CFEP: ‘Think-tank' of the young, by the young but for all of us

RECENTLY, I had the opportunity to witness the formalisation of a new ‘think-tank’ in Colombo by some interested young people to undertake economic policy analysis.

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New foundation for economic policy analysts

The think-tank, formally known as Ceylon Foundation for Economic Policy-analysis or CFEP (pronounced as SEE-FEP), has been created by young economist Pasan Wijayawardhana, an economics Don at the Colombo University.

All men and women in CFEP were young people between the ages of 20 and 25 who had aspired to become science-based economic policy analysts. They had joined CFEP as volunteers, while studying economics at the local state university system. This was a unique voluntary action because it is not always the case that the university undergraduates choose to get involved in such a mission as an extracurricular activity amidst their normal Grade Point Average or GPA driven study programs. In this sense, the young economics Guru Pasan Wijayawardhana could be described as a trailblazer showing a new path to Sri Lanka’s youngsters.

I recall my own failure in 2015 to attract young undergraduates to an opportunity of extra learning of the science of economics when Aruni Shapiro, presently domiciled in Canada, put to Sinhalese the writings of the 19th century French economist and statesman, Frederic Bastiat, an unknown economist of worth to Sri Lankan population.1 The book was published by Ishara Gamage, a renowned journalist on economic and business issues, who steered the newly formed Federic Bastiat Society in Sri Lanka.