Notes on Nov.4 ,2010

1. Notes onNov.4 ,2010

2. Interfaith worship was shared by KeoVichith.

3. Morning reflection • Morning reflection shared by Laxmi • She focused on Street children’s problem • Had worked with the street children and says there is lot of exploitation and discrimination on streets children in Nepal. • Says everyone has a unique talent and power and it needs to be recognized. • Small and creative programs can change people’s perception as it did on hotels owner perception about street children.

4. Afternoon session on field trip reports Manar Group Shared issues related with Manar such as: • Heavy presence of military • Unsettled IDPs • Mass disappearances • Land disputes • Idle response of government • Government only for Singhalese people. • Extreme unemployment • Health care and sanitation related issues • Isolated and centralized form of government • Slow response and rebuilding of public facilities after war. • Extreme poverty. • Issues related to religion

5. Field report by Kandy group • Living conditions of tea estate workers • Their citizenship status • Role of religions in bringing Just peace • Power of women in community Have a cup of Tea for peace.

6. Field report by Matara group • Religious issues related with dominance of majority as well as religious tolerance. • Rural peoples perspective about government developmental projects • Responsibility of religious leaders towards community. • Mechanisms of community based self help organizations. • People want to build united and prosperous Sri Lanka through their collective efforts.

7. Field report by Batticola group Situation • The war made people to have a lot of mistrust among themselves breaking some relationships. • The government has intimidated people ,civil societies and NGOs and they can’t raise their voice for their rights on economy and presidential system e.t.c. • There were so many police and military check points,in the former LTTE controlled areas even after the war has supposedly ended. • The government doesn’t intend to bring reconciliation between the two communities based on the military presence in the former LTTE controlled areas.

8. Hope and Response • Most NGOs conduct micro credit programs to improve peoples livelihood. • Children and youth have programs like dramas talking on social issues like drunkenness, early marriages and this has helped change the society. • YMCA has a community centre that people from the Tamil and the Muslim work together harmoniously and not under any reconciliation or religious program. • Youths should use IT to let the world know of their issues and this might put some international pressure.

9. Lessons Learnt • We should change our perception and don’t look at people as victims and this affects on how our project design, the structure still remain. • Children can be a tool for social change. • Perception on democratic rule has changed because in Burma where they have a military leadership. • How to be a good citizen-have to have good political awareness and responsibility and not just blindly follow the injustice law. • After the home stay I learnt to appreciate what I have and thank God for it. • fear is a weapon that can paralyze people from taking action to respond to their issues. Creating fear is thus an objective of repressive governments. • Listening to the peoples stories, when there is little that can be done to improve their situation and their lives is frustrating. • We have to make the government depend on the people not the people depend on the government.