A New Focus for a Land Recovery People's Movement

by Chenoa Stock

Praja Abhilasha has reached an exciting turning point in its network development. Since the Global Organizing for Social Change Workshop in November, the members of Praja Abhilasha are filled with a new enthusiasm and commitment to the more focused campaign of land rights in Sri Lanka.

Focus on displacements

While land is a vast issue in this country, Praja Abhilasha has decided to focus on the displacement of people from their land, in regards to the tsunami, internally displaced people of the ongoing war, natural disasters, and development. Though many of the members of our network are affected by these issues and have been dealing with them for many years, thereby having great firsthand knowledge and stories about them, it has been decided that an in depth and official study of these issues must be carried out. This detailed research will be a first step in helping us to accurately and fully understand the issues on which we want to focus.

Indepth study on related issues

A research team will work with one head researcher, who will coordinate the process of the information gathering. They will first collect research that has been completed and written, collect any other missing information, and then help to compile and analyse this information. Once this process has been completed, we will then be able to define our campaign in a sharper and more focused way, in order to create a common platform of advocacy and people mobilization.

It is difficult to say where this research will lead us, but we are anxious for the results and for the forward progression of the movement in knowledge and action.

NAFSO Office Opening

NAFSO (National Fisheries Solidarity Movement), one of Praja Abhilasha's partner organizations, has recently held a ceremony for the construction of its new office. NAFSO, which is an umbrella group for many community groups around Sri Lanka, and was one of the first organizations to join Praja Abhilasha, just celebrated its 10th anniversary of grassroots level work in 2007. Its conveners, Herman Kumara and Geetha Fernando, were very excited to erect this four storey building, which will soon replace the one storey office they had been working in since NAFSO's inception.

NAFSO's primary aim is to create sustainable fisheries through sustainable fisheries policies. They are strong advocates for fishing community rights, and aspire to bring together fishing communities through their different activities of education and awareness about fishing issues, marketing alternatives, leadership programmes, home gardening programmes, and its development of a mini banking system within these communities. NAFSO receives strong support from these communities and continues to advocate with them for just and fair fishing policies, calling upon and questioning the accountability of the Ministry of Fisheries to uphold these policies.

As they begin their work in this new office in March, which includes a floor for guests and a training centre for activists, one can see that this move will only make their vision and commitment stronger for reaching out and making a difference in these communities. It is a blessing that this dedication and strength is a part of the work of Praja Abhilasha.

Situation In Which We Work

Though Sri Lanka has been a war torn country for more than thirty years, the situation in which we work today has begun to see a further escalation of violence. As Sri Lanka celebrated its 60th year of Independence on February 4th, the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), a Tamil separatist group who have been fighting against the majority Sinhala government for a separate state for Tamils, carried out a series of attacks throughout Sri Lanka during the holiday weekend. These attacks included a suicide bomber and a grenade, though other recent attacks have included claymore mines and bus bombs.Though it is sometimes difficult to determine who carried out what attacks, it is clearly known that the country situation will only grow more volatile with each day that both groups turn away from the negotiating tables.

The government recently pulled out of a moribund ceasefire agreement in January, which had been brokered by Norway in 2002. Though both groups' adherence to the ceasefire deteriorated as the years passed, the annulment of it by the government has thrown the country into a war which has brought about an increased loss of lives, including soldiers on either side, government workers, and innocent civilians.

Life continues on, as it must in these situations, but the need for stronger hope and a peaceful solution becomes more desperate. Praja Abhilasha may not be a conflict resolution group, but through our awareness and education programs and the support we provide to these communities, we can only hope that this solidarity will somehow help the people to find strength within them to continue to spread love and compassion in the midst of the present turmoil. There is hope.