SRI- LANKA: Youth are the change they need

In 2009 Sri-Lanka finally emerged from the spoils of a 30 year ethnic war that ravaged the island, and since then many have endeavoured to cement and recover from the damage that the war wrought on the everyday lives of people. One of the groups that was most neglected was youth who were left confused about the war and also without hope for the future.An organization that has managed to attempt to find a solution for both these dilemmas is “Sri-Lanka Unites”.  This organization is youth-centred and has successfully managed in the last 4 years to host conferences that focus on reconciliation. The mantra behind the group revolves around building trust among young people and their peers regardless of ethnicity and religion. Such a powerful message attempts to mobilize and empower young people and therefore these conferences are vital, because they bring together youth from different parts of the island who would never have met otherwise, to one platform and to act as one voice.

The conference this year was held in Jaffna, and is poignant because such a feat would have been unthinkable just 5 years ago when the war was ongoing. This conference for many was their first exposure to Northern Sri Lanka and this is vital because research shows that over 70% of Sri Lankan youth do not have a friend outside their ethnic or religious group. The lack of exposure to other cultures coupled with years of inherited prejudice makes the FLC experience crucial in the journey towards reconciliation.  Hence this was a golden opportunity not just to learn and celebrate a shared “Sri Lankan” culture but also to hear the perspective of proven student leaders from across the nation. Throughout the 5-day conference students grappled with various issues and challenges to reconciliation and change in Sri Lanka. The passion, intellect and commitment depicted by the students for conflict transformation was an assurance that violent conflict will be strictly restricted to the past if the country continues to nourish its youth Over 400 student leaders , 80 volunteers , 60 teachers , 40  Sri Lanka Unites  team members from every district , ethnicity , religion , caste and creed came together to prove that a new generation dares to unite. Sri Lankans from across the nation and around the world contributed either expertise or donations and hoped to be a part of the solution and contribute towards leading Sri Lanka out of decades of conflict. They gathered in the glorious city of Jaffna, a former war zone but now to those at FLC4 the oasis that rekindled their passion for lasting peace, justice, equality and reconciliation. The hope is that the youth will appreciate diversity and realize the richness and value that can be brought from a multi-cultural harmonious nation that is united under one identity but one that respects, understands and seeks to cultivate others.

A gathering of student leaders from across the nation representing every nook and cranny of the island, not to mention 7 cities with the largest population of Sri Lankans outside Sri Lanka was a historic event. Three decades of war ensured that this was not possible to achieve, even post independence an event intentionally geared towards celebrating an inclusive Sri Lankan identity in northern Sri Lanka organized by a non - partisan group not affiliated with the government may have never occurred. FLC4 was history in the making and led by a group of young professionals and brought to fruition by a team of which the average age was less than 24. 

FLC: Form point of view of a volunteer (Sheyami Jayawardena)

I had the priviledge of attending the second annual Future Leaders Conference (FLC) for Hope and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Organized by Sri Lanka Unites (SLU), this 5 day conference was attended by over 250 of Sri Lanka’s top student leaders (age 15-18) from across the country, 30 of their teachers, 50 trained youth volunteers, and the SLU team. Sri Lanka Unites is the first post-war effort to promote youth reconciliation within the country. It is run solely by youth volunteers of all Sri Lankan ethnicities and is backed by a supportive board of trustees. The committee is passionate about the cause and work tirelessly. The process of reconciliation and change is occurring at the grassroots levels and spreading throughout Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Unites is at the heart of this change, giving many youth a reason to believe in a better future.

Sri Lanka Unites does an amazing job of instilling core leadership values, exposing the students to inspirational speakers, and promoting reconciliation for youth. The conference is trilingual and incorporates a mix of speeches, interactive sessions, small group discussions, sports events, team building, art time, and music performances. There is no pretence. Honesty and describing personal hardships among students are encouraged. Bringing students together from all regions and opening their lives to other students of different economical and ethnic backgrounds have provided them with a platform for reconciliation. Can we ever accept another race if all we know is something we heard from our parents or neighbours? Can we all understand and respect another culture if we never interacted with them at a personal level? The Sri Lanka Unites 5 day schedule provides these students with the appropriate dose of activities that leave them feeling inspired, courageous to move forward, empowered to help others, and confident in the belief that they have the power to change their preconceived notions about another ethnicity.

