United SL through reconciliation
They say that
every journey starts with a step. In truth Sri Lanka’s journey towards
peace and reconciliation started when the man Sri Lanka had been waiting
for - Mahinda Rajapaksa - finally arrived. After taking the reins of the
presidency in 2005, the bold leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa
brought an end to the war against the LTTE which cost a staggering
amount of lives. And with his discerning eye, the President appointed
Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, MP his Advisor on Reconciliation. Daily News
spoke to Professor Wijesinha to unearth his wealth of knowledge on the
subject of reconciliation.
Ishara JAYAWARDANE
Q: You are the Presidential Advisor
on Reconciliation. Can you tell me, the importance of reconciliation in
post war Sri Lanka?
A: It is extremely
important because, unless we live together in goodwill and with sympathy
and understanding, tensions can develop and be exploited, so that the
mutual suspicions and violence of the last few decades will recur.
Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, MP |
Q: What are the programmes you have
launched to achieve the objective of reconciliation?
A: I have no executive
role so cannot launch programmes as required. However we have set up
several committees to exchange information and make recommendations, and
the commitment we have received, from local and international NGOs,
leading schools, foreign diplomatic missions, government institutions
with particular responsibilities for children or former combatants, has
been very heartening. We have also set up or developed several websites.
The old Peace Secretariat website, www.peaceinsrilanka.org, has been
revitalized, with a home page devoted to reconciliation efforts, a
‘Development’ section which records progress in the North, and a ‘For
the Record’ section which refutes allegations that may derail the
reconciliation process. This includes a detailed refutation of the
Darusman Report as well as ‘The Road to Reconciliation’ which deals with
Channel 4 and other allegations. Both are available as books at
International Book House, 151 A Dharmapala Mawatha. Other sites are
www.reconciliationyouthforum.com which has short accounts of particular
initiatives with particular reference to youth, and www.youtube.com/reconcilesrilanka
which highlights positive attitudes and efforts amongst those who were
victims of the conflict, whilst dealing also with disinformation abroad.
My own sites, www.rajivawijesinha.wordpress.com and www.youtube.com/rajivawijesinha,
both continue with some relevant material.
Q: Other than the government efforts,
what is the role of the civil society towards achieving reconciliation?
A: Civil society should
develop and implement programmes within a coherent framework. This
requires close liaison with government, and sometimes the absence of
this is because government does not communicate effectively nor plan
inclusively. On the other hand, some organizations set themselves up in
opposition to government and governmental initiatives, which was a
destructive approach. I hope my office will be able to bring people
together and make it clear that, while there may be differences of
opinion, what we all have in common is much more important. I am also
trying to set up committees in the various districts to bring people
together. The Governor, who is extremely efficient, along with his staff
- the Northern Province website is the best provincial website in the
country - has been very positive about this, and the District
Secretaries, who have heaps of experience, will be able to provide ideas
that can be taken forward, allowing for civil society initiatives that
will contribute to the whole picture rather than happening in isolation.
The work of organizations, such as, Diaspora Sri Lanka, can provide
models in this regard, but we need to monitor and produce schedules of
achievements as well as of needs.
Q: Reconciliation has a lot to do
with the attitudes of the people. What is the role that schools play in
promoting reconciliation?
A: Extremely important. We
are trying to promote educational exchanges, and activities that will
bring students together, for instance, joint agricultural projects
through Rotary Interact Clubs. The aim is not only to bring people
together but also to get them to remain in contact with a purpose. We
also need to ensure better understanding, for which there should be some
changes in school syllabuses. Many years ago we tried to ensure that, in
the teaching of religion in schools, a very small percentage of time
should be allocated to teaching of the principles of other religions, so
that a sense of what is common to us all could develop. This was shot
down, but I was delighted to find that colleagues in Parliament of all
shades of opinion concur, and that some even brought up the subject with
me independently. We must also encourage joint classes where students of
different linguistic backgrounds study in the English medium, and set up
centres of excellence in each district where this can be done as a
policy.
Q: Religious leaders are very
important in this society. Do you think that an interfaith dialogue
should be commenced?
A: This is already
happening, but should be encouraged. We have established a discussion
group called Religion, Education and Peace where distinguished leaders
of all communities meet, and I hope they will be able to develop joint
projects. They should also work together, not to discuss religious
issues, but to develop common moral frameworks where the teachings of
all religions can be seen to converge.
Q: There is a vast gap, between the
North and the South. What kind of bridges can we build to achieve
reconciliation?
A: I think government has
worked very effectively on the key priority which is better
communications. What has been done with roads by this government is
fantastic, and I hope that will be followed by equally quick work on the
railways, and also the opening of a few small hubs for air traffic.
Telecommunications too has developed apace, but we should also
concentrate on developing trade links and joint ventures, with emphasis
on agri-business and value addition, where synergies of the various
skills and capacities can develop.
Q: How can we reconcile child
combatants, because the LTTE brainwashed children into believing
Sinhalese are evil?
A: I believe the Bureau of
the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation has already done a very good
job, and the reintegration of these former child combatants has been
successful. However we must ensure regular psycho-social monitoring and
I am glad that training of counsellors is going ahead - last year the
CGR used some of my Decentralized Budget funds for an initial programme,
and this year he took it much further. Some former combatants were also
trained, and I hope the relevant government departments will make use of
them to fill the many vacancies that now exist.
Q: There were 300,000 IDPs soon after the war. Now most of
them have been resettled. What are the programmes aimed at
reconciliation with regard to IDPs?
A: We are trying to develop micro-credit facilities so as to
encourage entrepreneurship and productive employment. I think it is
vital to give them decent occupations and a sense of dignity, and I hope
we get over the culture of dependence that years of conflict engendered,
and which I fear some members of the aid community perpetuate. Our
purpose should be to make such aid redundant, by giving those who have
been resettled opportunities and encouragement to become economically
productive and socially creative members of society. The Commercial Bank
has agreed to match funds I provide through my decentralized budget for
a micro-credit scheme for former combatants, and I hope we can move on
this very soon, with input from the District Secretary and the
Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, so that the initiatives with
most potential can be taken forward. |