In his graduation address delivered on 26 May 2010, H.E. Prof
Disanayaka remarked that knowledge could be used to make life easier,
efficient and comfortable. However, it could also be used to make life
difficult, more uncomfortable and disastrous. “The choice of using or
abusing knowledge is entirely ours,” he remarked.
The Ambassador reminded everyone that most of the disasters that one
faces today are “either due to lack of knowledge or due to abuse of
knowledge.” He described drought as a disaster triggered by human
desires, since it was a logical culmination of acts of deforestation
engineered by human beings who seek personal monetary gains at the
expense of public good. The worst of disasters are purely manmade, he
said while listing terrorism, communalism, religious fanaticism, civil
war, pollution, poverty, inflation, epidemics and human trafficking
among others.
The Ambassador stated that moral or ethical values are neither
Buddhist nor Christian, neither Hindu nor Islamic. They are neither
Eastern nor Western and they are not the sole property of any religion,
culture, community or nation.
He advised graduates to use knowledge and wisdom to make the world a
better place to live, where all beings, can coexist in peace, harmony
and dignity. Describing graduates as “leaders of the future”, the
Ambassador concluded, “Make the Asian Institute of Technology feel
proud of you.”
The entire text of the graduation speech can be read at this link. A portion of the video of
his speech can be watched at this link.