The conference is not just a gathering of students for 5 days. It is a life changing event. You almost have to be the 17 year old boy from Jaffna who has classmates from IDP camps, and after having attended this conference has plans to serve them. You could be the girl from Colombo who has travelled to help her brothers and sisters in other districts after being inspired by the first conference. You could be the Tamil boy who admits he had grown up to hate Sinhalese and Muslims, and explains how the conference has helped him understand and respect other cultures. You could be the student from Polonnaruwa who was inspired by a speech from the first Sri Lankan blind rower, and now believes he can overcome the challenges in his life. You could be the Sinhalese Buddhist boy from Kegalle who decided to fast with his Muslim friends as the conference ran through the holy season of Ramadan. Through SLUs integration of meaningful activities, and moreover through their unabiding belief that they CAN make change, I can confidently say that not one of those students left the conference without their lives having been changed in some sort of meaningful way. The conference provided a haven for dialogue and reconciliation, an opportunity to bridge the gaps and create friendships that no other organization, to this day, has been able to provide the youth of our country.

More importantly, the work carried out by this organization and its network of future leaders never ends. The SLU network of young leaders spans 23 districts and over 60 schools. Upon returning to their respective districts, the students create SLU Clubs at their schools and spread the word to surrounding areas. Each school is given a guidebook, complete with activities to foster dialogue for reconciliation, and ideas on how to reach out to students in other areas. Some of the amazing work that these students accomplished after the first FLC include but are not limited to: fundraising for flood relief in Gampaha, providing 100 wheelchairs to Mannar hospital, and providing sports equipment to schools in districts that lacked monetary funds.

What Sri Lanka needs is a new generation of empowered, motivated individuals to initiate charitable acts for others and pave the way for future reconciliation. To put it in perspective, SLU has indirectly started, at minimum, 30 new charities in the last year and has positively enhanced thousands of lives because atleast 30 schools have helped worthy causes after being inspired by the FLC. This is a commendable method of creating change - by cultivating leadership, empowering students to discern where they think help is needed, and providing them with the support needed to reach out to others.

Sri Lanka Unites has a clearly outlined vision and mission statement, booklets on conferences, and post-conference media material. All of this helps to give us an idea of what these students achieve and continue to achieve. However, I realized how much more it can mean to anyone who is there in person. The enthusiasm and the desire to create change is contagious. If you happen to be in the country at the time of the conference please do visit and see for yourself. It is a feeling that words cannot effectively capture.

Would you like to know more about this organization? Would you like to support the youth of Sri Lanka in this mission for hope and reconciliation? Please visit www.srilankaunites.org or email uk@srilankaunites.org  (based in Sri Lanka) or sheyamij@hotmail.com (based in London).

                                                                                                                        Sheyami Jayawardena

A volunteer's view of FLC: Natasha Wickramasekera

An unforgettable experience of our lives took place on 13^th of August, 2011.  Some of the prefects of Sacred Heart Convent got an opportunity to participate in one of the best leadership events in the country. The student council of our school got an invitation from the organization Sri Lanka Units to take part in this event. At first we had no idea as to what the event would entail. But, after doing some research, every member of the student council applied in June to get selected to go to the program. We got our conformation letter at the beginning of August; among 28 students in the student council 13 of us got the chance to participate and I was one of the lucky few.  The program was scheduled to run for three days in Kandy the central region of Sri Lanka, approximately 146km from my hometown Galle.

Our journey started early morning from Galle; the journey was long as we waited in anticipation, but we finally reached to Kandy in the evening. As soon as we arrived all thirteen of us were split into different groups. The group that I was selected was called Matara Magicians; groups were named after different districts in the country.  This grouping was unexpected and caused some panic among us since we had to spend the rest of the event with the assigned groups and not with our friends. Later I realized that the organizers split us up in order for us to interact with others who were there and to make new friends.

            The first day we got an orientation about the schedule for the reminder of the camp. That first evening I got to meet other students who were in my group; there were people from every corner of Sri Lanka, it was such a fascinating experience to meet people from around the country that I have never met before. At first I didn’t enjoy the time we spent together as we didn’t knew anything about the rest of the students in our group. But this changed quickly; the following day my group leaders helped us get to know each other. Through various activities we slowly started learning more about the people in our group.  The three group leaders (Milfer, Nuwan and Jerry) did a great job making us get closer day by day.

