More than a Literary Festival

The 26th – 30th of January was a special time period at the sports academy housing facility in Seenigama. For the first time in our history we had the honour of hosting university students representing all parts of our country. The popular Galle literary festival was in town and with it various events across Galle District. The organizers this year were eager to have university students studying literature exposed to the wealth of resources and knowledge available at the festival. The organizers were also eager to have university students from various ethnic and religious backgrounds experience the festival along with the opportunity to interact with each other. A theme of integration and reconciliation is rightly viewed as crucial in post war Sri Lanka and was fittingly incorporated to this event.

The 24 students and 7 professors who had registered for this event represented universities of Ruhuna, Sabaragamua, South Eastern and Jaffna. For the students from Jaffna and South Eastern University this was their first exposure to the south. We at the Foundation were eager to host and give them the warmest hospitality and show them our true commitment for friendship and reconciliation. The very first reaction of all the students who resided at the sports academy was being in awe at all that goes on at the sports academy, MCC center of excellence and the village heart beat models. They were in awe at how an organisation can have such wide-ranging impact to the entire community. One student claimed, “I have never seen anything like this my whole life, didn’t know any organisation could make such an impact to eradicate poverty”.  Our goal was to be great host, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that each and every one of these students were inspired, impressed and energized by the work led by FoG.

These are student who have shown academic excellence and a minority of students who gained access to higher education in Sri Lanka. Most of them will play crucial roles of leadership in our nation in the years to come. To have the opportunity to inspire and fuel their passion to serve society was extra special. Their visit was also a litmus test to us in regard to our potential effectiveness across the island in narrowing the gap between urban and rural Sri Lanka. Many of these students also represented rural Sri Lanka and were eager to give back to their communities. The excitement and belief in our work and its ability to truly narrow the gap in rural setting across the country was a special complement to us. 

The organizers of the Galle Literary Festival wanted to have these students have special training in teaching on the topics of Leadership, Reconciliation and Integration. The morning sessions were spent at the Festival in Galle and the afternoons were spent at a workshop on reconciliation at MCC center of excellence. These sessions were led by FoG’s partner organization, Sri Lanka Unites. The students were encouraged to break away from only interacting with people from their ethnic and religious background, and use the rest of their time together to get to know and build friendship with brothers and sisters across the country. Along with the study of theory on reconciliation and leadership these students were able to practically experience the richness of Sri Lankan diversity and the power of unity.

The FoG sports academy housing facility over the next few days turned out to be more than just a residence hall. It was a place where friendships were being made, negative stereotypes broken and in the hearts and minds of these students an inclusive Sri Lankan identity created. This was a rich privilege for FoG. The staff at the sports academy was interacting with people from the North and East of the country for the first time in their lives. They were so eager to serve them well and build bonds of friendship and show their love and commitment to their brethren from across the Island. These are precious moments in post war Sri Lanka and crucial lessons and experiences if our nations is to grow in peace and harmony for generations to come.

This event was crucial to us in many ways. This was especially important to us because we are heading to Mankulam to establish our second center in post war North. Many of these students were eager to join our work in Mankulam and promised that this had been a life-changing experience. Another student mentioned “I came for a literary festival, I leave with much more, a deeper commitment to reconciliation and a burning desire to help rural communities across the Island, this week has changed my life”

Reconciliation requires changes of heart and spirit, as well as social and economic change. It requires symbolic as well as practical action.
~ Malcolm Fraser

2011.02.22