Today the Tamils in London closed the town in demonstrations that saw the police stretched and half of Westminster closed. The protestors are said to be students , their families and friends .They are asking for a permanent cease fire, access to aid agencies and international media. By yesterday at least 378 people have been killed by fierce shelling from the Sri Lankan army in the past 24 hours, it is claimed

With the civil war in Sri Lanka apparently in its final days, the government is accusing Tamil Tiger rebels of causing a humanitarian disaster with tens of thousands of civilians thought to be trapped in the tiny remaining stretch of rebel territory. Mullaitivu, the last of the rebels' north-eastern strongholds, was taken in February preceded by the fall of Kilinochchi and rebel-held parts of the Jaffna peninsula.

The rebels now control only a small stretch of coastal land - estimated by the army to be no more than 12 sq km (5 sq m) - in the north-east of the country.
Thousands of people - troops, Tamil Tiger rebels and Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim civilians - are estimated to have been killed since fighting escalated after 2005.

In response to claims of civilian deaths, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said radar had detected Tamil Tigers themselves using artillery and mortar fire on two occasions on Saturday morning, directed against civilians within their zone.
Tamil families in London claim that the fact that Britain proscribed the LTTE as a terrorist organisation under the guise of the war on terror has made the fight for freedm and their legitimate rights impossible.

ICD Weeklong Seminars May/June 2009, Berlin

Call for applications

Europe Meets Latin America: A Forum for Young Leaders (26th - 31st May)

Scandinavia Meets Germany: A Forum for Young Leaders (31st May - 5th June)
Cultural Diplomacy in the Mediterranean: A Forum for Young Leaders (9th - 13th June)
Europe Meets East Asia: A Forum for Young Leaders (16th - 20th June)
Cultural Diplomacy in Europe: A Forum for Young Leaders (21st - 26th June)

Dear
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (http://cp.perfora.net/X?p=&v=0000000019955D607AEDB782&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F7777772E63756C747572616C6469706C6F6D6163792E6F72672F) would like to announce its final call for applications to the Weeklong Seminar for “Europe Meets Latin America: A Forum for Young Leaders”, supported by the Mexican Embassy in Berlin, and to the other Weeklong Seminars detailed above. Each Seminar will bring together individuals from around the world for a five-day program of panel discussions, lectures, workshops, and cultural excursions featuring leading figures from the fields of politics, the arts, academia, media, and business.

I would be very grateful if you could forward this information on to any individuals who you feel might be interested in taking part in the Seminars.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Mark Donfried
Director & Founder
The Institute for Cultural DiplomacyKeithstr. 14, 10787 Berlin, GermanyPhone: +49/(0)30 2360 768 14http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=donfried@culturaldiplomacy.orghttp://cp.perfora.net/X?p=&v=0000000019955D607AEDB782&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F7777772E63756C747572616C6469706C6F6D6163792E6F72672F