Human Rights Education

1) TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN SRI LANKA AND ASIAN PERSPECTIVE

IMADR AC organized a programme titled “Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka: Asian Perspective” emphasizing religious leaders, civil society leaders, and victims in order to learn about Transitional Justice  mechanisms and strategies to address their own issues related to ethnic/ religious discrimination, human rights abuses, and issues of accountability, truth, and reconciliation. More than 50 religious leaders, civil society leaders, and victims representing all corners and all ethnic/ religious communities participated in the programme. Hon. Mano Ganeshan (Minister of Official Languages and National Dialogue) and Dr Pakiyasothi Sarawanamuththu addressed the audience to outline the nature of the proposed TJ mechanism. Dr Nimalka Fernando moderated the event.

Also civil society consultaions on TJ was held as a one day workshop in Colombo to discuss the progress Transitional justice process in Sri Lanka and to review the gender impact and community participation.

Dialogue on Transitional Justice and reconciliation and combating hate-speech with 20 identified youth training in Buddhism was conducted at Waththegama Rajamaha Vihara in Kandy with 30 participants.

 

2) TOT ON CONSTITUTIONAL MAKING

• A meeting was held with 35 women leaders representing various districts to raise awareness related to the challenges facing the Constitutional making process. These leaders were given the responsibility to convene small groups discussions at the local level. The districts covered are Matara, Hambanthota, Galle, Moneragala, Gampaha, Ratnapura
• A meeting several civil society platform leaders a programme was developed to provide training related to conducting provincial level discussions and dialogue related to the Constitution making process in Sri Lanka. Training of Trainers Programme was conducted selecting 50 leaders from all over Sri Lanka to provide them with skills and knowledge related to (a) Constitution Making in other countries especially based on power sharing/federal structure (b) Efforts in Sri Lanka since mid-1980s related to power sharing (c) Initiatives taken since 2016 by the government and civil society participation (d) Constitution Reforms & Issues addressed.

 

3) UPR TRAINING AND REVIEW

Sri Lankan CSOs received technical support and guidance in relation to the Universal Periodic Review 2017 Sri Lanka. It is important to note for the first time the disabled network was provided assistance to present theirown UPR recommendations. IMADR AC was happy to assistant MY RIGHTS Network.

Technical Training related to the UPR process – IMADR Geneva based staff held pre-UPR orientation programmes in the Northern and Southern districts for second generation leaders assisting them to join the CSO Collective process related to the UPR. The workshops were held on 11 July 2017 in Batticaloa and on 5 July, in Jaffna. Half a day discussion for youth leaders of Sarvodaya and Caritas on UPR process and UN advocacy and HRC was conducted with the participation of IMADR UN Advocacy Officer.