Italian help for Sri Lanka's reconciliation process:

Office on reconciliation opens

The office of the Advisor on Reconciliation to the President was opened on October 4 and entertained its first visitor, Deputy Ambassador for Italy Dr Gianluca Rubagotti.

The Italian envoy mentioned the increase in cultural activity the Embassy had engaged in recently, with alternative programmes featuring Sri Lankan as well as Italian artistes.

The next programme would feature artistes from La Scala, arguably the most important, historically, of opera houses in Europe, in a performance at the Mt Lavinia Hotel on October 16.

The Italian Embassy offered tickets for the programme to students from Velvettithurai who would be visiting Colombo on a familiarization programme arranged by the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid Town.

In addition to other initiatives discussed, including the establishment of Civil Society Partnerships for Reconciliation, it was hoped that Italy would participate in a project conceived by the Cultural Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake, to develop District Cultural Centres. Assistance to individual centres, which could feature regular audio and video presentations, would be welcome, and it is hoped that different embassies would concentrate on partnerships with particular Centres. The University of Moratuwa has agreed to assist with the design of appropriate buildings.

Further information on reconciliation activities will be accessible on www.peaceinsrilanka.org and shortly on www.reconciliationyouthforum.com with Twitter updates by Rcncile Sri Lanka.