri Lanka,100 story tellers.

14

CN INSIDER VVleadLead is an initiative taken by AIESEC in
University of Kelaniya in order to moti-
events vate the members to uplift their AIESEC
journey once a month. The AIESEC members
get the opportunity to gain knowledge and expe-
rience from National and International entities
which will teach them the procedures they must
follow to become a best AIESECer and it will
make a pathway for their personal development as
well.
In the month of May, they got the participation
of Paul Stockert, Member Committee Vice Presi-
dent (Finance), AIESEC in Germany for the term
21.22. AIESEC members actively engaged in this
amazing session, since he used his own AIESEC
related experiences, graphs, photos and other
computer-based applications to grab the atten-
tion of the audience. He wiped out the opinion of
new members that some people cannot balance
AIESEC with academics. This session clearly
demonstrates the new members’ interest towards
the VLead event as it got the highest number of
participation and members are eagerly waiting for
the next VLead.

Consequently, the goal is to maintain the work
plan that the resource person has introduced and
to solve the problems of AIESECers with the aid
of VLead. Maximum participation and enthu-
siastic engagement are highly appreciated. The
Outgoing Global Talent Function hopes to get
the contribution of most celebrated AIESECers
from both the National and International levels in
upcoming VLead sessions.

15

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

Qquill itUILL IT is a blogging competition or-
ganized by AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya in collaboration with Imperial
College of Business Studies (ICBS), which will
take place among the school students of Colombo
and Gampaha Districts of grade 09 and above.It is
conducted with the aim of
facilitating a platform and an opportunity for
teenagers to showcase their writing skills and
creative mind-set and thereby gain recognition for
their talents.

The purposeful partnerships with Naturals Lan-
ka Grooming (Pvt) Ltd, GOOD PR (PVT) LTD,
and Chokolaate youth-oriented magazine assists
the QUILL IT organizing committee immensely
in this novel initiative over the course of one and
half months. Also, the top 3 students will receive
the opportunity of publishing their articles in
chokolaate magazine and Good PR blog and be-
ing hired as freelancers when required by ICBS ,
Good PR and Chokolaate Magazine.

16

CN INSIDER

newbie meetup

Aprofessional body’s membership is the sub-
structure that determines its performance
and reputation among similar associates.
Therefore, it is mandatory that a significant amount
of attention is projected towards the fortification
of the membership’s potential to contribute to-
wards their organization/entity. Similarly, AIESEC
in university of Kelaniya has predetermined this
factor as the background setting to the “Newbie
Meetup” organized by the Executive Board.This was
administered as a fulfillment of the monthly goal
for the month of May within the People Manage-
ment team. Consequently, the event targeted the
indoctrination of the new AIESEC recruits with
the technical and intellectual tools that would mold
them into the ideal AIESEC member with ample
potential to facilitate the thriving of the entity and
themselves. In addition, the initiative intended the
uplifting of their motivation to practice productive
and collaborative project engagements among the
members and therefore influence them to adapt to
AIESEC’s usual course of action. Most importantly,
the 50+ participants were successfully taught of the
structure of AIESEC, its culture and therefore its
essence in an overall context. In elaboration, it is
strongly evident that the Newbie Meetup is an effi-
cient step to raise awareness of the newly-recruited
members.

17

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

Pasindu Medis

An interactive session was held by AIESEC
alumni Pasindhu Mendis at the newbie
meetup where he insightfully provided the
new recruits the inputs on how AIESEC can dare
you to break your boundaries, expand your capac-
ity and transform you to become a better version
of yourself while being empowered by skills, values
and people. His inspirational portrayal of AIESEC’s
potential to fortify one’s strengths and omit one’s
weaknesses was a focal point in the session where
many participants were highly impressed and felt
empowered to step out of their comfort zones. It
is worthwhile to mention that his contribution to
the events organized by AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya are highly valued by the membership due
to his capacity as a potential mentor figure and a
resource person.

18

CN INSIDER

Upcoming sparklesparkles is the annual awarding ceremony of
events AIESEC in University of Kelaniya. This event

Sis a great platform to appreciate the unwaver-

ing commitment of the members and remarkable
projects of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya. Stay
tuned for this grand event organized by the amaz-
ing Organizing committee shown in the picture.

