The Good Country Index measures what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size. This was conceptualized by Simon Anholt. It has got a traction of over 7 million views on ted.com and 5 million on YouTube with Ireland coming out on top in the first edition and Sweden coming up number one in the most recent one. Let’s see what Sri Lanka can pick up, said the host of the Programme Dr Rohantha Athukorala.

Simon Anholt will address Sri Lanka on Friday the 15th January at 6.30PM.  The address is presented by Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology( APIIT), which has been working in partnership with Staffordshire University, UK for over 20 years. The programme is conducted pro bono for Sri Lanka said the Chairman APIIT/ Vice President of Nestle Lanka Bandula Egodage.

Latest research reveal that Sweden and Netherland have come on top but it will be interesting to see how Sri Lanka performs said Dr. Athukorala who will host the programme in Sri Lanka, which is a first in the country. A point to note is that the The Good Country Index doesn’t make moral judgments: it simply reports on each country’s external impacts, positive and negative, outside its own borders, using the most reliable data available’. This is not a political programme but a strongly grounded innovate academic programme that makes a country think about their purpose in the world and what it should do to engage the world better; this is the thinking that Anholt brings to the world.

The Programme will be followed by a panel discussion with Board of Investment( BOI) Chairman Sanjay Mohottala, John Keells Holdings Head of Corporate Affairs Dileep Mudadeniya, Sri Lanka Export Development Board( EDB) Chairman Suresh De Mel, Political Personality/ Former CEO City Bank Eran Wickramaratne, 1st Lady Governor Rotary/Top 50 Women winner Gowri Rajan, Professional Bankers Association President Aruna Fernando and Chairman Association of Industries / Chairman APIIT Bandula Egodage. The Panel Chair will be Dr Rohantha Athukorala.

The Good Country Index is a project Simon Anholt has devised to start a global debate about what countries are for. Should they exist only to serve their own interests, or do they have a wider responsibility to humanity and the planet? APIIT is proud to present this insightful programme for the benefit of all of Sri Lanka.