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The Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) National Symposium was held in Colombo, bringing together women leaders from Badulla, Kandy, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Matara, Monaragala and Polonnaruwa, where the project was implemented in its second phase.

The European Union funded Active Citizens for Elections and Democracy (ACED) project continued its efforts to promote inclusive governance and democratic participation in Sri Lanka. Three activities were implemented - a television interview series to counter negative narratives on devolution, a youth targetted social media campaign to promote youth political participation and a series of local level advocacy campaigns on youth participation in politics.

The Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation, and Social Justice (PAIRS) project funded by Misereor, co-funded by CAFOD and implemented by NPC with a wide network of partners, responded to Ditwah affected communities across several districts. From distributing essential items to elders' homes and children with autism to restoring documentation for families and rebuilding a school library, the actualisation activities and relief efforts demonstrated the project's tangible impact on the ground.

The appointment of former minister Eran Wickremaratne to chair the Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee is significant for more than the future of cricket. It signals a possible shift in the culture of governance even as it offers Sri Lankan cricket a fighting possibility to get out of the doldrums of failure. There have been glorious patches for the national cricket team since the epochal 1996 World Cup triumph. But these patches of brightness have been few and far between and virtually non existent over the past decade. At the centre of this disaster has been the failures of governance within Sri Lanka Cricket which are not unlike the larger failures of governance within the country itself. The appointment of a new reform oriented committee therefore carries significance beyond cricket. It reflects the wider challenge facing the country which is to restore trust in public institutions for better management.

NPC, in collaboration with its partner organization Future in Our Hands Development Fund, conducted an actualisation activity in Passara in the Badulla District focussing on supporting women affected by cyclone Ditwah who were residing in temporary camps. The women, most of whom were from the Malaiyaha Tamil community, were facing economic hardship and have been physically and emotionally affected by the losses, which caused significant disruption to their livelihoods. Through a series of focus group discussions facilitated by Local Government Authority leaders, participants highlighted the urgent need for sustainable economic empowerment opportunities.

A seminar to advance the reconciliation process through inclusive dialogue and collective action was held in Kandy, bringing together over 100 civil society representatives from diverse sectors alongside partners including the Kandy District Inter Religious Committee, Kandy Civil Society Coalition, Youth Democracy Congress, Social Solidarity Foundation, Lanka Teachers' Union and the Association of LGA members.

NPC, in collaboration with its partner organization Future in Our Hands Development Fund, conducted an actualisation activity in Passara in the Badulla District focussing on supporting women affected by cyclone Ditwah who were residing in temporary camps. The women, most of whom were from the Malaiyaha Tamil community, were facing economic hardship and have been physically and emotionally affected by the losses, which caused significant disruption to their livelihoods. Through a series of focus group discussions facilitated by Local Government Authority leaders, participants highlighted the urgent need for sustainable economic empowerment opportunities.

Several meetings and actualisation activities were held under NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation, and Social Justice (PAIRS) project funded by Misereor and co-funded by CAFOD in collaboration with partner organizations.

An article published by Daily FT highlights the inclusion of Dr. Jehan Perera, Executive Director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, among distinguished South Asian figures nominated for the Quarticentennial Merited Impacts Gazette (2000–2025)—a global initiative recognising individuals whose contributions have had a transformative impact on society.

The feature notes that Dr. Jehan Perera has been recognised for his longstanding work in promoting peace, human rights, and inter-ethnic reconciliation in Sri Lanka. He is among four Sri Lankans named in the list, alongside other eminent personalities from across South Asia.

The Gazette, developed by Impact Hallmarks, is based on a 25-year assessment of over 1.9 million individuals worldwide, identifying those whose work has made significant and lasting contributions to humanity, knowledge systems, and social resilience.

🔗 Read the full article here: https://www.ft.lk/business/South-Asian-icons-from-Bangladesh-Sri-Lanka-India-and-Pakistan-feature-in-21st-century-s-global-merit-poll/34-789774

A recent micro survey conducted by NPC in Jaffna offers a revealing snapshot of public opinion in the north. The survey, carried out among young people at a focus group discussion on citizen perceptions of the electoral process, points to a cautiously improving mood. Its findings broadly align with a national survey by Verité Research that showed government approval at 65 percent in early February 2026.

A two day intervention programme that brought together women leaders from the Polonnaruwa and Monaragala Districts was held in Matara under NPC’s Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project, creating a powerful platform for cross-district collaboration and solidarity.

The Active Citizens for Electoral Democracy (ACED) project, funded by the European Union, conducted youth engagement programmes in Nuwara Eliya, Jaffna and Mullaitivu, strengthening democratic awareness and meaningful political participation among young people. These initiatives form part of ACED’s continued efforts to promote inclusive governance, electoral reform dialogue and youth leadership in democratic processes.

NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation, and Social Justice (PAIRS) project, funded by Misereor and co-funded by CAFOD in partnership with a wide network of partner organizations, held several activities for future advocacy.

A dedicated market platform for Persons With Disabilities (PWD) was launched in Puttalam in partnership with Women Organization for Development, Equality, Peace (WODEPT) Puttalam and local women leaders. The initiative was born from a critical need identified by community leaders:

As part of NPC’s Active Citizens for Elections and Democracy (ACED) project, funded by the European Union, a series of mentoring and training programmes were conducted for youth and their network members to strengthen youth participation in elections and democratic processes. These initiatives were particularly important in the post- 2022 aragalaya context, which highlighted a significant gap between youth aspirations and existing political representation.

NPC’s Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Sri Lanka project, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, supported communities severely affected when Cyclone Ditwah made landfall in November, triggering one of the country’s most devastating flood disasters in over 20 years. Nearly 2.2 million people across all 25 districts were impacted, including communities engaged through the Women Organised for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project. Homes, livelihoods and basic necessities were lost overnight, pushing already vulnerable families into deeper hardship. Amid this crisis, women emerged not only as survivors but as leaders driving relief, recovery and community resilience.

The grassroots concerns of marginalised rural youth in the Kandy District were elevated directly to the highest levels of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist spiritual leadership.