News

To tackle potential religious conflicts during the upcoming local government elections, NPC’s Action for Religious Co-existence (ARC) project organized advocacy campaigns targeting Local Inter Religious Committee (LIRC) members and candidates who are competing in the election. Eight campaigns have been carried out with the participation of 166 LIRC members and 177 election candidates in Trincomalee, Beruwela, Batticaloa, Mawanella, Mannar, Vavuniya, Ampara and Bandarawela.

Sabaragamuwa University commenced academic activities of the Advanced Certificate Course on sustainable peace through pluralism and inclusive service delivery, becoming the first of the four
universities where the course will be taught to do so. The course, funded by Freedom House, will deliver conceptual knowledge as well as work related methodologies to the frontline government officers so that they could provide a better service to the public who receive these services. The course content covers inclusive service delivery, nonviolent communication for service delivery, service delivery in a plural society, frontline service delivery and field practicum.

A progress review meeting was conducted for NPC’s partner organizations and DIRC coordinators under the Plural Action for Conflict Transformation (PACT) project. Discussions on the economic
crisis and the outlook for the future were facilitated by Chief Executive Officer of Advocata Dhananath Fernando and Export Development Board Chairman Suresh de Mel. Participants were shown ways to improve the local economy and how to find resources for growth.

An event was organized to appreciate the work of Ms. Kesuma Saddak, programme officer of Misereor, in upholding of human rights and fostering of inter-ethnic and inter-religious reconciliation and for her support for NPC.

NPC conducted a training of trainers workshop under its Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) project for 73 master trainers and 12 district coordinators in Colombo on protecting civic space focusing on
freedom of association for participants from Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Kandy, Kalutara, Badulla, Batticaloa, Monaragala, Matara, Ratnapura, Jaffna and Kegalle.

A book by NPC chairman Dr. Joe William on The Peace Process in Sri Lanka after the Ceasefire Agreement from 2002-2008: Systemic Conflict Transformation and its Application to the Peace
Process in Sri Lanka was launched in Colombo. The book analyses the successes and the failures of the peace process and the lessons learnt through the lens of systemic conflict transformation theory.

The book by NPC chairman Dr. Joe William entitled The Peace Process In Sri Lanka After The Ceasefire Agreement From 2002-2008: Systemic and its Application to the Peace Process in Sri
Lanka is about applying a specific conflict resolution theory, Systemic Conflict Transformation (SCT), an assessment of the background to the conflict since independence and the difficulties
encountered by the Norwegian-sponsored peace process from 2002 to 2008.

A three day exchange visit was organized under NPC’s Action for Religious Coexistence (ARC) project for 114 Local Inter Religious Committees (LIRCs) members in Rakwana, Batticaloa and Addalachchenai to facilitate understanding through experience sharing and interaction.

The inauguration ceremony of the course on inclusive service delivery for sustainable peace at the University of Sabaragamuwa was conducted with the participation of academic staff, students and NPC members. Last month the same course began at the Eastern University in Batticaloa.

NPC was awarded a certificate of appreciation for training senior government officials on pluralism and fundamental rights in the Galle District. The concept and importance of pluralism was discussed at workshops attended by senior governmnt officials. Another workshop was also conducted for staff of the District Secretariat under the Plural Action for Conflict Transformation (PACT) project.

NPC concluded a residential workshop on improving the capacity of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) staff under the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives project for staff at offices in Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Batticaloa and Matara and Colombo.

Mannar and Vavuniya Local Inter Religious Committee (LIRC) members intervened to settle a dispute between two villages in their districts and prevented religious differences from turning into violent conflict while minimising the possibility of conflicts recurring over religious issues. The initiatives were taken under NPC’s project Action for Religious Coexistence (ARC).

NPC crossed a milestone in its peace building efforts with the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) when it launched an advanced certificate course, Sustainable Peace through Pluralism and Inclusive Service Delivery, funded by Freedom House. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Centre for External Degree and Extension Courses (CEDEC) in Batticaloa. The Eastern University has accepted 35 applications from the district and divisional level public service officers and will bring in another seven from the university administrative staff who are front line officers serving a multi-ethnic student body.

The dialogue between the government and CSOs on the issue of a new law for NGOs is taking place regularly. NPC is part of the core group of the CSO-NGO Collective that is engaging in negotiations with the government, which is seeking the development of a new and all-encompassing NGO law to replace the present one.

NPC members had a meeting with members of the Puttalam District Inter Religious Committee to discuss the upcoming local government elections.

NPC will launch a new 15 month project to empower women in the districts of Gampaha, Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.