Building Religious Harmony towards Protecting the Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka 2015-2016

                                                                  

With the objective of disseminating the message of harmony widely and deeply, SAPRI expanded the next phase of its programme to include additional districts and addded new categories of participants in the project activities. Accordingly, the project on Building Religious Harmony towards Protecting the Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka 2015-2016 covered the new districts of  Kalutara, Galle, Ratnapura, Kegalle and Puttalam to build on the previous project and take the message of religious harmony to a different group of districts across the country. New target groups were added, namely, the Buddhist clergy; Political Leaders; and Political Activists.

Altogether, twenty seven (27) capacity building workshops were conducted of which those for the Buddhist clergy were designed as Intra-faith Dialogue Workshops while the activities of the Political Leaders & Political Activists, and the Civil Society, took the form of Interfaith activities. 

The program for the Buddhist Clergy in the Galle, Ratnapura, Kegalle and Puttalam districts was designed under the theme "Contemporary challenges faced by the Buddhist clergy and measures to overcome them". The noteworthy feature of the program was the Buddhist clergy entering into interactive and animated discussions among themselves to identify the challenges and articulate remedial measures. The capacity building conducted for them focused on respect for and study of other religions; interaction with multifaceted communities; development of language and communication skills to keep abreast of global changes; and to carry the message of harmony to the laity; which were in fact the challenges identified by the Buddhist clergy at the workshops.

        Intrafaith Workshop in Putttlam for Buddhist Monks

                                               Multi-religious leaders visiting a Buddhist Temple

A series of one day interactive capacity building workshops were conducted for the benefit of political leaders and political activists and the grassroots level, targeting the change of mindsets, attitudes and behavior of the participants for positive outcomes. At these events, the participants were given a broader knowledge and understanding on the characteristics, nature and causes of violence.

The final activity in the series of workshops was a Training of Trainers where participants reflected on the  knowledge gained and were given the know-how and opportunity to empower them to conduct discussions on their own.

The program also facilitated field visits to a Buddhist Temple, Hindu Kovil, Mosque and Church         for project participants who belonged to the four different religions. It was a novel experience for most, and promoted deeper understanding of the different faiths.

Planting a “tree for unity‟ was another activity which was symbolic of cementing the positive energy created by the participants. It was a measure of reflecting on harmony and the importance of        environmental protection. The High Commissioner for Canada in Sri Lanka, Her Excellency Shelly Whiting participated in the planting of the "tree for unity" in Embilipitiya.

At the end of the series of workshops, with a view to continuing the program in each district by different stakeholders, platforms were created, road maps drawn and coordinating committees elected for each platform.

The project was supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

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       Dhamma School Students in Puttalam in Interfaith Dialogue

The Dhamma (Sunday) School students of the Bodhirukkharama Temple in Kalpitiya in the Puttalam District, with the guidance of Ven. Anamaduwe Medhananda Thero, Chief Incumbent of the Bodhirukkharama Temple, participated in an interfaith activity on 10 September 2016. The objective of the event was to directly interact with the clergy of different religions in order to enhance their knowledge of religions other than Buddhism, the religion they observed, and initiate a comparison between the teachings of Buddhism and Islam.

The activity was a sequel to a series of intra-faith activities conducted by the South Asia Policy and Research Institute (SAPRI) with Buddhist Clergy in Kalpitiya, as well as in Galle, Kegalle and Ratnapura, during a one year period, under the project Building Religious Harmony towards Protecting the Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, 2015-2016, to develop the interest and knowledge of the Buddhist Clergy in other religions. The project having concluded in 2016, the participant Buddhist clergy assumed the responsibility to continue the project in their communities under their own leadership in order to achieve the project target of Building Religious Harmony.

Participating at the event were Ven. Bovita Dammissara of the Buddhist Centre in Puttalam, Moulavi Sabreen of the Grand Mosque, Puttalam, and Mr. K. T Haroon, Vice Principal of St. Andrews Maha Vidyalaya, Puttalam, as well as the students, both boys and girls, of the Buddhist Dhamma School attached to the temple. The SAPRI Team was also present on invitation.

Ven. Kalupahane Piyananda Thero moderated the activity. Mr A.A. Jayasena, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist provided logistical support.

Commencing the dialogue, Executive Director SAPRI, Geetha de Silva extended greetings and good wishes of Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Chair, SAPRI to the participants and conveyed Madam Kumaratunga’s appreciation of the efforts of the Kalpitiya Buddhist Clergy in driving forward the interfaith dialogue introduced to Kalpitiya by SAPRI.

