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Community Based Youth Integration Programs

By organising and co-ordinating contributive and fun activities, PHPO has helped build understanding and respect amongst young people of different ethnicities in the Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka.

Description

This initiative consists of three components, two of which are held every year, and one that is held more frequently, whenever the need arises.

The two annual components are the multi-ethnic Cricket Carnival and the Dansela (free food stall conducted for a day to commemorate special Buddhist Festivals). These events are conducted by the Muslim community for the Sinhala Buddhist pilgrims in June. The Sinhala community in the area assist them in the organisation process, and the visiting Buddhist pilgrims are served through this.

The other component is a Shramadana (a group of people who gather together and donate their man power to achieving a particular task, which is decided upon through discussion within the group). So far PHPO has conducted Shramadana to clean popular temples and historic places in Anuradhapura (the city is considered holy for Buddhists due to the many sacred places that are there, and over ten thousand pilgrims come every day from all over the country and from abroad, during the Poson festival in June). These places are mostly Buddhist, but do include a number of Hindu shrines as well.

Each of these programmes focus on young people, and provide a space for youths from different ethnicities to work together. They are events held every year with the assistance of the communities and other organisations.

Aims / Objectives

How is it Articulated

The coordination and organising of these events is carried out by PHPO, with the help of a network of volunteers who work with and support them . All the schools in the area are informed of these events and the students are invited to take part in them in any way they can. Also, the Police are informed of the events and their support in managing the crowds is requested, both for the Cricket Carnival and the Dansela. Gifts are awarded at the end of the carnival to the winners and to those who participated, and the community comes together to prepare and donate these gifts.

For the Cricket Carnival, the young people of the area form their own teams to join the tournament. The organising committee formed by PHPO members and key people in the community, such as the School Principle and Government agents, organise and adjudicate the tournament between these teams.

For the Dansela, the Muslim community donates and prepares the food, whilst the Sinhalese community make the necessary arrangements, such as a suitable location, and cooking equipment. Food is cooked in both Sinhalese and Muslim styles and is served by Muslim girls and boys in their traditional dress.

The location for the Shramadana is decided by the PHPO each time, and the requests of the community are taken into account in deciding this. Both Sinhalese and Muslim young people work together in this.

Achievements / Learning Points

This initiative provided people belonging to different ethnicities living in the same area with an opportunity to connect with each other in a positive manner. Previously, youths belonging to different ethnicities would gather and play in their own areas, and not enter the areas belonging to other ethnicities, nor would they associate with them. After these programmes, such divisions are lessened and young people belonging to all ethnicities associate freely and engage in activities together.

Lack of direct connection between ethnicities leads to estrangement, and thus division. This is a major obstacle to peace. Facilitating situations where the ethnicities can associate with each other leads to friendly relationships and integration. This is a very effective community-based method to construct the foundations for conflict transformation.

Geographical Area of Operation

Anuradhapura District

Funding Resources

Viridis (PVT) LTD, Anuradhapura Divisional Secretariat, and National Peace Council.

Organisations Involved

Stories

A few years ago, in June, when Buddhist pilgrims come to Anuradhapura to pay homage to their special religious places from all other parts of the country, the Muslim and Tamil youth of the area used to hide at the sides of the road and throw stones at the Buddhist pilgrims' buses. This was the only way they knew to connect with people belonging to a different religion and ethnicity, and who speak a different language.

Under Community based Youth Integration Programs, we introduced the Dansela and the Shramadana for them to connect with these people who come to the area. Now the people who pass through their villages are no longer strangers and non-believers for them: rather, these people have become accessible, and accordingly they have become friends, people who believe in a different religion, but still human beings who feel and think just like them. Therefore the buses are no longer attacked. Instead the Buddhist pilgrims are offered vegetarian meals at Muslim villages and the Buddhist religious places are cleaned by the Muslim young people.