19

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

Stay tuned for the leadership capacity-building program of AIESEC
in university of Kelaniya which is exclusively organized for the
Leadership Body of AIESEC in university of Kelaniya to inspire,
lead, break the barriers and unravel the real potential.
300 Minutes will be conducted this year with the vision of,
“Enhancing the leadership qualities of the members to find their
true potential while understanding how far the capacity of
teamwork can achieve success.”

20

CN INSIDER

lead

The existence of an organization strongly depends on its capability to
adapt to the constantly changing and unstable nature of the corporate
world and its sub sectors. AIESEC in University of Kelaniya, through its
intuitive leadership body, has discovered a unique path to create a solid
connection between the corporate world and the academic curricula
through the project “LEAD” which intends to debunk the youth’s lack
of exposure to the corporate sector. This project falls under the nation-
al AIESEC project EwA: “Engagement With AIESEC”, by developing a
partnership with a renowned corporate body so that secure and ample
opportunities for the delegates and the entity will be opened up effi-
ciently. Similarly, the speciality and the uniqueness of the upcoming
project lies in its expectation to assign less contribution from the corpo-
rate body and therefore facilitate and encourage talent acquisition from

AIESEC itself.

21

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

Consequently, LEAD will be supervised under the professional interfer-
ence of two AIESEC in University alumnus; Mr.Sohan Wijegunaward-
hana and Mr.Shan Yahampath. These mentors will guide the delegates
under two sub categories: Human Resources and Marketing. The project
however is also a portal for the engaging corporate body to discover
potential and talented employees for their organization among the par-
ticipants. Most importantly, LEAD will reinforce the commercial assets
and also the finance & legal function of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya
since it expects an affordable financial commitment from its delegates in
exchange for valuable knowledge and skills. Similarly,the project LEAD
stabilizes the entity’s amelioration in more than one aspect as a distinctive
upcoming project that promotes perfect equilibrium between itself and

the external professional territories.

22

CN INSIDER

CN Excellence
It is no secret that AIESEC
in University of Kelaniya is 1. How would you define your I think my passion in life is to
one of the best entities in self ? help make things better. No
Sri Lanka since its inception. I think Sapna is a very simple matter how perfect it is, it can
In order to continue and fortify person and she is friendly, be better. Either a project or a
the so-called legacy, it is im- cheerful, and open minded. community, my passion in life
portant to extract the essence She is that someone you can is to find ways and work hard
of Alumnus as their knowledge count on because she will give to make things better that I’m a
and experiences will pave the her 100% to whatever she is part of.
current CNers to strive towards committed to.
excellence.
Consequently, it is with utmost 2. Can you tell us a bit about
pleasure that we mark the your life and academics?
collaboration with Sapna Mad- Currently I am an undergrad-
urangi: The Member Commit- uate in University of Kelaniya
tee Vice president (Elect) for and I’m done with my 3rd
Public relations for the AIESEC year. I’m waiting for my final
term 21/22 and the Former Lo- year to start which means that
cal Committee Vice president I am a final year student now.
for Outgoing Global Volunteer I’m from the Department of
for term 20/21 in AIESEC in English Language Teaching. So,
University of Kelaniya. Her in- I am specializing in Teaching
put to the inaugural magazine English as a Second Language
is a part of our vision to inspire which is called TESL.
the existing membership body Apart from academics I’m the
with her insightful experienc- eldest of the family which con-
es on AIESEC as well as our sists of 3 siblings.I am currently
valued partners. We are hon- 23 years old.
oured to have witnessed the 3. What is your passion and
experience sharing she humbly purpose in life?
and eagerly provided and thus I have asked this question my-
her persevering journey is re- self several times. I’m so glad
vealed to our readers from here to tell you that it was AIESEC
onwards. that helped me to discover
what that is. AIESEC helped
me to define what is that pas-
sion and purpose.

