In May 2009 the war ended with a military victory for the government of Sri Lanka. After nearly 30 years of violent conflict, Sri Lanka is now embarking on the journey to peace.
The war is over, but the task to secure long-term peace is just beginning. Rebuilding the physical damage caused by the war – on homes, roads and infrastructure – is a key part of this. But as important is the healing of divides between people, the creation of equitable economic opportunities across the regions and the chance for Sri Lankans of all ethnicities and religions to play a role in the future of their country.
Our work focuses on addressing the socio-economic drivers of conflict with an emphasis on understanding the dynamics and needs in the regions. We work with partners to:
- mobilise district and national level business leadership in conflict sensitive business interventions and community development in Sri Lanka;
- engage Sri Lankan diaspora in advocacy for inclusive development ;
- understand and facilitate dialogue on youth exclusion issues and youth policy formulation;
- analyse the conflict sensitivity of development and aid approaches.
International Alert has been working on peacebuilding in Sri Lanka since the 1990s and opened its first country office in 2003.
Where
Our office is based in the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. We work with a network of partners across Sri Lanka with a particular focus on activity at the regional level.
Conflict Context
Sri Lanka has experienced more than three decades of violent internal conflict. The early 1970s saw the mushrooming of rebellion, especially in the impoverished rural regions, initially with a short-lived Southern-based youth insurgency. The growing tensions between the ethnic communities over national recognition and access to development resources fuelled a Northern and Eastern-based ethnic autonomy campaign. Successive inter-ethnic civil clashes and an increasing emphasis on ethnicity in the country’s state structures in the late 1970s and 80s sparked a Tamil secessionist insurgency, led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
A second Southern insurgency, led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (1987-89), indicated the continuing deep socio-economic and regional cleavages in the country. The compulsions of large scale counter-insurgency over the years have seen the democratic system transformed by stringent controls and a confrontational civilian politics.
Several failed political negotiations with the LTTE and long periods of insurgency and counter-insurgency warfare have torn apart Sri Lankan society along ethnic lines. The last military campaign was launched against the LTTE in 2007 with full scale conventional warfare in the Tamil-populated Northeast region. The war escalated throughout 2008, resulting in military victory for the government forces, the death of the LTTE leadership and surrender of rebel forces by May 2009.
Successive electoral victories since the end of the war have consolidated the current government in power, providing opportunities for constructive political reforms that could dismantle wartime controls and address the needs of socio-economic and ethno-cultural equity as the basis for sustainable peace.
How
We use a variety of methods to understand the dynamics and needs for peace in Sri Lanka, which all involve working with and supporting partners to address core conflict issues.
Working with business:
Our work over the last several years has focused on local business leaderships, aiming to develop the positive contribution that the private sector can make towards economic, social and political stability in the region. We work alongside key business players such as the Business for Peace Alliance, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Youth Business Sri Lanka as well as diaspora initiatives in the UK and Australia working towards responsible business in Sri Lanka.
Research and advocacy:
Our current focus is mainly on critically analysing socio-economic issues related to youth and business. We support a series of action-research studies examining the conflict sensitivity of development processes and policies in regions. We look at diaspora and local investment in Sri Lanka and work with partners to advocate for responsible practice that supports sustainable peace.
Training in peace and development:
We work together with the Peacebuilding and Development Institute in Sri Lanka to strengthen the skills and capacities of professionals in the peacebuilding and development sector through training of individuals, capacity building of organisations and knowledge sharing and exchange across Sri Lanka and South Asia.
Why
Just and lasting peace requires broadly shared economic opportunities, including decent work, to redress economic issues and grievances that fuelled violent conflict in the first place and to address the socio-economic impacts of conflict on the livelihood and lives of conflict-affected populations.
Together our approach of applied peacebuilding, research and advocacy and training combine to offer ongoing analysis of the socio-economic drivers of conflict in Sri Lanka out of which practical solutions can be drawn to address these needs and support sustainable peace.
