It’s the last day of July, and the heat in Sri Lanka isn’t just from the weather — it’s from history in motion.
I’ve been watching this moment build for months. Our team in Colombo has lived it, breathed it, carried it. This isn't just a political crisis. This is personal.
They call it Aragalaya — “The Struggle.”
And it is. It's the kind of grassroots uprising that doesn’t start with hashtags or think tanks. It starts when a grandmother can't afford medicine. When a father waits 12 hours for fuel. When a university student skips class to march instead. Because hunger and outrage now walk hand-in-hand.
💥 The Boiling Point
In the wake of soaring inflation, food shortages, blackouts, and a collapsing currency, the people had enough. What began as quiet dissent erupted into thunder: protest camps, banner waves, and tens of thousands outside the president’s official residence. And then — something you don’t often see:
The people walked in.
Not with violence, but with purpose. Into the president’s house. Into his pool. Into a space they were never meant to enter — and reclaimed it.
That image — of ordinary citizens standing inside the symbols of power — will outlive every news headline.
🏛️ The Collapse of a Dynasty
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. First to the Maldives. Then Singapore. By mid-July, he resigned. The Rajapaksa dynasty, once untouchable, was cracked by the hands and voices of the people it claimed to serve.
Cabinet members dropped off like dominoes. A state of emergency was declared. Parliament scrambled to form a new government — but trust is gone. People aren't asking for politicians to fix things. They're demanding to rebuild the system from the ground up.
🧭 And Our Team?
They're tired. They're brave. And they are not giving up.
I’ve had staff in Sri Lanka tell me they protested by day and translated reports for us at night. They stood in solidarity while watching prices soar and power vanish. They sent WhatsApp voice notes between sirens. They chose hope even when the world turned its back.
They are the reason I write this today.
🌍 Why This Matters to You
Because this isn't just a Sri Lankan story — this is a global wake-up call. When corruption is normalized, when inequality is ignored, when leadership stops listening — the people will speak.
And when they do? Sometimes they bring signs. Sometimes they bring chants. And sometimes, they bring change.
To the people of Sri Lanka: we see you. We stand with you.
And to the rest of us: pay attention. Because what’s happening there? It’s not far from any of us.
— Noah
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