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ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

My purpose in life is to live a 4. How did AIESEC help you 5. Who do you think an
meaningful life. I just want to in life? AIESECer is?
live a meaningful life because I
always think of the 60 seconds If it was not for AIESEC, I don’t AIESECer is someone who
rule - If all that is left is just 60 think I would be the half of the sees the change and who wants
seconds for you to live, would person I am today in terms of to see the change in terms of
you be scared and sad for all the soft skills and the experi- progress.
the things you could have done ence I have gathered. AIESEC AIESECer is someone who
but didn’t do? Or be happy and molded me into a better ver- actually makes an impact for
proud that you actually took sion and made me a completely the betterment other than
chances and opportunities and different version of myself. I just living in the things that’s
helped other people and lived was one of the most introverted happening in the world and
a meaningful life? That is the people in the room back then. complaining.
question I would ask from my- I was not the person to raise What keeps me pushing
self in this 60 second rule. my hand, be present and talk. through AIESEC is its vision
So, when I think about it, the I was very scared. But AIESEC and mission. It helps to achieve
whole purpose of life is to live gave me a lot of opportunities our true potential.
a meaningful life which at the to develop myself and to come
end that takes my presence out of my shell, come out of my 6. Who is your role model in
count. So, for that I could comfort zone. For me AIESEC life and in AIESEC?
always take any opportunity, is a blessing. I truly love and In both AIESEC and life, I
or even a challenge that I don’t respect AIESEC. Its vision and don’t have one specific role
know about. It’s okay to just mission actually motivated me model that I could call as my
grab it and learn how to do it. all the time. role model. Because in life we
always learn things from peo-
ple. For me there are many role
models. In AIESEC, as an ex-
ample my first team leader was
a role model for me because
she believed in me and she
gave me so many opportunities
and she was a good leader for
me. And then my Organizing
Committee President (OCP),
my Local Committee President
(LCP) and my fellow Local
Committee Vice Presidents
(LCVPs), my co-workers are
the people that I learnt from. I
can’t define one person as this
is my role model.

24

CN INSIDER

7. What were the initiatives you introduced in CN And apart from that there are so many initiatives
and what is the impact that it has created? like ‘Charades with CN’, that we organized to
If I recall my LCVP term, I would like to call it a keep IR partners engaged because we didn’t want
team effort and not something done by me alone. to lose the connection with them in this COVID
I think functional wise, Outgoing Global Volun- pandemic since it was a time period where all our
teer (oGV) was a complete transformation. First exchanges got stopped and members were idle
thing was we implemented a proper tracking sys- doing nothing.
tem for almost every task. The impact was it made ‘Knowledge Hub’ is another thing that we initiat-
all the functions flow smooth, could gather all the ed.It is an e-library where the members can find
information easily and it secured the sustainability every single thing related to oGV function. Also,
of the function. And the next initiative was a post we organized a competition called ‘Externalize’
called ‘So Extra’ where we gave recognition for the where we were able to focus on external entities as
best member and the best Leadership Body mem- well and we could identify all the 28 entities that
ber. It motivated the members to really engage in are under CN.
their duties and work. The other important initiative was the ‘VLead’
And there’s another initiative which I’m very series which was organized by the oGV for the
proud of as it is more like my personal initiative. whole CN.
We organized an event called ‘Cultural Fiesta’ VLead is a motivational program to empower the
which is mainly a platform for both AIESECers members through inspiring AIESECers. We in-
and non-AIESECers to get together and strength- vited a lot of foreign and past AIESECers who are
en bonds and through that we could improve our well experienced to motivate our CNers and I’m
brand visibility as well. We had so many par- glad that it is still happening. Also, we successfully
ticipants from different countries and different organized an event called ‘Living International’
cultures and it established a good International and it helped to retain the potential volunteers
Relations (IR) presence for AIESEC in University and we could connect them with the IR partners.
of Kelaniya as a brand.

25

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

8. What were the opportunities you got through After that in 2020, I was the Local Committee
AIESEC? Vice President in oGV function and I learnt a lot
I can’t just say that these are the opportunities I of things there. And when talking about the op-
got because there are a lot as in positions, confer- portunities, I can’t forget my exchange to Poland
ences, summits, trainings and there is a lot I learnt in 2018. It was such a nice experience.
from them. I will recall my positions hoping Currently I am working as a Member Commit-
that they would sum up the opportunities I got. tee Vice President elect (MCVP) in AIESEC Sri
In 2018, I was the Organizing Committee Vice Lanka. So, AIESEC has given me a lot of opportu-
President (OCVP) in Logistics for Leadership nities that I can’t even name.
Development Seminar, Team Leader in Business
to Customer for oGV and in 2019, Manager in
Product Strategy for oGV, Organizing Committee
Vice President for Delegates in the Global Vol-
unteer Day and I was the Organizing Committee
Vice President for Logistics in the ‘Sparkles’ event.
I really enjoyed that and it was a nice experience.
Then in 2020, I was the International Organizing
Committee Vice President for events in the Asia
Pacific Operations Summit. Also, I was the Orga-
nizing Committee President (OCP) in the Nation-
al Youth Speak Forum.

