Jeewa Shakthi foundation

Jeewa Shakthi works for conflict transformation in Sri Lanka by focussing on the socio-political causes of conflict and bringing people together to educate them on non-violent means of conflict resolution.

Overview

Jeewa Shakthi started as a group effort to find a solution to the extremely high suicide rate in the Thanamalvila area during 1996. We believed that this high suicide rates resulted from an inability to transform internal and social conflicts which themselves resulted from individuals suffering from a lack of resources, relationship problems, family issues, or being social outcasts (amongst other problems). As a result we started to work to achieve conflict transformation and peace building in the community, hoping to provide people with the skills necessary to transform their personal and social conflicts.

Even though the voice of the people in the south has a powerful impact on the outcome of the ethnic conflict, they do not feel the impact of the destruction the conflict causes as directly as those in other areas. Therefore we expanded our vision to contribute to the conflict transformation process of the country as a whole; we sought to achieve this by working with the people in the south, encouraging them to be sensitive to the root causes of the conflict. Currently Jeewa Shakthi aims to mobilise people at the grassroots level to achieve a sustainable peace in the country by both promoting awareness around and encouraging the practice of democracy.

Through our work we have realised that fundamental factor in the failure to resolve protracted violent conflicts is the absence of necessary skills or experience amongst the population in identifying conflicts and solving them using non-violent means. Also we have found that simply listening to the pain and anger of people caught up in a conflict can help them to find their own ways of solving it. Often when the conflicting parties do not have anyone to talk to the conflict turns more violent.

Therefore developing people's listening skills is important in the process of conflict transformation: Jeewa Shakthi aims to educate people in the community in how to become better listeners and also provides trained staff to listen to and provide counsel to community members where that is necessary.

What Services Are Provided?

Child development programmes, female empowerment, female economic development, counselling.

Geographical Area of Operation

Galle, Matara, Hambanthota, Monaaragala, Ratnapura, and Ampara.

Funding Resources

NPC, USAID, CPA, Save the Children.

What Further Information Would You Like?

Information on networking internationally, on funding sources, and on exchanging material and research data on peace building and conflict transformation.

What New Contacts Would You Like To Make?

Organisations who can support us by providing material on peace building and conflict transformation, or with resources and training.

Associated Organisations

Community based organisations in the Galle and Matara districts.