Sri Lanka

Participatory and Inclusive Development

Strategic Objective:

Develop capacities of at-risk groups to prevent violent conflict & promote cooperative engagement across traditional dividing lines for an inclusive Sri Lankan identity.

The engagement of communities with various identities, experiences and perspectives is crucial for sustainable development in a pluralistic and diverse society. Post-2009 Sri Lanka, after three decades of war, is striving to develop the conflict-affected provinces, placing importance on resettlement, rebuilding, infrastructure development and reconciliation. Despite numerous efforts by the government, the conflict-affected communities have grievances regarding lack of local participation in development efforts, resettlement related issues and demographic changes in the North and the East Provinces.

Considering the current dynamics and development in these geographical areas, SFCG Sri Lanka is working to change the current conflict-prone dynamics and bring about positive social transformation promoting participation and inclusivity.

Development Dialogue

'Development Dialogue' is an effort to empower communities in resettled areas in Northern Sri Lanka to engage with and utilize participatory approaches to address development issues through dialogue. The focus of the project activities is to motivate individuals, youth and community groups, and other stakeholders to initiate dialogue among key actors, promoting understanding.

If Sri Lanka is to move forward and reconciliation is to take place, the contentious and sensitive issues of displacement, loss of livelihoods, post-war trauma and psycho-social recovery need to be brought forward and effectively addressed by the government, civil society, NGO's and the conflict-affected populations. Absent this, the frustrations and the social division and infighting worsen conditions and fuel the cycle of conflict. To address this effectively, local communities need to be given space and avenues to engage with service providers and policy-makers to voice their concerns, needs and expectations. Although resettled and host communities represent different ethnic groups and different socio-economic and post-conflict circumstances, topics such as education, livelihoods, and community infrastructure are relevant and important to all. Dialogue around these shared interests is a way in which all groups can broach and explore more sensitive issues around gentrification, political participation, identity and post-war reconciliation moving positively from the issues at hand related to resettlement and development.

Through Development Dialogue activities, SFCG Sri Lanka is creating awareness, giving a voice to the community and disseminating public service information using community radio. The radio magazine "Puthiya Udayam" will be produced engaging local community.

Simultaneously, selected youth will be given training on basic media skills and on the common ground approach. They will be mobilised as roving reporters along with the youth community volunteers to gather stories, create dialogue platforms on community issues on the radio show, and link policy-makers with the community to find workable solutions through the radio program. The radio magazine program is intended to create awareness of services and service providers to the local population in the areas of broadcast.

These activities address the lack of information and engagement between resettled communities, host communities, and stakeholders around development in the Northern Province, which has been greatly affected by post-war migration and resettlement.

Project Partners

Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) is a national platform and the representative body for journalists who believe that community empowerment and positive social change can be achieved through strategic use of media; both community based and mainstream.

Survivors Associated (SA), established in 1996, carries out psychosocial development activities at grass roots level mainly in the conflict affected areas in Sri Lanka. SA works through secondary school educated young people from the areas, who are trained to work within their communities as psychosocial caregivers as business counselors and in peace building.