Ponna Wignaraja

{{Short description|Sri Lankan academic, sociologist, and Professor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox academic | honorific_prefix = Deshamanya | name = Ponna Wignaraja | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name =  | birth_date = 1926 | birth_place = British Ceylon | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | citizenship = Sri Lankan | other_names = | occupation = economist | period = | known_for = | home_town = | title = | boards =  | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | awards =  | website = | education = Economics | alma_mater = University of Ceylon<br>Yale University | thesis_title = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = | school_tradition = | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | influences =  | era = | discipline = Economics; Social science | sub_discipline = Development Studies | workplaces = International Monetary Fund; World Bank; United Nations University | doctoral_students =  | notable_students =  | main_interests = | notable_works = | notable_ideas = | influenced =  | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | footnotes = }}

Deshamanya '''Ponna Wignaraja''' (1926) is a Sri Lankan academic, economist and social scientist. He was the Coordinator of ''South Asian Perspectives Network Association'' (the "SAPNA"), entity with ties of the United Nations University, and prior to that the Secretary-general of the ''Society for International Development'' at Rome (Italy).<ref name="dsr">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/000402/plus7.html|title= Labai, labai, Lanka labai|last=|first=|date=2 April 2000|access-date=2022-07-31|publisher=Sunday Times|language=en-SL}}</ref><ref name="egy">{{Cite web|url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/from_legacy_to_vision.pdf|title=From Legacy to Vision: Sustainability, poverty and policy adjustment|last1=Singh|first1=Naresh C.|last2=Strickland|first2=Richard S.|date=1996|access-date=2022-07-31|publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development|isbn=1-895536-01-4|language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and academic career==

Born in Sri Lanka during British colonization, when it was still known as British Ceylon, Ponna Wignaraja was educated in economics from the University of Ceylon in 1948. After Wignaraja received graduate degree in United States at Yale University.

Between 1951 and 1953, Wignaraja was development advisor at International Monetary Fund (IMF). Thereafter, he was advisor at World Bank (1962–1967).<ref name="egy"/>

Ponna Wignaraja was Secretary-general of the ''Society for International Development'' (1981–1986). In 1991, he was vice chairman of the ''Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation'' and he was chairman of the ''South Asian Perspectives Network Association'' (SAPNA).<ref name="egy"/><ref name="nss">{{Cite web|url=https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/author/ponna-wignaraja|title=Ponna Wignaraja|last=|first=|date=|access-date=2022-07-31|publisher=SAGE Publications|issn=|language=en}}</ref>

In 1993, Ponna Wignaraja was awarded the highest civilian honour for national service in Sri Lanka: the honorifical title named Deshamanya.<ref name="nss"/>

He is father of the Sri Lankan researcher and economist ''Ganeshan Wignaraja''.<ref name="dsr"/>

== Publications == Among Wignaraja's publications are: * ''A New strategy for development'', s./d., 1976. * ''A framework for rethinking the concept of appropriate technology for development'', Vienna: United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 1978. * ''Reversing anti-rural development'', Roma: SID, 1984. * ''The Challenge in South Asia: Development, Democracy and Regional Cooperation'', United Nations University Press, 1989. (with Akmal Hussein) * ''Women, poverty and resources'', New Delhi; Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage, 1990. * ''Participatory Development: Learning from South Asia'', United Nations University Press, 1991. * ''New Social Movements in the South: Empowering the People'', Zed Books, 1993. * ''Towards a Theory of Rural Development'', Colombo: South Asian Perspectives Network Associations, 1998.<ref name="egy"/> * ''Pro-Poor Growth and Governance in South Asia: Decentralization and Participatory Development'', SAGE Publications, 2004. (with Susil Sirivardana) * ''Economic democracy through pro-poor growth'', Sage, 2009. (with Susil Sirivardana and Akmal Hussain)<ref name="ong">{{Cite web|url=https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/economic-democracy-through-pro-poor-growth/book233780|title=Economic Democracy through Pro Poor Growth|last=|first=|date=|access-date=2022-07-31|work=SAGE Publications|issn=|language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wignaraja, Ponna}} Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Ceylon Category:Sinhalese people Category:Sri Lankan academics Category:1926 births Category:Yale University alumni