Widaloka Cultural Foundation (WCF).
Widaloka Cultural Foundation (WCF) was established under the guidance of the chief monk of the Buddhist Boddiyagama temple to improve the living standards of people on low incomes. They aim to help people improve their quality of life without having to resort to violence to resolve day-to-day conflicts. WCF also works with Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim villagers to highlight the value of cooperation and the richness of diversity.
Fundamental Rights Programme
WCF established the Fundamental Rights Programme to tackle what they saw as the widespread linguistic, cultural and religious discrimination Tamil people in Puttalam face, particularly from government institutions. Many government officers speak only English and Sinhalese, causing communication problems, and effectively leaving Tamils living without basic education, healthcare, and legal protection.
Initiated in 2003, this project aims to involve Tamils and government officers to raise awareness of fundamental human, children’s, and group rights. By informing the two groups about rights and responsibilities, WCF hope to improve the relationship between them – easing the current tension and creating a significant and long-lasting impact on ethnic conflict in the area.
