The Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) is a South Asian regional think tank, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Established in 1992, it is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental organization which encourages research, dialogue, networking and deliberation on a broad range of conventional and non-conventional sources of conflict and conditions of peace.
RCSS Executive Director, Prof Gamini Keerawella was invited by Hon. Virendra Sharma, Member of the UK Parliament and of the International Development Select Committee to be a guest speaker at the inaugural British South Asian Youth Summit, held on the 22nd of August, 2020.
Prof. Keerawella represented RCSS and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) as the Regional Secretariat for the GPPAC South Asia network.
Introductory remarks were given by Mr. Sharma, Prof. Keerawella and Her Excellency, Ms. Gaitri I. Kumar, the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom. The rest of the event was comprised of discussion and breakout sessions between the youth delegates as well as drafting of the MOU. Dr. Debanjan Chakrabarti, Acting Director, India for the British Council delivered the final remarks at the end of the Summit, with the closing statements given by Prof. Keerawella and Mr. Sharma.
The Summit was organized by the Office of Virendra Sharma MP and aimed to help facilitate a discussion amongst the Youth Delegates of South Asian countries and UK. It also sought to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding for a more inclusive and progressive UK-South Asian relations. 9 youth delegates representing youth organizations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK participated in the Summit.