By the 2^nd day we had developed good relationships with all the students in my group. We worked together setting aside our differences, regardless of the students’ race whether it be Buddhists, Tamils, Hindus or Muslims; we acted as one family and had the most exciting time. We had to participate in several activities and games with our group members; these activities help develop strong bonds and reach many impressive achievements. By this time I enjoyed spending time with my group a lot and I had forgotten that I came with friends from my school because I had made friends from other schools (Jaffna, Matara, Colombo etc.).

Students in the camp represented diverse religions, for instance some of the students were Muslims. The camp was held during their fasting period, but somehow they respected their religion and continued with fasting, they were given transportation facilities to go to the mosque.           On the last day we wore our National costumes; we got to see different types of costume that we haven’t seen before.  I got to meet different people with different backgrounds; some were older than me while some being younger. One challenge that I faced was communicating with others who didn’t speak the same language as I. For example, it was hard to speak with Tamil students; they couldn’t speak my language Sinhala (official language in Sri Lanka). But we communicate with them a little by signing or pointing, or speaking with the little Tamil I know, which was really impressive. According to my opinion, I had the most amazing time getting to know different people with different ideas, and different back grounds. Before coming to this camp we had built up a myth/stigma in our minds thinking that people are different by their religion and their culture. But after going there and interacting together, you get to realize that the stigma is absurd concept people had built up in their minds. When you get to know the people you can see how incredible they are, with different ideas and different attitudes. On the last day of our stay Sri Lankan president Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha, also joined us and address us by saying how proud he is to see the up coming generation being productive in many ways.

The organizing committee did an outstanding job, getting together a whole country under one roof. The hostess Mr. Prashan De Visser & Mr. Christin Rajah did an excellent job encouraging us in many ways. The final hour was difficult as we had to leave a place where we had a wonderful experience, where we met new friends who we had to leave and might not be able to meet each other again easily. But, inside our hearts we knew that we had the most amazing time getting to know different people and spending time with them with out any difference among us. No matter if they are Muslims, Tamils, Christians, Sinhalese we are still people from one country, who our going to be future leaders of our country. If the present generation has differences amongst ourselves we cannot build up a country that lives in peace and harmony. This event is a witness to all the hurdles that Sri Lanka has successfully overcome in the past years. “Peace is not something you wish for; it’s something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.”

 Natasha Wickramasekera      

Future Leaders' Conference - 4 – Jaffna College

Why Support the FLC ?

The Future Leaders Conference is a platform that bridges the gap between this need and the real leaders of the future. Bringing together student leaders from around the island, Future Leaders Conference has, in the past three years has made a significant impact in the lives of the participants as well as in their schools and districts. This year for the fourth consecutive year Future Leaders Conference will continue in its journey towards achieving a truly reconciled Sri Lanka through impacting and changing the grassroots.

At last, year’s Future Leaders Conference

Sri Lanka Unites, the youth movement that is responsible for the Future Leaders Conference, is founded on the truth that the end of the war was not the end of the conflict. Until the root, problems that led to the conflict are resolved and until the various ethnicities of Sri Lanka co-exist, not just as cohabiters of the same nation but also as one society interacting with one another, one cannot say the conflict is truly over. The Future Leaders Conference serves as the first step towards true reconciliation. Student leaders of different ethnicities interact with those of other ethnicities for the first time. During the interactions, stereotypical views are shattered as they relate with each other and realize the commonalities they share. Friendships are fostered that reach beyond ethnic and religious barriers, which have proven to be long-lasting, impacting not just their lives but also their families and societies. Post-war Sri Lanka is plagued with a reconciliation impasse, with one side refusing to accept the need for reconciliation and another refusing to accept a reconciliation that cannot resolve the core justice issues. Sri Lanka Unites through FLC creates a forum for the young minds to come together and through interaction learn the need for reconciliation, understand the issues that stand in the way of reconciliation and more importantly proactively work on resolving these issues, paving the way for a united Sri Lanka devoid of ethnic boundaries.

During this year's conference in Jaffna we are eager to leave a positive impact for the community. Our decision to take the conference all the way to Jaffna was influenced by two main reasons. 

1.      Symbolic nature of having a youth reconciliation conference in the former war zone. Led by a new generation of youth who choose peace and reconciliation over war and hatred. 

