News

The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, met Kandy, Vavuniya, Puttalam and Batticaloa District Inter Religious Committee (DIRC) members during his 12-day visit to Sri Lanka. Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim religious leaders raised several issues of concern with Mr Shaheed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of Transitional Justice (TJ) in Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process and pointed out that each country had its own unique course to follow. He praised NPC’s efforts towards furthering awareness of TJ and added that the government was taking steps to establish an inter faith reconciliation council made up of religious leaders.

Two workshops on Non Violent Communication (NVC) were held in Kandy and Moratuwa for 77 members of District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs) representing 16 districts under NPC’s project Consolidating Ongoing Multi-level Partnership Actions for Conflict Transformation (COMPACT) funded by MISEREOR and CAFOD.

Eight awareness programmes on reconciliation with Community Based Organizations were conducted by NPC in collaboration with partner organizations in Moneragala, Matara, Ratnapura, Kalutara and Vavuniya.

A one day training workshop on Social Cohesion and Reconciliation for community leaders was held in the Seruwila Division in Trincomalee District under NPC’s project Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity (SCORE), which is funded by USAID and conducted in partnership with Global Communities.

A series of workshops to sensitize women police officers attached to the Women and Children’s Desks in 11 districts began under NPC’s project Accountability through Community Engagement and Initiatives for Transition (ACE-IT). The policewomen were taught how to interact with human rights abuse victims seeking their help and counsel them on various tools that help to increase their ability to listen and act.

A two day training workshop on the rule of law was held for 32 members of the Vavuniya Local Inter Religious Committee (LIRC) under NPC’s project, Collective Engagement for Religious Freedom (CERF).

NPC, in partnership with Helvetas Sri Lanka, initiated a new project, Crossing Boundaries – Youth Groups In Sri Lanka, which will be implemented from July 2019 to December 2019.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of Transitional Justice (TJ) in Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process and pointed out that each country had its own unique course to follow. He praised NPC’s efforts towards furthering awareness of TJ and added that the government was taking steps to establish an inter faith reconciliation council made up of religious leaders.

Members of Kandy District Inter Religious Committee (DIRC) handed over the report of its Truth Finding Citizen’s Commission on the Kandy anti-Muslim riots that took place in Digana in March last year to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Several training programmes were conducted for government officers, local government representatives and Grama Niladharis under NPC’s project the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity (SCORE), which is funded by USAID and conducted in partnership with Global Communities.

Kandy District Inter Religious Committee (DIRC) moved swiftly to diffuse tension caused by a dispute over the wearing of the hijab by teachers in a Kandy girls’ school.

Several activities including peace walks, advocacy and poster campaigns and meetings with Muslim religious leaders were held in many areas around the country under NPC’s project, Collective Engagement for Religious Freedom (CERF). The activities were carried out by Local Inter Religious Committees (LIRCs) formed under the project.

An activity to promote community engagement and strengthen reconciliation to enhance knowledge on Transitional Justice (TJ) was carried by members of Kilinochchi DIRC, sub group members and peace delegates under NPC’s project Religions to Reconcile: Strengthening Inter-Religious People-to-People Community Engagement for Reconciliation and Social Cohesion in Post-Conflict Sri Lanka (R2R).

Hambantota DIRC organised two public events in Hambantota and Tangalle to remember those who had died in the Easter Sunday attacks one month earlier. Government officials and community police helped to organize the event, where religious leaders prayed for the victims.

A meeting to enhance the knowledge of Human Rights First Aid Coordinators (HRFACs) on human rights, Transitional Justice and the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) was held in Colombo under NPC’s project, Accountability Through Community Engagement and Initiatives for Transition (ACE-IT). Thirty two participants from 11 districts attended the meeting, which was organized in partnership with Right to Life Human Centre (R2L).