03/06/2009 - The Island

Collaboration for NE development

Photo: (In picture: Mr. Milinda Moragoda and Mr. Zuwahir, Sri Lankan Ambassador in Iran, Mr. Sudantha Amarathunge Member of Sri Lankan Delegation and Mr. Gasemi Director General Internal Relations, Mostazafan Foundation look on as Mr. A. Tafazzoli Harandi, Managing Director, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Organisation of the Mostazafan Foundation and Imthiaz Ismail of the Milinda Moragoda Institute of People's Empowerment sign an MOU of collaboration).
 
 

Following on discussions in Tehran between Mr. Milinda Moragoda and President of the Mostazafan Foundation, H.E. Mr. Mohammad Forouzanadeh, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Milinda Moragoda Institute for People's Empowerment (MMIPE) and the Mostazafan Foundation. The latter is the largest foundation in Iran and falls under the direct purview of the Supreme Leader of Iran. It is active in all sectors of the Iranian economy, including industry, oil and mining, property development, tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry, foodstuffs, beverages, and housing, and also operates internationally in several countries.

Under the newly signed MOU, both the MMIPE and the Mostazafan Foundation will jointly work towards setting up several projects to develop livelihoods in the agriculture and livestock sectors for all communities living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.

The agriculture and animal husbandry organization of the Mostazafan Foundation is one of the largest agricultural institutions in Iran, and also has international operations. In Iran, the organization has over 50,000 dairy cows. With crops ranging from citrus to pistachios, it has over 25,000 hectares under cultivation. The organization has significant experience with both large- and small-scale farming projects as restoring livelihoods is the ultimate goal of humanitarian de-mining.

The MMIPE, which has been actively engaged in humanitarian de-mining work in the North-Central, Northwestern, Northern and Eastern Provinces for over five years, sees the creation of sustainable agricultural and animal husbandry livelihoods as the logical next step to meeting the long-term objectives of its de-mining activities.