2022
Namini Wijedesa, Deputy Editor (Investigations) The Sunday Times, Colombo. A multiple award-winning writer and columnist, Namini has covered politics and conflict, including Sri Lanka’s civil war and its aftermath. She leads The Sunday Times’ investigations team to produce exclusive news reports and features, and trains young journalists, hoping to inspire them to remain in the profession. Her interests are reading and writing.
2021
Arun Arokianathan, Freelance Multimedia Journalist, Trainer, Colombo. Arun is a seasoned journalist reporting on reconciliation, human rights, governance, accountability, social welfare and new media literacy. He is a journalism trainer and exemplary life-long learner who has returned to school to improve his qualifications and expertise in digital journalism. He enjoys watching cricket and tennis, and feel good movies.
2019
Kalani Kumarasinghe, Deputy Features Editor, The Daily Mirror, Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. A rising star at The Daily Mirror, Kalani has worked in print and broadcast media and now writes, trains young reporters and is involved in newspaper-in-education activities. Ten years after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, the effects are still being felt and the scars of ethnic and religious conflict remain. She wants her journalism to help the healing process. In Singapore, she wants to see how young people are building bridges in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. Her interests include reading, blogging, sketching, photography, travelling and writing.
2018
Zahrah Imtiaz is a writer and News Features Editor of Daily News, a publication of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon group. She was a journalist in Kandy before moving to Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. Her AJF research project will focus on the role of the state in maintaining inter-racial and inter-religious harmony, hoping to draw insights that may be useful in multi-ethnic Sri Lanka. Zahrah enjoys reading, movies and travelling.
2017
Shanika Sriyananda is a freelance correspondent for the Daily Financial Times in Colombo. Shanika has covered the war in northern Sri Lanka, published two books about women prisoners and the people of war-torn Jaffna, and won awards for her health and environment reporting. She wants to interview Singaporeans of Sri Lankan descent to extract lessons on racial and religious harmony she can take home.
2016
P. Mathanavasan. Editor, Tamil Mirror Daily, Colombo. Mathan made his mark online before becoming editor of the Wijeya group’s Tamil Mirror print edition. He is keen to understand Singapore’s ideas and plans to make the city-state lively and livable, and to identify policies and laws that could work in densely populated cities elsewhere.
2015
Camelia Nilrukshi Nathaniel. Journalist at The Sunday Leader. She writes on energy, defence and security, the Tamil diaspora, rehabilitation and reconciliation, and ethnic conflict. Researching on how Singapore preserves ethnic and religious peace.
2014
Ifham Nizam. Journalist with the English-language Island newspaper, Colombo, covering politics, energy. Won Environmental Journalist of the Year awards.
2013
De Silva Sella Kapu Samanthika Lasni. Producer for News and Current Affairs at Independent Television Network, Colombo. Project: Code of ethics for TV journalism in Sri Lanka.
2012
Krishni Ifnam. Website editor and writer for a news magazine, Vidivai Nokki (Tamil), Colombo, covering humanitarian, social and community news. Project: Women journalists in Singapore.
2011
Darshana Ashoka Kumara. News journalist, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Colombo. Covers defence, politics, development and other issues. Topic: Mass media and cultural capital in post-conflict Sri Lanka.
2010
Shifan Ahmed. Director and producer with Young Asia Television, which produces programmes on peace and conflict resolution. Wants to work on a video documentary on multiracialism in Singapore.