Blog Post
Advancing Pluralism in Sri Lanka – A Workshop Series Overview
In the fall of 2023, the Global Centre for Pluralism conducted a series of workshops and meetings in Sri Lanka, focusing on enhancing pluralism.
This blog post highlights the key activities and outcomes from our fall 2023 engagements in Sri Lanka, providing insights into the work done by the Centre in collaboration with local partners.
The Centre partnered with the National Peace Council, an organization that has been committed to achieving peace in Sri Lanka since 1995, to create a comprehensive agenda that allowed for contact with a variety of stakeholders across the country. The workshop content was developed in partnership with Professor Neil DeVotta, a Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University, who played a crucial role as the lead workshop facilitator.
We focused on developing interactive components, including the “Pathways to Pluralism” activity, which invited participants to track their country’s laws and events and how they impacted the development of pluralism in the country. This activity offered participants the opportunity to provide insights and reflections on the circumstances that led to where Sri Lanka finds itself today, and how the country can move forward in a pluralistic way.
Meeting at Canada House
The Centre staff team was honoured to meet with High Commissioner Eric Walsh and other officials at the Canadian High Commission. The discussion centered around the Centre’s and the High Commission’s activities in Sri Lanka and potential areas of collaboration. The High Commissioner expressed strong support for our initiatives, emphasizing the importance of promoting respect for diversity in Sri Lanka.
Monitor Workshop with NPC Staff
The first workshop focused on evaluating the Global Pluralism Monitor tool’s applicability in Sri Lanka. Participants engaged in scoring indicators and comparing their assessments with the Centre staff team’s evaluations. This interactive session highlighted the importance of intersectionality in addressing pluralism and the perspective of civil society on these issues.
Meeting with Open University
A subsequent meeting at the Open University explored the synergies of the Monitor tool and their Social Harmony courses. Discussions revealed a strong institutional focus on pluralism and the benefits of incorporating pluralism in any education around social harmony and reconciliation. Their Social Harmony course, which is mandatory for all students in the social studies department, seeks to set the foundation for a more inclusive and diverse new generation of policy practitioners.
Workshops in Kandy and Regional Insights
Divisional Secretariat Workshop
In Kandy, we conducted a workshop for Divisional Secretariats, focusing on the Monitor tool’s local applicability to their work. The “Pathways to Pluralism” exercise was a key component, prompting participants to reflect on policies and events impacting pluralism within their districts. Despite the sensitivity around reconciliation and acknowledging the challenges of embracing diversity, the workshop fostered valuable discussions and established fruitful connections among Secretariats from neighboring districts.
Master Trainer Workshop
Another significant workshop involved the Master Trainers of the National Peace Council, where discussions covered structural inequalities, economic challenges and inter-group relations in Sri Lanka. The group activities successfully applied the Monito methodology and assessment framework. By examining and scoring policies or instances that strengthened or diminished respect for diversities in their communities, participants led engaging conversations on how pluralism could be used in their work in educating and connecting to communities.
University of Jaffna Workshop
The final workshop in Jaffna provided crucial insights into the region’s unique challenges, such as militarization and ethnic tensions. Students discussed the many challenges and double standards faced by Tamil and Muslim communities and explored how the Monitor tool could be applied to address these issues. It was insightful to see how a lot of issues impacting social cohesion that were not discussed in the workshops in Kandy were very prevalent in Jaffna. It was clear how several existing policies impacted the inclusion and rights of Tamil and Muslim students in the North, which consequently is impacting pluralism in the country.
Civil Society Meeting
A meeting with civil society organizations in Jaffna highlighted the state’s role in complicating inter-group relations. This meeting also highlighted that the environment for civil societies in the North can be treacherous, with solidarity between CSOs sometimes lacking. With lack of funding and limited ability to respond to Tamil grievances, many participants expressed feeling hopeless about the current civil society landscape. Participants emphasized the need for a revised civil society strategy and greater international support to foster pluralism in the region.
To conclude,
The Centre’s recent workshops and meetings in Sri Lanka have made significant strides in promoting pluralism and addressing local socio-political challenges. By engaging with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, educators, students, and civil society members, we have laid the foundation for meaningful collaborations and future initiatives. As we move forward, we aim to build on these engagements, continuously refining our approach to foster a more inclusive and pluralistic society in Sri Lanka.
