Sri Lanka Today
Produced during the early stages of the peace process, in 2003, this is a series of 8 short video reports highlighting co-existence in Sri Lanka. It pays tribute to people in Sri Lanka who are living - and working - together, to help build peace in their communities.
SRI LANKA TODAY features community experiences from Amparai, Batticaloa, Puttalam, Vavuniya, Mannar and Moneragala and has been produced for broadcast in English, Sinhala and Tamil.
1. Student Teachers Learn from Each Other in Batticaloa
A programme of Peace Education and Curriculum Development for Student Teachers takes a young group from the South, to Batticaloa, providing opportunities for an exchange of ideas and views, as well as peace building between communities.
2. Peace Studies support Community Workers in Vavuniya
In a town where Sinhalese and Tamils as well as displaced communities live in close proximity to each other, a course in Peace Studies equips community and administrative workers to address different needs and situations.
3. Women bridge the North South divide in Moneragala
An initiative of the Uva Wellassa Farmer Women's Organisation, on-going exchange visits between women of the North and the South, improve communications between them, and help build trust and friendship between the communities.
4. The Koknahara Tank community fosters Peace in Amparai.
The community effort of rehabilitating an irrigation and drinking water tank, addresses a basic need in the Koknahara area, as well as creates a better environment for communities in the area to interact and co-operate with each other.
5. Building peace through communication and co-operation in Mannar
The people of Talaimannar learn to compromise and co-operate, as they work together to build trust amongst the people, many of whom have returned after years of displacement, to a town, which is home to three religious communities.
6. Divided Communities work together in Batticaloa
The youth of two communities, with a history of ethnic tensions, collaborate to improve livelihoods, as well as relations between themselves.
7. Putting Peace into Practise in Puttalam
Training in mediation and conflict resolution helps displaced communities co-exist with residents of the area as part of a programme to promote tolerance and understanding, that especially targets pre-school teachers.
8. Collective Effort contributes towards better lives for the people of Miravodai
Improved relations between Tamil and Muslim villagers results in the sharing of resources in this conflict ridden, East coast village of Batticaloa.