Ven. Anamaduwe Medhananda Thero, describing the importance of the programme, highlighted the necessity of being a practitioner of the religion. “It is important to identify yourself with a religion as a practitioner, rather than having inherited it by birth”, he observed.

Addressing the gathering, Moulavi Sabreen drew attention to the peaceful atmosphere that prevails in Puttalam, without ethnic or religious unrest. “We live in complete harmony. His holiness Muhammad Nabi preached the value of harmony a millennia ago, which we respect and preserve up to date”.

The program highlighted the interest of the students and teachers of the Sunday school to gain an insight into other religions and cultures, as they were seen making eager inquiries about Islamic philosophy, its history and rituals. Questions ranging from how Muslims conduct their prayers; to the difference between a sin and merit from an Islamic perspective; the significance of the fasting period; were aired during the session, to which, the Islamic representatives responded with clarity. The effort was fruitful, and the Moulavi invited the students of the Buddhist dhamma school to visit the Grand Mosque in Puttalam, to share their experience with Islamic students.

The religious leaders emphasised their interest to continue conducting similar programs in other venues of religious worship in the district, to educate children on the values of harmony. The Buddhist clergy expressed agreement to a proposal made by the Islamic clergy that teaching different languages to the students in the areas, such as Tamil to the Sinhala children and Sinhala to the Tamil and Muslim students, would facilitate better communication among the students and contribute to harmony. In a community such as Puttalam which has an ethnically diverse population such a move would be particularly productive.

The Building Religious Harmony Program initiated by SAPRI aims to promote inter- faith dialogue and ethno-religious harmony amongst different religious groups and ethnicities that co-habit in highly populous neighbourhoods with the target of enhancing the Freedom of Religion and Belief in Sri Lanka.                                  

Building Religious Harmony at District Level, 2014-2015

                                                                                 

Encouraged by the interest expressed and the positive response by the participants of the Pilot Project, SAPRI took a step forward and arranged to conduct workshops of different themes focusing on Religious Harmony. Also included were new categories of participants, and a new district, that of Ratnapura, in the project. 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided financial assistance to the project.

SAPRI conducted eleven (11) one day capacity building workshops in Ratnapura, Kurunegala and Gampaha Districts for two categories of participants. They were (1) religious leaders and (2) community leaders and multi-stakeholders. The workshops  targeted mind-set and attitude change and they attracted a range of participants, both men and women, while religious leaders of all the main religions were also present. A high degree of enthusiasm prevailed at all the activities. 

It was truly gratifying to see the multi-religious leaders sitting next to each other in animated discussion on topics of common interest. 

 

                                 Religious leaders at Imbulpe Workshop

                                 

                              Multi-stakeholders' Workshop in Gampaha 

Following the series of capacity building workshops, Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops were held for selected participants from all three districts. The potential trainers received an exposure and practical training to conduct capacity building activities in their respective communities. They  continue to be active in this area and SAPRI is pleased to receive regularly, the positive reports on their activities.

The outcome of the project was the creation of two platforms, i.e., a "Religious Leaders' Forum" and a "Community Leaders' Forum" as well as a Working Committee to implement future multi-religious activities in the districts.

The major expectations of the platforms are:

• Intervene in case of religious disturbances
• Watch for early warning signs of religious disturbances and take early action to diffuse   any adverse situation.
• Design and implement activities to build harmony and co-existence at community level

Building Religious Harmony - Pilot Project, 2014

 

In view of the growing tension in the country due to the radical acts of extreme religious groups, through promoting and perpetrating violence against minority religious groups while the authorities remained inactive, as seen in the Aluthgama incidents in June 2014, SAPRI decided to commence             a programme on Building Religious Harmony without delay.

 Therefore, using its own resources, SAPRI initiated a pilot project in three different districts, to promote inter-religious unity and create an awareness of its necessity, through a process of awareness raising and capacity           building.

 The project was conducted in Attanagalla, Negombo and Kurunegala, having different religious groups; varying degrees of political interest; and diverse employment and economic patterns.

 While Attanagalla is predominantly an agricultural and industrial area, it has a politically sensitized         population due to it having been the home of two former Prime Ministers, i.e. the late Hon. SWRD Bandaranaike and the late Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranaike. It is also the home of the country's first woman President, H.E. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The majority of the    people are Buddhists while there is a presence of Muslims, Hindus and Christians.

