Reconciliation Centers

Reconciliation Centers

Purpose

Our vision through these centers is to be tangibly present in every district and be a hub for education, entrepreneurship and inspire youth to play an active role in promoting reconciliation and countering violent extremism. If reconciliation, justice, and equality are to be realized in Sri Lanka, it has to be a movement that is widespread. Colombo and the main cities are not sufficient to promote the message of peace and experience sustainable results. The grassroots are crucial and having a presence in being an influential voice in the most rural regions of every district is essential.

We believe in becoming one with the community we serve, we also believe that by doing so we increase our credibility and ability to influence the community. We have seen the power of learning from the community, living among them, serving them to the best of our ability. These relationships that have grown over years give us great opportunities to challenge their inherited prejudices across ethnic and religious lines and replace them with friendship and relationship with other communities though our reconciliation centers in other regions.

Strategy

  • We aim to be a hub for education, entrepreneurship and inspire youth to play an active role in promoting reconciliation and countering violent extremism.
  • These centers provide full scholarships for Diplomas in Business Entrepreneurship, Information Technology and English.
  • These centers become a community center for the broader community and trains youth in the community on peacebuilding and nonviolence.
  • We look to create various career guidance and vocational training workshops to help increase the employability of youth in these communities.
  • Connect reconciliation center with other centers with different ethnic and religious communities. Connect villages together (Ex- Kamburupitiya Matara and Mulliyawalai, Mullaitivu).

Results

  • Sri Lanka Unites has eight reconciliation centers in Matara, Mullaitivu, Kalmunai, Monaragala, Nuwara-Eliya, Puttalam, Batticaloa and Negombo.
  • Over 100 community engagement initiatives for communal transformation and reconciliation conducted by our centers.

Next Steps and Goals

  • Introducing vocational training programs.
  • Looking to create 100,000 jobs in these communities during the next two years.
  • Making a partnership with International universities that provide online degrees to help students attain a BA online.
  • Making Partnership with Universities in the region to provide scholarships for high performing students.
  • Communal awareness and conversation of trauma healing, transitional justice mechanism, and truth speaking circles across ethnic lines (in partnership with other reconciliation centers).
  • Establishing a reconciliation center in most impoverished region in every district.