'Voices of the East':

Citizens' contribution to development

M A Phakudeen - Addalaichenai Group Corr

Presentation of Citizens' Human Development Report on Development, Democracy and Human Security in the Eastern Province, a project undertaken by Marga Institute on the theme 'Voices of the East,' was held at the Sarvodaya Auditorium, Trincomalee recently.

The Marga Institute and Executive Director and Finance Commission Former Chairman Asoka S Gunawardena chaired the session.

The aim of the project is to facilitate civic participation in public affairs in the Eastern Province, to empower the stakeholders through dialogue on democracy, security and infrastructure development, awareness building and training, and to effectively hold policy makers and local government authorities accountable for the area's development. The project provide opportunities for the province's key stakeholders to contribute in the process of restoring and strengthening the democratic process, accelerating development and ensuring the safety of the civilian population.

In the first phase of the project three District Dialogues and a capacity building workshop were conducted.

A Provincial Policy Dialogue was also conducted with the participation of civil representatives, political parties and business community. Nine District Dialogues in Tricomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts, two provincial workshops and a questionnaire were carried out.