Sri Lanka-Getting the start right!

Sri Lanka, a seat of peace and stability, once the center of World conflict news until May 18^th of 2009 where the notorious tiger outfit was totally eliminated as a fighting force. For the first time of their lives, the 80’s and 90’s generation of the small island nation is enjoying a day without bombing and bloodshed. How many people who could have been dying each day are now live to talk about their daily struggle for earning a living like the rest of the peaceful world?

But still in the recently reconcile north, the evil shadows of land mines loom in news papers when they talk about lack of government capacity to finish the demining in few years. It is now evident that it will take decades to completely finish thanks to the 3 decade long conflict. Majority of the internally displaced people who are been resettled in their lands still doesn’t enjoy the benefits of being in a non conflict effected area. Infrastructure left by decades of tiger conflict destruction is still largely haven’t been finish rebuilding. Government of Sri Lanka, despite billions of new investments in to converting the shattered cities in to modern vibrant economies of the province, still far away from their goal.

Despite all odds, the youth community who went from been forcible recruits and child soldiers to suicide bomber fanatics are now showing potential in to non violent conflict resolution and building their shattered livelihood with great patience. Present youth experience is that there is nothing they can win by use of weapons and only by peaceful co-existence.  Unlike the demands for ethnic driven hate which gave them the brainwashes cause of a separate country, these youth men and women have now realized that the people living outside the conflict zone are not monsters as they have been taught for years by elite politicians. Instead all people have the same issues in education, health, employment, livelihood, social security just like the ones who were put in to the fighting in trenches. Now they know for anyone living in their small country, finding a job after leaving school or university, getting paid adequately for the tasks they execute, getting social recognition and fulfilling their legitimate political aspirations is not at all easy.

Their concerns in daily lives have been changed from going to hiding from armed gangs who forcibly took them from schools and put them in to dying trenches, to having more opportunities to find better paid employment after studying in a vocation training center or finishing their school time. Facilitating this painful transition is the biggest challenge that the Sri Lankan society faces. To keep young people properly educated employed and giving them democratic platforms to exercises their political ideals without waging wars for racial driven separatist agenda’s is critical for sustainable peace. Building their destroyed family lives, villages and societies in large should be a priority for the government agencies in the middle of their largely promoted and successful infrastructure development programs. Sri Lanka must understand that the youth in the north who were the most affected by the long and bloody conflict are still having difficulties in adapting to a peaceful post war nation. Creating platforms and reducing their exposure to vulnerabilities is key part of National reconciliation. This should not only be understood by the government authorities  but also by the civil society itself as it’s the society who will be doing the larger role of accepting the most effected youth back in to a peaceful social life. Sri Lanka has long way to go. It has just past 3^rd year mile post and many more miles are ahead. Challenging but hopeful for the future.

By  Sanka chandima