Saturday, 8 November 2003  
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
Features
News

Business

Features

Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Silumina  on-line Edition

Government - Gazette

Sunday Observer

Budusarana On-line Edition





Undergrads in rare sharing experience to boost peace

by M. P. L. Maldeniya, University of Kelaniya

During the past two months the Centre for Peace Building and Reconciliation (cpbr) has successfully concluded two programs for the university community on the subject of Peace Building and Reconciliation.



Participants of the 1st workshop Sept. 4-7 .

The first workshop was held between September 4 and 7, 2003 and the 2nd between October 9 and 12 at the Subodhi Institute, Piliyandala. The participants for the above programmes were selected from among a cross section of 80 undergraduates and young academics of diverse ideology from the Universities Jaffna, South Eastern, Peradeniya, Colombo and Kelaniya. Each programme consisted of approximately 40 participants.

During the course of these workshops the theme subjects consisted of new approach to governance through nation building, non-violent conflict resolution and conflict transformation, peace culture, devolution of power, present peace process, forgiveness and reconciliation, music and peace, media and conflict resolution.



Participants of the 2nd workshop 
Oct. 9-12.

The above topics were discussed at length through their active participation encouraging the sharing of their experiences and knowledge of the present day conflict situation. The resource personnel engaged for this forum were: Prof. Jayantha Seneviratne, Ms Dishani Ayaweera (Attorney-at-law), Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, Dr. Navaratne Bandara, Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan, Gamini Hapuarachchi, Kelum Jayaweera and Nadeeka Guruge.

As the forum consisted of representation from the three ethnic communities of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese. It was observed that the discussions which were at times argumentative and gave away to excellent dialogue in a friendly and cordial atmosphere due to the participation of the Tamil and Muslim communities which were adversely affected owing to the conflict situation. Sharing their experiences and knowledge of conflict situations was a very valuable contribution to the forum.

Prof. Jayantha Seneviratne (Executive Director - cpbr) who explained to the forum the priorities of this programme expressed that it was funded by CIDA and the main aim of this forum was to educate and initiate dialogue with regard to the present situation in the country among the university fraternity through their active participation. He also stress on the fact that this forum was addressed mainly towards the undergraduates and young academics due to present day university curricular not being inclusive of theme subjects of participatory nature and exchange of knowledge especially with regard to the on-going peace process in the country which was the purpose and long-term objective of this programme.

In the opinion of the programme directors Ms Dishani Jayaweera and Dr. Keethaponcalan this initiative is considered a pilot project and the successful conclusion of same shall encourage the expansion of the programme to all universities on a systematic approach. Due to the present day institutionalised violence which is predominant among the university students this programme would be an excellent alternative to introduce the concept and teaching of non-violent conflict transformation methods in the resolution of violent conflicts.

In the second stage of this programme would be the selection of approximately 30 students from the Colombo, Kelaniya, South Eastern and Peradeniya Universities to embark on a visit to the Jaffna peninsula to live with the Northern families for two days to obtain first-hand information and to share the knowledge experiences of these families who have faced the true war and conflict situation and to gather as much information as possible in the psychological, mental and social transformation that have taken place as a result of the conflicts.

It is envisaged that at the conclusion of each programme event that the participants be advised and encourage to establish committees in their universities and to discuss and determine methodology for developing broad-based conflict resolution and social integration activities among others with their university fraternity. The Jaffna University committee will organise the two day exchange programme within the course of December.

It is also planned to established cell consisting of the presidents and secretaries of these committees to interact with the cpbr who will in return coordinate among all five universities.

The observations of the Jaffna University students who participated in this programme was that this was an excellent opportunity for them to express their views and opinions and to share their true experiences and knowledge with regard to conflict situations and to discuss and develop ideas and knowledge in regard to peace and the peace building process. This team also expressed their desire, willingness and total commitment to mobilise themselves in any activity with regard to the peace building process in Sri Lanka.

According to the South Eastern University students and academics since of the first programme they have upon returned established a committee and which now comprised of a membership of 52 and this committee would select the participants for the forthcoming programme.

They also appreciated the initiative of the cpbr and grateful for the opportunity extended to them through the establishment of a congenial environment to express their difficulties and grievances in a conflict situation to an audience who listened, understood and expressed their desire to cooperate and bring about unity and resolution.

They also strongly expressed their desire that the representation of the Muslim students at these forums was of great importance. They were also very happy, profusely thankful to the cpbr for the opportunity to interact with their brother students of all communities and the knowledge they had gathered was of immense value in parallel to the present day social needs.