26

CN INSIDER 10. Did you have any hardships in life and if so,
how did you stay motivated?
9. What is your favorite memory and accomplish- Everyone has hardships in their life and the same
ment in AIESEC and why? applies to me as well. What keeps me motivated in
I think my favorite memory in AIESEC is my ex- life is I always believe things happen for a reason.
change. I was the first from AIESEC in University That is what always keeps me motivated. Because I
of Kelaniya to go to Poland. Since it was the first know life is hard. I always think like this too shall
time, we had no idea about their IR partnership pass and that it’s okay. Everything happens for a
or how good they were. I was told that someone reason and there is a lot to learn in any circum-
from their end would come to pick me from the stance and in any situation. Just not looking at the
airport to my accommodation. Also, it was my glass half empty but looking at the glass half full
first flight in life therefore I was very nervous and is what keeps me motivated. I think everything is
scared. Then I landed and no one was there to an opportunity to learn and to grow as a strong
pick me. For that I was getting worried and the person.
worst thing was my mobile sim was not work-
ing there. So, I didn’t have a way to call or drop
a message to anybody. Then I tried to talk to
some people but they couldn’t understand En-
glish either. They were all Polish. Suddenly a lady
came up and asked whether I was okay. Then I
explained the situation and this kind lady booked
me some tickets for transportation and helped me
to sort out my problem. So, this is my favorite and
unforgettable memory in my life.
And then my favorite accomplishment is the
people. I met so many great people through
AIESEC who are really talented and supportive.
Apart from that, my solid accomplishment is I got
awarded as the Best Young Leader at Sparkles in
Colombo North and I got nominated at the Inter-
national Conference for the Best Emerging Young
Leader. So those two are the proven accomplish-
ments but in my heart my best accomplishment is
the people.

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ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

11. What is one quote that inspired you?
I really love quotes. Something that I personally
relate is, “If your presence is known you’re doing
well. If your absence is missed, you’re doing great.”
That is something I always believe. Let’s take
AIESEC, if you are there your presence should be
known. Otherwise, if anyone doesn’t know you
then you haven’t done a good job. If you are ab-
sent and then everything is on hold which means
you are doing a super crazy great job. That is one
quote which keeps me motivated. Make your
presence felt by others. Either in AIESEC or out
of AIESEC, whatever you do in your life will be
that one person who others can’t live without. Be
the person whose absence is felt. That’s something
that always inspires me.

12. What advice do you have for the fellow young
people out there?
I am a terrible beginner. But I always believed in
myself. It is all about how much you try and how
much you give. Whatever you do, give your 100%.
First of all, you have to believe in yourself because
no one else is going to do that for you. Maybe you
might not be successful in your first attempt but
every time you try, you only get better. That is the
most important thing. Most of the people are very
confused on what they should do. So, whenever
you get questions like that, believe in your gut
feeling to decide whether you want to do what
you love or whether you want to do what you are
good at. It’s like two ends. For me what works is,
do what you love. When you do something that
you love, you will learn it somehow and you will
do it anyway. Just believe in yourself. You are ca-
pable of more than enough.

28

CN INSIDER

Message from “Acknowledging all the
Mithuni Jayawardana good that you already
have in your life is the
Organizing Committee President for Expansion foundation for all
Conference ‘21 abundance”
-Eckhart Tolle-
Former Local Committee Vice president
for people management 20/21 in “As the Organizing Committee President for
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya. Expansion Conference ‘21 I am humbly proud to
say that if not for Colombo North, I wouldn’t be
here. Joining AIESEC in Colombo North back in
2019 and constantly striving for the best in each
and everything I do along with one of the greatest
support systems has definitely helped me broaden
my leadership learnings and practical experiences
to be the near best at what I do. I am grateful and
thankful to Colombo North for being the best
kitchen in town with the top-class ingredients that
helped me create the memorable dishes of leader-
ship and for helping me rediscover my purpose;
Empowering others.

Cheers to the memories and wishing the knights
and warriors of Colombo North all the very best
for the times to come!”

