Netherlands Alumni Association in Sri Lanka:
25 YEARS ACTIVE

In 1995 it will be twenty-five years since the Netherlands Alumni
Association was founded in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The NAAL is one of
the most active of the fifteen Alumni Associations abroad.

By A. van Schaik

In November 1973, Mr.Evert Jongens made a stopover in Colombo to
see how the NAAL, founded by him in his capacity as a
representative of the Netherlands Universities Foundation for
International Cooperation (Nuffic) was doing. Members of the
board took him to an old building in the Pettah, in the 17th
century a part of Colombo where many VOC employees lived in
large, comfortable houses along shady avenues. This particular
house, embellished with eight white pillars, was built in 1780 by
Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein, who became famous
because of his Hortus Malabaricus. The Sri Lankan members of
NAAL, who had studied in Holland, told Jongens that a
representative committee intended to restore the building to make
it into a Dutch Period Museum.  Jongens: "I was surprised. At 
that time hardly anybody in  the Netherlands was interested in
restoring the buildings of the Dutch East Indian Company. Most
people felt ashamed of the colonial past".

ACTIVITIES OF NAAL
In order to collect funds for the restoration  the Netherlands -
Sri Lanka Foundation was established. The museum was opened in
1982 by President Jayawardene. The NAAL now has its office in the 
building.
The Dutch heritage of  Galle was the  reason  that the NAAL
became active in this city. On the initiative of Jongens a
twinning was arranged between Galle and the Dutch town of Velsen.
Through the NAAL, with more than 300 members this twinning has
been a success. To quote Jongens: "48 houses were built for
people living in slums. Two sewing schools were founded  for
unemployed girls. The public library also regularly receives
financial help, as do two homes for the elderly. The financing of
all these projects goes through the NAAL, which advises the
municipality of Velsen." 
Publishing books on the historical relationship between Sri Lanka
and the Netherlands is another NAAL activity. Examples are the
recent third edition of Dr. R.L. Brohier: Dutch Period Furniture,
and Dr. P.B. Sannasgala: Sinhala Vocables of Dutch origin. The
NAAL also organized a symposium on Romano-Dutch Law in Sri Lanka
and administers three scholarships for students in Galle.
Approximately 50,000 academics from abroad, especially from
developing countries, have followed an international course in
the Netherlands. Once back in their own country  these alumni get
influential jobs. "It is therefore important for the Netherlands
to keep in contact with these academics", says Jongens. There are
15 Alumni Associations in total, ten of which are in Asia
(Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The NAAL in Sri
Lanka, with 300 members, is among the most active ones. The
chairman is K.S.C. de Fonseka, until recently managing director
of the Sri Lankan Port Authority.