2025 was a challenging year for Sri Lanka and the world. All indicators point to 2026 being equally or more challenging than the one we’ve endured. Globally, we have a divided international community. The globe is once again rife with armed conflict and the threat of more violence. The rules-based international order, once championed by many nations which we considered global leaders, is today being dismantled by them.
Power dynamics across the planet are changing, and with it, the competition to shape the new-world order in line with the desires of emerging Giants, or the Giants who are in decline, increasingly erodes the space for smaller states to remain neutral. The fluidity of the multi-polar world we find ourselves in, is characterised by there being no single authority, but great powers trying to pull the world into a mould of their choosing.
Sri Lanka is dependent on maritime trade and the unrestricted movement of goods by sea. Recent events from South America, the Arabian Gulf – Red Sea, the Baltic and Black Sea, the Taiwan straits, the South China Sea, and, more recently, closer to home, in the Bay of Bengal, show an increasing trend of maritime lines of communication for commercial and fisheries traffic being challenged and vital undersea communication cables being disrupted. Global trade wars have intensified, and the shocks it is bringing to traditional markets and suppliers with whom Sri Lanka has grown comfortable, has been a rude awakening for the island nation, urging us to rethink our structures, expand our exports and services, and find new markets and supply chains. Cyclone Ditwah showed us just how fragile our infrastructure and economy are. It also showed us that when push comes to shove, our communities can shed long-entrenched differences and come to each other’s aid, which was a beautiful moment of national unity, despite the magnitude of damage caused and lives lost. Yes, we have a long way to go to mend the torn and strained fabric which we call Sri Lanka, but Ditwah showed that our tapestry has resilience and resolve to endure.
Our Nation has been poorly governed for too long. We remain stuck in our outdated mindsets and resistance to change. Nevertheless, the world today is highly dynamic; change is the name of the game. Countries like ours need to be able to adapt and evolve at a much faster rate than we think we need to. More than ever, Sri Lanka will need to double down on good governance, reforms and ease of doing business in 2026. There is no time to waste, and there is much to be done. In pushing this agenda, the public must hold the Government and parliament accountable; we must demand better transparency and accountability. 2024/25 was not about political survival, nor should 2026 be conceded to party politics. 2026 should be the year for bipartisan policymaking and a push for reforms to continue.
History is littered with the graves of Small States – which didn’t make it. We should not make the mistake of thinking that our long and illustrious history will save us from becoming another State, left to occupy chapters in history books and maps. Sri Lankans need to wake up and understand the urgency of change which is happening across the world.
As a Nation, we have failed to convince many of our youth, our most valuable asset, and the bridge to the island nation’s future, that Sri Lanka is a worthy place to call home. Hundreds of thousands have left our shores and migrated, seeking greener pastures. Yes, they all make pilgrimages back home and contribute to our forex coffers. Yet, they are not here, being Sri Lankans, and sustaining our economy, our ways of life and standing by our borders in our defence.
As we look towards 2026, one of the major concerns which ought to be at the forefront of our thoughts is how to convince our children that Sri Lanka is worthy of being called home. What changes do we need to make to convince our youth to remain in Sri Lanka, and how can we reignite hope in their minds that their dreams can be realised at home?
With an ageing population crisis around the bend, we need to start asking ourselves some hard questions about our younger generation. With the dawn of 2026, let us be more aware of domestic and global dynamics, be more tuned into ensuring better governance and work towards building a stronger, stable, and more resilient Sri Lanka.