Whilst observations and expressions of the above tenor were made by the students of the Universities of Colombo, Peradeniya and Kelaniya, it was their candid opinion that this programme helped them with the much needed opportunity to come more and more closer to the conflict situation and to personally experience and understand the psychological and mental agony and frustration of those who have suffered in conflicts.

Were also appreciative of the initiative made by the cpbr to enable them mobilise their ideas and opinions in the framework of peace activities and the conceptual knowledge afforded in this regard. The opinion of all those who participated in these programmes was that this was one opportunity in their lives which was a timely experience and that many more programmes of this nature and diverse interest were needed.

When questions arose from the forum as to the sustainability of these programmes, the cpbr assured them of organisational capabilities of such programmes depending on the participatory response and successful feed back of the participants.

The participants also express their desire that in the course of the 2nd stage of this programme the cpbr should explore the immediate possibility to address a forum to develop skills of peace activists.

The opinion of all academics who participated in these programmes was that these workshops were an excellent initiative which was most timely and enabled to harness and mobilise the educated students resources of universities to established successful dialogue and disseminate unbiased information with regard to the peace process.

##############

The challenge before Tamils

by Prof.S.Ratnajeevan H.Hoole

It has been a dark week with more uncertainties thrown up than good news.

Overall, as the two main parties jockey for dominance at the expense of national issues that deserve joint positions (ironically positions on which they really agree more than they disagree), political instability increases. The independence of the judiciary is threatened and indeed, as predicted, the impeachment of the Chief Justice seems tied up to issues before the Supreme Court.

The definitive move to proceed with it, seems far better than when it was as an ever present threat over the CJ which seemed like a warning or inducement to procure the right panels of justices and the right decisions.

The President's moves are also possibly, even probably, a part of the same game. All could still be well if under the new administration the Defence Ministry continues to honour the terms of the ceasefire and resorts to the arbitration of the SLMM when a dispute with the LTTE arises. On the other hand, if the service chiefs resort to arms instead, it would be disastrous for the absence of fighting that we have enjoyed for the past 2 years.

The country seems spiralling out of control as artistes promoting harmony were attacked at the Town Hall in Colombo.

Outside the glare of publicity, the breakdown continued as the first batch of engineers from University of Ruhuna, after 4 years together as friends in a bold experiment in communal harmony by the founders of the new engineering faculty, celebrated their graduation separately as Tamils and Sinhalese because the majority insisted that the party be on Deepavali Day.

It seems the natural outcome in a university where senior staff need to be fluent in Sinhalese (because transactions are in Sinhalese at the Senate and Council) and officials had declared in writing that Tamils ought not to be recruited to the teaching staff. The communalist poison had to trickle down to students.

All these concerns, unfortunately, have overshadowed the commitment contained in the LTTE's proposals to accord the people of the North-East all rights as are provided in international human rights laws. (Clause 4).

Equally welcome is the declaration that no religion shall be given foremost place in the North-East (Clause 5) and a reversion to the provisions of the independence constitution that no law may be enacted that confers a privilege or imposes a disability that is not conferred or imposed on any other community (Clause 6).

Cynics might argue that few human rights are contained in international human rights law except for international humanitarian law. (or the Geneva Conventions) and broadly accepted principles: such as against genocide, war crimes and torture that are enforceable through the World Court and the Rome Treaty.

Broader everyday human rights like the right to free speech, religion, political activity etc. come more under treaty/convention obligations that are signed on to by states and not interim administrations. These are international human rights law only insofar as another signatory state can complain against a signatory state at the UN Human Rights Commission. Thus violations in the North-East have to be worked out as violations against Sri Lanka.

These fine points can be left to negotiators to resolve and we must celebrate the commitment made to human rights and congratulate the LTTE for this positive development. These embody the principles for which we Tamils have been fighting for and every Tamil ought to be proud that they are being enunciated loudly.

Fortunately those bidding for office under the LTTE have had to moderate their anti-Christian stance because it does not go very far with them. It is a positive pro-rights dimension of the LTTE to be encouraged.

To me the Tamil nationalist argument that we ought to keep quiet on internal Tamil problems in the interests of the larger community rings hollow as at the time of independence it was on the same considerations that the separate aspirations of the different communities were not talked of and the disaster we have today is because these differences were not addressed and accommodated in the new constitution for independent Ceylon.

Now is the time for Tamils to show the world that we will practice the principles for which we have fought for so long.

Now is the time to show that a citizen in the North-East will have much greater freedom than in the rest of Sri Lanka. That no religious community will have an exalted position over others. That there will be no stateless person in the North-East.

