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£1,500 - Approved September 2008
IPF Local Partner: Darshanodaya / Interfaith Fellowship for Peace and Development
Project: Gender Mainstreaming in Interfaith Fellowship for Peace and Development 2009 - 2011
Location: Gampaha District, Ragama, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Peacemakers: Susila Silva – Chairperson
Sri Lanka has been plagued by bloody violence since 1983, due to a
secession movement in the North, anti-government insurrections in the
South, and numerous disconnected local ‘micro-conflicts’ in the North
and East. Conflict in the North and East is fuelled by ethno-political
marginalisation of minority Tamils, whose claim to an ethnic homeland
is rejected outright by the State. Violent and exclusive
Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism, which espouses a military solution to
‘the ethnic question’, has engendered two insurrections in the South,
greatly contributing to the overall violence in Sri Lanka. This is
compounded by an institutionalised Sinhala/Tamil language divide, and
simmering tensions between the various ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.
Increasingly authoritarian government, absence of media freedom, the
humanitarian crisis arising from 250,000 refugees from conflict and the
damage in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami have all contributed to a
worsening of the situation.
The Interfaith Fellowship for Peace and Development (IFPD) http://darshanodaya.org was set up in 1984 as a positive response to the ethnic conflict and violence in July 1983. It was set up as a women centered, grass roots organisation to rebuild ethnic harmony at the local level.
During the early years of the organisation it’s main focus was peace mediation and non violent conflict resolution but as its membership was 90% women and the concerns of many women were as much to with gender issues and economic development it has shifted it’s emphasis to include leadership skills, gender and cultural equality awareness as well as non violent conflict resolution skills. IFPD recognizes that women in Sri Lanka often have been forced to the margins of society and considers the subjugation of women and discrimination against them a violation of the basic human right of equality before the law and in society.
The training program supported by a grant from FOR is intended to provide training and on going support for 24 women who are presently active in their communities. The training will help develop leadership skills and also focus on cultural awareness and women’s’ rights.
The training that will take place over three years will cover a range of community, activist and leadership skills and will enable the women to be agents for change especially in the spheres of Human ( women) rights within their own community and also at district level.
The largest group in the February training came from the war ravaged Vavuniya district (a mixed Tamil and Sinhalese community in North Sri Lanka) and the knowledge and skills gained from the program has already helped these women leaders to act as catalyst among the battered people in the area.
Copyright © 2012, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, England || +44 (0)1865 250781 || Charity No. 207822 ||
Originating URL: http://www.for.org.uk/givesupport/srilanka.shtml
Copyright © 2012, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, England || +44 (0)1865 250781 || Charity No. 207822 ||
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Originating URL: http://www.for.org.uk/givesupport/srilanka.shtml