29

Message from ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021
Kasun Balasooriya
Message from Spirit
of the month
April

Organizing Committee President for June “When a team works towards a common goal
National Conference ‘21 with mutual support it’s really easy to reach. As
always, I’m so grateful to the team I’m currently
Former Local Committee Vice president working with, QUILL IT OC. Being Spirit of the
for Incoming Global Volunteer 20/21 in month is so powerful when you are working with
a super supportive team. This is not an individual
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya achievement because there is a team who is always
there with me. That is the real spirit!”
“Hey AIESEC ! Jayandi Premachandra
I started my AIESEC journey back in 2018 soon Organizing committee President of QUILL IT
after I entered the University. I would say it was
a transformational journey for me where I had Appreciation for Members
to face lots of challenges and where I was capable of the month
of lifetime experiences and making long lasting
friendships.
I was lucky enough to get selected as the LCVP
iGV VD for term 20/21 and I’m forever grateful
for all the experience I got. After this long journey
I was privileged enough to be selected as the June
National Conference OCP. Finally, I would say
life is a journey where we experience things, meet
new people and collect memories. As an AIESE-
Cer you have a great opportunity to write your life
journey with lots of experiences, memories and
new people and make your journey more colour-
ful while enjoying every movement in AIESEC.”

30

CN INSIDER naturals

partner
space

Imperial College of
Business Studies

Imperial College of Business Studies has Naturals Sri Lanka is the self-care partner of
collaborated with AIESEC Colombo North QUILL IT. It is one of South Asia’s largest and
for QUILL IT blogging competition as the most successful salon chains established by Has-
Premium partner. Since its inception, Imperial ini Gunasekera, a renowned beautician of today’s
College of Business Studies (ICBS ) has been time. Having the guidance of her mother, Deepi-
well-renowned as a leading Business School in ka Gunasekera, Hasini is well known for interna-
Sri Lanka. The history of ICBS dates back to tional exposure and enhancing the local industry.
1985 when it was known as a pioneer in CIMA Naturals Sri Lanka, has set a vision to groom Sri
Learning/training/education in Sri Lanka, giv- Lanka.They also promote talent empowerment,
ing them an edge of being one of the oldest and the necessity of hygiene to maintain a balance for
distinguished business schools in Sri Lanka. The personal, social, health, psychological or simply
common purpose of lightening the lives of our as a way of life. And collaboration with QUILL
youth with the torch of knowledge & education IT helps the company to upbring the talents of
and grooming them to be the best versions of future bloggers of SL.
themselves laid the ground for the partnership
between Imperial College of Business Studies and
AIESEC in University of Kelaniya.

31

CHOKOLAATE ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

gift partners

The below mentioned gift partners collaborated
with AIESEC in University of Kelaniya to uplift
the future bloggers of Sri lanka.

Chokolaate being a youth-oriented quarterly
magazine, collaborated with QUILL IT as the
media Partner.The magazine covers a broad vari-
ety of interests such as education, fashion, music,
drama, sports, achievers, features, achievements,
etc, and is widely accepted for quality content.
In collaboration with AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya, they strive to bring out and nurture the
talent in the youth.

good pr

Good PR is the event supporter and the oppor-
tunity provider behind the success of the QUILL
IT which is organized by AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya. They are a digital PR Agency that com-
bines local insights and the latest international
practices to deliver class-leading PR in Sri Lanka.
They offer a comprehensive range of services that
allow organizations to reach their target audienc-
es through myriad channels while delivering a
message that is consistent and compelling. They
assist AIESEC in University of Kelaniya to groom
individuals to be the best versions of themselves
and nurture and empower the young talents by
awarding their partnership.

32

CN INSIDER

Quote of
the month

Before you are a leader, success is all about
growing yourself. When you become a leader,

success is all about growing others.
-Jack Welch-

33

ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

team behind

Shehani Fernando Sudheera Fernando
Local committee Vice President Local committee Vice President
Partnership Development and Marketing (Branding & Showcasing)

Public Relations

Hiruni Udumulla Arachchi Nawoda Jayasinghe
Public Relations Manager Public Relations Coordinator

Dilshan Hettiarachchi Dilsha Ranaweera
Public Relations Coordinator Public Relations Coordinator

34

AIESEC
IN

UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA