“Let Us Heal the Mother Earth”

 As land has been a significant issue for Praja Abhilasha, the network decided on the theme, “Let Us Heal the Mother Earth” for its first Art Exhibition.  After receiving many vibrant submissions from school children throughout Sri Lanka, ages 6-18, the Art Exhibition and Prize Giving Ceremony was held Monday, November 5th, 2007.

by Chenoa Stock

The exhibition's theme was chosen as one that would bring a greater awareness to the participants and their families of the earth’s destruction, but also of its beauty.

This could be seen in all of the artwork which was displayed, as even the youngest participants portrayed this message in a way that perhaps words cannot capture.

Presbyterian Hunger Program Coordinator for International Hunger Concerns and Joining Hands Coordinator, Lionel Derenencourt, who was visiting Sri Lanka to facilitate the Global Campaign Organising Workshop, was the Chief Guest of the Prize Giving Ceremony. 

Many families came to see the Exhibition and were impressed by the skill of the children, not only for their drawing, but also for their capability to understand and grasp the theme in their art.

Two top winners of the Art Exhibition in the 15-18 yrs bracket

A Clearer Vision for Land

Following the Art Exhibition, Praja Abhilasha held its

two day workshop on Global Organising for Social Change, in which many of the leaders of each organization participated.  This was a productive time for Praja Abhilasha to reflect and evaluate on its past activities and progress. But it also served to come together to discuss priorities and how we can strengthen our capacity to organize a clear and influential campaign.  Working in small groups, it was decided that ‘land’ would be the central focus of the Praja Abhilasha campaign. 

Through Lionel’s facilitating, we discussed the steps to organizing a campaign and the important aspects of each step.  We began the process of brainstorming about what aspects of the land rights issue are most critical, what strategy we will use, and which should be our key message. But future discussions need to occur to continue this dialogue and development. 

One aspect we must pursue is that of broadening and diversifying the perspective of our network.  As we are a network of multiple faiths, it is important for us to hold our communities of faith accountable to their commitment of justice and love to their people and creation.  We can no longer work from within ourselves, but must reach out and find a motivation within our faith to determine what is right and just. 

This was a significant message for us, as we have currently only been working among our network.  Though progress has been made in this way, it will be exciting to see what the broader connections to communities of faith beyond us can help us achieve.

Is War a Solution For Peace?

by Lakmali Dinushika

Lakmali Dinushika is on the staff of Women’s Rural Front, a grassroot organization which helps to build women’s leadership and works for the protection of women’s rights. In August, she visited Jaffna, the northern most part of Sri Lankan, of which its majority Tamil population has been greatly affected by the war.

We all know the fact of war never brings blessings for a country. Destruction only comes through war, which will never bring peace. Now our country has been worsened by war. Whose necessity is war? The innocent people, who have no connections to this issue, are affected by this war.

I do not know how the people tolerate their life, living in areas continuously affected by the war. When I went to Jaffna, I saw that it was a great challenge to live, due to this situation. When people wake up, they constantly wonder how their families are going to survive. Southern people wake up with lots of expectations regarding their future, but northern people wake up with fear.  They must worry about how to feed their children and how to protect them.  It is a question that brings much difficulty.

Jaffna people are working only three or four days per week, though they have to work more than eight hours to get one day’s wage of Rs 150. Even if they work more than eight hours, they are unable to get any extra money for that. After finishing their work, they must buy food to feed their five or six children. In Jaffna, the price of 1 kg of rice has increased from 85 Rs  to 100Rs, 1 coconut is 50 Rs, and soap is 35 Rs.   So how can they buy these things within the amount of 150 Rs?  How the prices differ within this one country! While the southern people can shout in the streets about the increase in the cost of living, etc, and are able to express their oppositions in many ways, Jaffna people are unable to do anything in this regard. Even if they go to the road, they are controlled by the rules and regulations.

People who go to work, must return home before 7.00pm, as curfew is practiced from 7.00pm to 4.30am. The main road is also closed daily, at least an hour in the morning and evening. Due to this, the school going children have to face so many inconveniences at the time of school dismissal. Parents must anxiously wait at home until their children return from school, as they are prohibited to wait outside of the school compound until their children come.  If they wait too close to the school, they will be suspected of being a messenger of the L. T. T. E. (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)*, and could be arrested.

A few days ago, a nine year old school going girl was raped by an unknown person, but no action has been taken yet. No one knows where the case has been filed and the culprit is still wandering in the area.

In Jaffna District, daily, at least two persons are killed, abducted or disappear; no one knows who is doing these things. So the innocent Tamil people must tolerate these very cruel activities. On all sides, only the innocent people are affected by these inhumane activities.  There is no religion, race or ethics in this matter. Some people are forced to leave their residences and assets behind, to settle down in another area or state. Rich people are able to settle down like this, but the poor people are still residing in the same place. We should think about how these people suffer when they lose their protection and care.  This war never gives protection, employment, education, or food for the people who are suffering and are affected by it.

Jaffna people have even lost their fundamental rights.  We should all raise a question in us of “Why can’t they enjoy or receive their fundamental rights?”  No person or no country has received any victory in the world through war, so how will it happen in Sri Lanka? If this war continues, only parentless children and disabled persons will be alive. These people are our next generation, but even they will lose their education by this war. So we all should join hands together and must prevent this war.  We are the people who can do it.

*The LTTE is a militant Tamil nationalist organization that has waged a violent secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to create a separate Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The LTTE is headed by its founder, Velupillai Prabhakaran, and currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries.

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