The global spread of the COVID-19 has been affecting and challenging the lives of millions of people around the world. While the focus of nations is on the economy and healthcare, NPC has been engaging communities at the grassroots level through online platforms.

Under the Creative Youth Engagement for Pluralism (C-YEP) project, a team of eight undergraduates from the University of Ruhuna initiated an online debate competition on topics such as pluralism and inter community relations.

The team was earlier given the necessary skills and training to use debate as a platform to create awareness on pluralism and positive inter ethnic relations at community level by lawyer Mr. Amal
Rajapaksha. The team then selected and trained the new students using social media platforms and held the debating competition among four teams.

A member of the judging panel, University of Ruhuna lecturer Dr. D.L.A.H. Shammika, thanked the students for initiating competition and highlighted the importance of events that offer insights into students’ perspectives. Mr. Rajapaksha asked students to continue the dialogue not only in their heads but also in their communities.

The online debating competition was well received by the audience; it is created a space for hope, change and a promise of a better future with the participation of youth.