2.      To bring the nation’s attention to the north and the needs of that community . In doing so making a difference and uplift the standard of life in Northern Sri Lanka. 

FLC 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26TbztFtbqQ&feature=player_embedded

How we plan to do this through this year's conference. 

1. We are partnering with Brandix to build 40 toilets for Jaffna College. Currently they have 26 toilets for a school of over 2000 boys and girls. These additional toilets will not only serve us well for the conference but will help fill a much needed facility for the school. It will also increase it's chances to be a conference hosting venue in the future. 

2. None of the hostels at Jaffna College ( The boys or the girls ) do not have sleeping mattresses. Hostellers sleep on wooden planks and mats. We would like to get up to 500 mattresses for the conference and then donate them to Jaffna College and other less equipped hostels in the Northern province. We are also considering donating some mattresses to needy hospitals of the northern province. 

3. Jaffna's heat and humid conditions make a fan a near necessity. Hence at the conference we hope to use up to 200 table fans. These fans will also be donated to the schools and hospitals in the region after the conference.  

4. In order to have a national conference of this magnitude we need to help raise the standards of housing and existing toilets. We will be renovation all the existing toilets , showers and sleeping areas of the school. 

( All of the above takes place before the conference ) 

5. We are looking to have a partnership with Habitat for Humanity and build a house for a poor family that lives near Jaffna College. The goal will be to have the house nearly completed by the conference date. During the conference, students who will be separated in to 20 teams will get one opportunity as a team to contribute to complete the house. This will be a two hour team building activity with their mentors and the masons on site. 

6. The Jaffna technical college is located next door to the conference site. We will be hosting our teachers at this venue. However, the housing quarters are run down and we are looking to rebuild the hostel facility. Only 5 students use the hostel facility when in fact it can hold up to 70 students. We are running a fundraising campaign to help raise funds to sponsor 50 students from Mullitivu and Kilinochchi who pass A/L's but don't qualify to state university to enrol at the technical college for 2013. This fundraising campaign takes place parallel to the conference. 

How you can get involved? 

The process to rebuild the school for the conference will take many days of renovation and labour assistance. Many of our student volunteers will spend the two weeks before the conference living at Jaffna College and preparing the venue.  

We would be happy if anyone can assist from a labour or supply point of view to complete these activities. This document only includes a fraction of the requirements and how others are helping us to achieve this goal. Other requirements include transport and drinking water for example.

Most of all, it costs Rs 10,000 per student to attend the conference, which is about 50 GBP. This donation will change the life of a student and give them access to further education and development that will not only change them but also empower them to change their school and the community around them.

900 Young Men Take a Stand Against Harassment of Women

Harassment of women on public transportation and other public arenas in Colombo has become the norm. It shouldn’t be. Women deserve the peace of mind to travel in public transportation without dreading inappropriate comments or physical contact. Mothers shouldn’t have to worry about what would happen to their daughters when they travel to school or tuition. Young women shouldn’t have to forgo employment opportunities because of fear of traveling by bus or train and being treated inappropriately. Time and again, women have attempted to stand up against harassment to no avail. Sri Lanka Unites is taking a unique approach to restore to women their dignity and make known the law of the land which takes a strict stand against harassment of women. 

S.H.O.W (Stop Harassment of Women) You Care, is a campaign for respectful treatment of women in public spaces. Young men all over Colombo are going to take a stand against harassment of women to bring about change in a systematic manner. The campaign will be launched on June 21^st at 1:00 pm. From June 25^th through June 30^th, nine hundred young men will travel on the busiest bus routes in Colombo in teams of three. The  young men are students from leading boys schools in Colombo. The teams will board buses according to a strategically formulated plan and address the passengers in all three languages. The teams will first apologize to all women for any incidents of harassment they may have encountered in the past. Women will be given leaflets highlighting the legal recourse available to them if they experience such treatment. Next they will charge the men to take responsibility to safeguard this right and the negative reflection on them, if they fail. Commuters will also be given additional information regarding basic women’s rights and the actions that could be taken if one’s found violating them. 

You could be a part of this initiative by becoming a volunteer; either as a student travelling on the bus routes or as a mentor guiding the students through the campaign. Visit our website for more information and to sign up: http://www.srilankaunites.org/VolunteerApplicationForm.php