A workshop for community leaders on Training of Trainers on Transitional Justice (TJ) was held in Colombo in cooperation with Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) under the project Technical Assistance to Justice Institutions in Sri Lanka.

The workshop, which was attended by 27 participants from 10 districts, was addressed by lawyer Jagath Liyana Arachchi, M.A.M. Hakeem from the Law faculty of the University of Colombo and Sanjeewa Wimalagunaratne from the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms.

The purpose of the training was to enhance understanding and support for the TJ concept among community level leaders who disseminated understanding on TJ through community-based information sessions in coordination with civil society and government partners.

The training commenced with an overview of the present political context by NPC Executive Director Jehan Perera, which gave the participants an understanding how TJ mechanisms played a significant role in the reconciliation process.

Mr Hakeem gave a summary on International Humanitarian Law while Mr Liyana Arachchi spoke about the four pillars of TJ and emphasized the importance of taking a holistic approach. Mr Wimalagunaratna explained the government’s progress towards implementing TJ mechanisms.

Participants asked about a special judicial mechanism for trying war related crimes and the importance of investigating human rights violations. They discussed the government’s commitment to implement TJ mechanisms with the support of civil society and the international community. Participants concluded that creating opportunities for grassroots leadership was important to disseminate understanding on TJ.