Academy for Educational Development

Twenty years of violent tensions between Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists have devastated the economy and development of Sri Lanka. However, with the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 2002 and the initiation of talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its best chance for lasting peace in over a decade.

For negotiations to continue, they must be based on a collective vision of peace. AED is working with Sri Lankan officials and civil society organizations on several fronts to ensure that stakeholders are meeting on common ground.

AED recently provided grant money and technical assistance for a survey of nearly 3,000 people in government-controlled areas of the country to assess support for peace proposals that could be included in a final agreement.  This survey, significant in its scope, made it clear to Sri Lankan officials that peace will come only through a cooperative effort to end the civil war.

However, sources of information and communication on the conflict are extremely limited in Sri Lanka, which could potentially hamper such efforts. Therefore, AED is lending its communications expertise to build Info-Share, an information and knowledge sharing network in Sri Lanka. Info-Share was created with the belief that ICT and innovative media can help bridge communications gaps between the main stakeholders in the peace process and enable public participation in the process. 

AED is also producing a drama for Sri Lankan national television. Take This Road is a 13-part series highlighting the toll of conflict on community relationships. It is the story of three Sri Lankan families— one Tamil, one Sinhalese and one Muslim—coping with the effects of Sri Lanka's civil war.

“Through these efforts as well as new initiatives to follow from a new contract from USAID, AED is working to help Sri Lanka create a sustainable plan for peace,” said  Gwen Bevis, AED senior program officer.