That the universities of the North-East will be bastions of communal harmony, multiculturalism and administrative rectitude. That Muslim aspirations will be accommodated within the North-East just the way Tamils want our aspirations accommodated within Sri Lanka.

That there will be political pluralism in the North-East and that no one in opposition will be bumped off. That all children will have a bright future to look forward to, studying and playing from the security of their homes without being inducted into armed conflict.

The Tamil nationalist cliche of freedom now, rights later is an oxymoron.

Tamil leaders must bring about awareness within the community including the LTTE. Sadly at present, Sinhalese nationalists are asking, with a telling point to make against us, the right questions for the Tamil community that we ourselves should be asking. To advocate, practice and especially give minorities among us the freedoms we have fought for is the challenge before the Tamils.

##############

Reconciliation and inter-ethnic harmony through visits

by W. T. J. S. Kaviratne, Ambalangoda, Special correspondent

During my numerous visits to the conflict affected areas of the North and the East of Sri Lanka accompanied by large groups of community members of the Southern Province, I personally experienced that all these visits provided ample opportunities for the participants to interact with each other of the ethnic divide.

During my recent visit to Mannar accompanied by students of the Galle district, parents, teachers and politicians I found that the urgency of lasting peace is strongly felt by the people in Mannar in the same manner as others in conflict affected areas of the North and East.

All the educated community leaders I met in Mannar were of the opinion that peaceful coexistence as a basic requirement of civilised society and attempts of certain politicians and their misguided agents to ignite communalism and racism and revert the country again to savage era of blood baths could not be endorsed by the peace loving citizens of Sri Lanka.

People who directly affected by war whether they live in North, East, South or West are suffering from some form of trauma.

Young children of school going age are still found in Refugee Camps of North and East without proper education, food and health care and these are some of the painful realities of the North and East of the country.

Both partners to the conflict, failing to resolve the issues in a democratic manner resorted to warfare killing thousands of civilians, militants of both sides and devastating the country and gained nothing after two decades of war except a socially, economically and politically shattered country.

Unfortunately it took a very long period of two decades for the partners to the conflict to realise the futility of war and to reach the negotiation table. During my discussions with the Representative of the Political Wing of LTTE, Mannar district and the "International Students Association of Tamil Eeelam' they pointed out that the 'Cries of War-mongers' could be heard only in the South and not in the North and the East of the country. 'Anti-Peace Demonstrations', 'Anti-Interim Adminstration' and 'Anti-Peace' posters were found in the South and not in the war affected areas of North and East, they further cited.

Even though the LTTE and the Representatives of International Students Association of Tamil Eelam believe that the Voice of JVP and Sihala Urumaya is not the Voice of Southern Community they asked the reasons why no posters supporting Peace Process are found anywhere in the country. LTTE Political Representatives of Mannar said Tamil community in the North and East had kept confidence on LTTE to win back their lost rights and privileges but the Government continuously failed to keep to the promises made during six rounds of Peace Negotiations they said.

Even the LTTE was brought to very embarrassing situation before their community for not achieving anything during the course of the ceasefire, they said. The residences belong to the private individuals were occupied by the Government Forces and this was a serious violation of human rights they further said.

'Interim Administration', as JVP believes does not divide the country but it creates a congenial atmosphere for the Tamil Community to safeguard their privileges and rights for self-determination a situation quite similar to what is enjoyed by the Sinhala community in the South, the LTTE (Mannar) representatives said.

Under the proposed Interim Administration in the North and East Buddhist Temples, Hindu Temples, Mosques and Churches are protected and opportunities would be provided for members of all ethnic groups to settle down in lands they occupied.

Media had given an incorrect picture about the LTTE and the North East community and the Tamil community and the LTTE made one and only voice, they said.

MP for Vanni district and the Leader of TELO parliamentary group, Mr. A. Selvan Adaikalanathan said although more than one and half years had already elapsed since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the LTTE, the community living in the North and East were not much benefitted.

Four Tamil political parties and 15 Tamil politicians of TNA had joined LTTE and together with the Government were in the process of negotiating a political solution for the ethnic conflict.

But certain politicians of the South were trying to obstruct the Peace Process, he said. These communal minded politicians were engaged in a futile endeavour to convince that Tamils were enemies of the Sinhala community which was untrue, he said. JVP and Sihala Urumaya were the enemies of peace, he further said.

N. Shanmugam, District Coordinator of Rural Development Foundation of Mannar said that the children were the worst affected by two decades of war. But the children were not responsible for the ethnic conflict.

Call all Sri Lanka

www.singersl.com

www.crescat.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries


Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager


Hosted by Lanka Com Services