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Vision: To Promote Equitable and Inclusive Economic Development through High Quality Research.
The Gamani Corea Foundation (GCF) was established by Deshamanya Dr. Gamani Corea. His vision for the GCF was to develop a research institution that would advance his passion for global economic development, with a particular emphasis on Sri Lanka.
Dr. Gamani Corea (4th November 1925–3rd November 2013) had a career of extraordinary achievements. At various times, he was the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations; Chairman of the South Centre in Geneva; a founding member of the Third World Forum; Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the European Economic Community (EEC), Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs of Ceylon; and the Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank. Dr. Corea was also the founder Chairman of the Marga Institute and the Institute of Policy Studies, the President of the Sri Lanka Economic Association and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Chancellor of the Open University of Sri Lanka.
The GCF is an autonomous non-profit institution that aims to promote development-oriented economic research, while being open to research from other branches of knowledge, especially from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Its mission is to contribute to the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka and other low-income and middle-income countries through informed, independent, and high-quality research.
In tribute to Dr. Corea’s mother, Ms. Freda Corea, the GCF set up the competitive Freda Corea Awards (FCA) scheme in 2023. The scheme rewards women from low-income categories who have been empowered through their own initiatives and creativity and succeeded in uplifting the living conditions of their families. Under the FCA winning stories are selected from each province and both the enterprising women and the writers of their success stories are rewarded by the GCF. These awards celebrate the remarkable journeys of women who have triumphed over challenging circumstances, embodying the indomitable spirit of female emancipation and empowerment.
In pursuing Dr. Corea’s deep-rooted belief in the transformative power of innovative ideas, the GCF launched the Sri Lanka Innovators Forum (SLIF) in February 2023. It addresses pressing socio-economic challenges through a series of issue papers on twenty sectors authored by eminent policymakers, administrators, diplomats, and academics. SLIF’s mission is to devise economic models, processes, and practices that are effective, efficient, timely, environmentally sustainable, and politically neutral. Its findings are ultimately consolidated into blueprints to be presented to policymakers, making a significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s economic development.
In a world where positive change is needed more than ever, the Gamani Corea Foundation is a beacon of hope that stands as a living tribute to a visionary who dedicated his life to the betterment of developing countries.