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More Japanese assistance for Peace promotion

The Government of Japan has decided to provide a sum of US$ 29,892 (approximately Rs. 2.8 million) to the National Peace Council for peace promotion activities in Sri Lanka. The fund will be utilized to publish a newsletter "Sama Yamaya" and a book "Journalists' Visit to Jaffna" in all three languages. Also a seminar to launch the book authored by Journalists will be held under the Japanese Grant Assistance.

Today, the peace process has come to the mutually agreed ceasefire which is the foundation for future peace talks towards a negotiated settlement. At this most critical juncture NPC has designed two publications to influence the reading public to support the peace process. The newsletter 'Sama Yamaya', will be issued on a monthly basis by purchasing one page per month from each of the major circulation Sinhala, Tamil and English language newspapers and the "Journalist Visit to Jaffna", publication of a book written by Colombo based journalists reporting on their experience in Jaffna. It will also include viewpoints and sources which provide a meaningful analysis of the situation, livelihood of people and the aspirations of its residents in the North.

The objectives of the publications and the seminar are to mobilize the community at grass roots levels to support peace initiatives and influence the main actors in the conflict by providing a platform for people to express their ideas about a peaceful political solution to the conflict and to improve understanding between different ethnic groups by highlighting their shared faiths, beliefs, experiences, joys and pains. The 'Sama Yamaya' particularly aims to catalyze greater involvement of the community at village and district level by increasing awareness on peace building.

In these two publications the necessity of respect for human rights by both sides will be highlighted in order to stir he civic conscience. The 'Sama Yamaya' will address the issue of ethnic intolerance and seek to influence people in favour of a negotiated settlement.

Shuhei Takahashi, Charge d'Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Japan and Brig. Ranjan de Silva, General Secretary of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka signed the Grant Contract at the Embassy of Japan on March 12. Ms. Ayako Tanaka, Special Assistant of the Embassy of Japan, Jehan Perera, Media Director and S. Balakrishnan, Program Director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, attended the ceremony.

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