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In a historic moment for Sri Lanka, Pushpi Weerakoon has been awarded the Rotary Alumni Global Service Award — the highest recognition given by Rotary International to an exceptional alumnus serving humanity.
This is the first time a Sri Lankan has received the prestigious honour. Pushpi will address the Rotary International Convention from June 21–25 in Calgary, Canada, alongside global icons such as Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Karman, cancer disparity advocate Dr. Isabel Scarinci, and journalist Scott Simon.
Pushpi’s journey began in post-tsunami Sri Lanka, working on peacebuilding and conflict mediation during the civil war. Since then, she has served across the world — from Iraq to Haiti — using her legal expertise to support reconciliation, emergency law, and community rebuilding. She has worked with IOM, UNDP, and other global organisations, becoming a beacon of leadership in humanitarian and legal development.
Educated at Harvard, University of Buckingham, and Rotary-funded Eastern Mennonite University, Pushpi is currently a doctoral candidate at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica.
Back home, she once led the legal team drafting Sri Lanka’s Open Government Partnership Plan, bridging communities through the Learn & Lead scholarship program and receiving the Rotary National Peace Award in 2011.
