A Warm Heart, a Cool Head and a Deep Breath, is a collection of speeches by Milinda Moragoda from the years 2000-2003. The speeches cover an extensive range of issues affecting Sri Lanka and provide a clear insight into Milinda’s philosophy and vision as a politician as well as his prescriptions for change.

It is Milinda’s belief that in the political arena there is sadly little focus on substance and issues. By disseminating his ideas and approaches to formulating public policy, he hopes to stimulate discussion and debate among ordinary citizens on important issues affecting their lives. Another reason for his decision to publish these speeches at this early juncture in his political career was to place on record his ideas and stands on issues. In order for his ideas to reach a wide Sri Lankan audience, this book was translated into both Sinhala and Tamil.

A Warm Heart, a Cool Head and a Deep Breath was published by the International Democratic Union (IDU) and was launched on 19th June, 2003 in Thessaloniki, Greece by the Norwegian Foreign Minister and Vice Chairman of the IDU, Jan Petersen, during the 20th IDU Party Leaders’ Meeting. This was followed by the US book launch on 25th June 2003 at the International Republican Institute in Washington DC by US Senator McCain, who wrote the book’s introduction. Senator McCain, like Milinda is dedicated to creating a new political culture free of acrimony and divisiveness, where in Senator McCain’s own words, politicians work for “a cause greater than oneself”.

» Watch Video Clip of Washington Book Launch

In his introduction to the book, Senator McCain comments, “The collection of speeches in this volume will entertain, aggravate and energize readers who recognize that it is not only a scarcity but a failure of leadership that has condemned too many people around the world to enjoy neither prosperity nor security.”

The book was edited by Mr. M.D.D. Pieris, and also contains a foreward written by former Indian Prime Minister, I.K. Gujral in which he observes, “The speeches in the Parliament of Sri Lanka and elsewhere of the Hon. Milinda Moragoda put together in this volume are a fine example of parliamentary energy. They bespeak an earnest study of subjects, a commitment to democratic methods of enquiry and redressal.”

To learn more about Milinda’s vision and approach to leadership, please visit the Speeches section of this website.