NPC, under its IMPACT project, held a seminar on Transitional Justice (TJ) mechanisms and the government’s reconciliation process for youth parliamentarians in collaboration with the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) in the Gampaha district.

NYSC has a two year programme where it selects 225 youth from all districts around the country to be parliamentarians to follow the debates and procedures of the national parliament and to discuss various issues of relevance to their districts. They are voted in by members of youth clubs in their areas.

The youth, who included university students and working people, were given sessions on pluralism, TJ and the government’s mechanisms for reconciliation. Most of them did not know about these issues before they attended the seminar. As aspiring parliamentarians, they were given the knowledge to motivate them to become involved in the reconciliation process.

A five member committee was appointed to coordinate activities through youth clubs and to involve other youth parliamentarians.