Negombo has a majority of Catholics with Muslims comprising the second largest religious group  and Buddhists the third. This has been a strong Catholic area and is considered the centre of catholic cultural activity in the country. Fishing is the main occupation as well as tourism which is a  key source of income in Negombo.

Agriculture plays an important role in Kurunegala's economy. The area also has the presence of a  large number of Defence Services personnel who were involved in the war against the LTTE, as such the people are highly motivated politically. There is a considerable segment of professionals          visible as well. Buddhists comprise the larger percentage of the population while other religious  groups too are present in smaller numbers. 

Negombo and Kurunegala have been recognized as having the potential to be locations for religious disturbances.

The very first capacity building workshop on Religious Harmony was organized and hosted by SAPRI in Attanagalla in August 2014. Addressing the well attended event, SAPRI Chair, President         Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, focused on the necessity to initiate efforts to build tolerance in society in view of the rapidly deteriorating peace and harmony due to religious disturbances. She expressed the hope that the workshop would not only lead to a change in mindsets and attitudes of the participants but also that the participants would take the lead in disseminating the message of harmony in their communities.

The Attanagalla workshop had the participation of senior Buddhist, Hindu, Islam and Christian religious leaders, professionals such as medical doctors, lawyers, school principals, school teachers,  private sector members and other multi-stakeholders, with a gender and youth balance.

SAPRI selected Negombo as the venue for the next workshop held the following month, in September  2014, which also had the participation of multi-religious clergy, community leaders and  multi-stakeholders. Negombo being a predominantly Catholic area, the majority of the participants   were Catholics. There was a significant presence of Muslims too and Hindus and Buddhists were attending in somewhat smaller numbers.

The third capacity building workshop on Building Religious Harmony was held in Kurunegala at the Bishop Lakshman Wickramasinghe Memorial Centre. Active participation by youth, both male  and female was significant on this occasion, while the usual attendance of religious and community  leaders, professionals, the private sector and multi-stake holders, both women and men contributed  to a lively one day workshop.

At the end of the capacity building workshops of the pilot project conducted in Attanagalla, Negombo and Kurunegala, it was encouraging to have comments and observations from participants who considered the exercise a great learning experience and an exposure to messages of equality and harmony, similarly articulated in all religions. While recognising the necessity for          peaceful co-existence to achieve economic development, they emphasized the need to expand the programme to other districts and pledged to carry it forward in their own communities, work places  and schools.

The demonstration of acceptance of the project by the people and their encouraging reaction to efforts of a multi-religious nature, together with the positive vibrations the project generated, gave      confidence to SAPRI to continue with the work related to Building Religious Harmony more widely and deeply, across the country.

This resulted in the conduct of 38 capacity building workshops subsequently, in nine areas in different districts, in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

 

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BUILDING RELIGIOUS HARMONY - PROJECT LOCATIONS AND PARTICIPANTS' PROFILES

Locations Chosen for the Project

SAPRI chose its target locations from the areas where religious tensions were known to have increased      in        the past decade while giving due consideration to the potential for future outbreak of hostilities.

Profile of participants

• Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Catholic & Christian clergy
• Political leaders & political activists of all political parties, with a religious and gender        balance          
• Community leaders and the grassroots level representing the different religions, with a gender  and youth  balance
• Multi-stakeholders comprising government representatives, the civil society, private sector and professionals of different religions with a gender and youth balance 

                               

Remembering Aluthgama 2014 after 2 Years: Equality, Social Justice and a New Constitutional Order

                                                                                

                                                Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga                                                                                                delivering the keynote adddress

It was a significant moment for the South Asia Policy and Research Institute (SAPRI) to participate in the Panel Discussion on “Remembering Aluthgama 2014: Equality, Social Justice and a new Constitutional Order”, in August 2016, to mark the second anniversary of the anti-Muslim violence in June 2014, in and around Aluthgama. It is these incidents of religious violence and hate speech as seen culminating with the Aluthgama incidents that urged SAPRI to commence an interfaith dialogue in an effort to build Religious Harmony in the country, with the first capacity building session taking place in Attanagalla in Gampaha District on August 2^nd2014.

