On January 5, 2023, the Centre for Disaster Management Research (CDMR) at KDU, in collaboration with the Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR), Massey University, and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Sri Lanka, conducted a workshop titled “Effective and Responsible Communication in a Crisis.” The event, held at the Faculty of Graduate Studies Auditorium at KDU, aimed to highlight the critical role of communication during crises.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Nilupul Gunasekara, Director of CDMR-KDU, stressed that while communication can be a powerful tool for serving society, its misuse can lead to chaos. Associate Professor Raj Prasanna, Deputy Director of JCDR, shared insights from New Zealand on “Responsible Communication,” and Ms. Anoja Seneviratne from DMC focused on “Effective Communication” during disaster scenarios.

This workshop was a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between CDMR-KDU and JCDR-Massey, building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014 by Major General Milinda Peiris, Vice Chancellor of KDU, and Professor Jan Thomas, Vice Chancellor of Massey University, New Zealand.