Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Villages

An initiative undertaken with the backing of a Japanese agency to unite the Muslims and Tamils of Sri Lanka and to push the reconciliation programme forward.

Description

Since 2005 the Friendship Villages initiative has provided help to those families in Trincomalee and Ampara that have been affected by the Tsunami and the ongoing war. The programme provides funding for construction and rehabilitation projects, working towards the development of multi-ethnic communities. It hopes to allow displaced villagers – previously divided by ethnic segregation – to unite and form a permanent multi-ethnic community co-existing in harmony.

Aims / Objectives

The Friendship Villages project aims to build multi-ethnic communities that strengthen the economic standard and provide a model for successful inter-ethnic villages. Through this process of joint reconstruction, the programme aids the psychological healing of the local people. With this model, the project also hopes to start a process of healing across the entire conflict area.

How it is Articulated

The project leaders appointed field teams for the selected areas who coordinated the initiative with government agencies, community leaders and refugees living in temporary accommodation.

The locals entered onto awareness courses, which supported their recovery from personal traumas and depressions caused by war and helped them start their lives again.

To economically empower those villagers that had lost their jobs due to the conflict, ASAD offered vocational training that enabled them to find new work. The organisation also provided loans to help the villagers on their way.

The communities erected new houses and public buildings in the villages as a team, together.

Achievements / Learning Points

After recent events, the displaced communities were dejected and this united effort at empowering, inspiring and motivating helped them to escape depression.

Even before the devastation that came with natural disaster and war, the Muslims and Tamils in the area lived separately, in their own villages. But through the construction of a multi-ethnic village, these groups were encouraged to support each other in a new beginning as one community.

As a result of the initiative the communities are now united despite the impact of ongoing war.

Since this initiative strived to cover every aspect of the displaced people’s lives, it is a holistic effort capable of making a sustainable, productive contribution to peace and harmony within the community.

ASAD did, however, face some problems from official and unofficial power authorities in the area since both oppose peace initiatives. Due to these problems, some of the beneficiary families have gone to India and other areas in Sri Lanka as refugees.

Geographical Area of Operation

Tricomalee and Pothuvil - Eastern Province in Sri Lanka

Funding Resources

Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JAICA)

Organisations Involved

• National Forum of People's Organisations (NFPO); and
• JAICA.