The Law & Society Trust (LST), together with the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), led the Panel Discussion on,“Remembering Aluthgama 2014”. The Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies(BCIS) hosted the event. Former President  Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

The Panel Discussion was conducted by reflecting on the local and national ramifications of religious intolerance and the significance of constitutional reforms and transitional justice processes as a solution.The Discussion referred to the series of events that led to the culmination of Sinhala -Muslim ethnic unrest in Aluthgama, and reviewed its socio-political aftermath. 

The first panel comprising Dr.Farzana Haniffa, from the University of Colombo; Ms. Darisha Bastians, Journalist; and Mr. A.R.M. Badiuddeen from Aluthgama;, focused on the conflict areas, highlighting the aspects that need addressing and placing them in relation to wider claims for justice, equality and inclusivity.

Building on this, the second panel with Prof. Savitri Goonesekere former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya of the Open University of Sri Lanka and Ms. Wije Nagaraj as panelists, reflected on some of the challenges and prospects in relation to the realization of justice, minority rights and formal and substantive equality through the on-going constitutional reforms and transitional justice processes.

The Panel Discussion, not only had contributions of prominent academics, media representatives, the civil society and minority community leaders but also, activists, politicians, diplomats as well as legal personalities, who voiced their opinions regarding the Aluthgama incidents and their aftermath.

Former President Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, made the keynote speech on this occasion. Addressing the gathering, Madam Kumaratunga emphasized the importance of initiating a societal change to address religious and ethnic tensions. “We need to change the hearts and minds of people. It is of paramount importance to make people accept the necessity to live in harmony with each other, by accepting and celebrating diversity rather than rejecting it. Sri Lanka has so far failed to achieve harmony because the leaders were afraid to speak to the people on the need for harmony for a better society”.Madam Kumaratunga said.

The unrest between Sinhala and Muslim factions in Aluthgama took place in June 2014, which resulted in several deaths and destruction of property belonging to both Muslim and Sinhala communities.

The occasion of the panel discussion also provided the opportunity for the formal launching of the publication, “Where have all the neighbours gone? Aluthgama Riots and its aftermath: A Fact Finding Mission to Aluthgama, DhargaTown, Velipanna and Beruwela”,an initiative of the Law & Society Trust.

 

 

 

SAPRI's Program on Building Religious Harmony at Policy, Advocacy and Grassroots Level- 2013

 Introduction

Succeeding a prolonged ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, the transitional period has been challenging due to a variety of reasons. Incidents of hate and violence related to religion have been significant as they pose a serious threat to the harmonious coexistence of the society. Extremist and radical groups have been harassing minority religious communities and executing physical attacks on places of worship, property and even commercial establishments. Hostile rumors critical of minority religions spread through the use of social media caused a mindset change particularly in   the youth who frequented the social media.

Therefore it became imperative to encourage and build pluralistic values among the citizens in order to strengthen the ongoing ethnic reconciliation efforts targeting the preemption of reversal   to the former state of violence which prevailed prior to 2009. It became essential therefore, to create awareness among the people,  of the importance of safeguarding religious harmony and through a process of capacity building, encourage the society to co-exist peacefully, as a conflict free society is essential for the development of a country.

Background: SAPRI's Initiative on Building Religious Harmony 

Given the hostility in the country due to religious intolerance, SAPRI, in 2013, decided to embark              on a process to build religious harmony, in conformity with its Conflict and Peace Building theme. Thus, SAPRI became one of the first organizations in the country to commence an initiative on Building Religious Harmony.

 Senior members of the Clergy of the main religions of Sri Lanka, academics, professionals, the legal community and the civil society were invited by SAPRI to conduct a study to ascertain the challenges to religious harmony in the country and suggest measures to address them. The study group, named the Forum for Inter-Faith and Dialogue (FIFAD) began an intense dialogue for this purpose from June 2013. A colloquium was held in Colombo in early January 2014 with the participation of eminent experts from the South Asia region and beyond on “Challenges to Pluralism in South Asia”, to give an impetus to the FIFAD process.

Following the study, on  January 28th,2014, SAPRI launched a publication on “Building Religious Harmony “with the patronage of leading religious leaders and non clergy from all walks of life.

An outstanding feature on this occasion was Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Catholic and Christian religious leaders converged together on one platform conveying the message of unity.

This process prepared the ground for SAPR's grassroots program to build Religious Harmony in the following years. To commence the program, SAPRI designed a project on building religious harmony and planned for   its implementation through policy making, advocacy, and awareness creating at grassroots level.