Peace and Development Programme

Reconstruction and development in Sri Lanka requires peace. The Government, the LTTE, civil society, the international community and donors are key elements in facilitating peace for the people who are the primary stakeholders in the country.

 

To facilitate and be a partner in this process, the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) following discussions with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Sri Lanka initiated a programme to support and enable local capacities and agencies to work with district based communities, focusing on peace and development through the establishment of a fund with programme support initially for a period of 3 years, commencing November 2003.

 

The vision of the programme would be the promotion of diversity, human rights and freedom and the provision of equal development opportunities for all Sri Lankans. It would be achieved by facilitating overall support for the non-profit civic sector in Sri Lanka, linking key national civil society agencies, catalyzing synergy of collective activism. Equally, opening a programme to be supported by like-minded donors and funders.

 

To achieve this vision, the programme focuses on returning to roots of communities, emphasizing the role and importance of regaining and preserving the ecology and environment, which is fundamental in supporting the livelihood of communities in the process of recovery and reconstruction. Equally, investments will be promoted to provide due consideration for promotion and protection of cultures of communities, thereby, strengthening ownership identities.

 

As a continuation of this process, the human security dimension in which elimination of fear and want would be the end objective for the realization of peace and development by a society in which the needs and aspirations of all will find equal opportunities, considerations and status. Areas of particular concern include the importance of culture of communities and people, the recognition of the role of environment to support communities and livelihood and continuous focus to eliminate fear and want of people and vulnerable communities.

 

CHA is facilitating this programme in view of the commitment to the promotion of human rights and development. It has acquired particular skills and brings in linkages with all facilitating components of the peace process referred to earlier. The programme would have a number of unique features which include facilitation of co-ordinated approaches to invest in peace and development through civil society, devolve decision making to districts, consistent approach of partnership with beneficiaries, capacity building of all partners with uniform standards, distribution of resources for community based activities as well as promotion of advocacy focusing on policies.

 

The primary objective of the programme is to provide for provision of resources for national civil society organizations to invest in peace and development.

 

The secondary objectives are protection and promotion of cultural diversity, focus on human security, equalizing development opportunities for vulnerable persons and communities, protection and regeneration of ecology and environment to produce community vulnerabilities and to sustain liabilities.

 

The Process of addressing the considerations listed earlier would be undertaken through three phases:

 

Data and information are gathered from intermediary partners. The intermediary partners collect the required data in terms of problems, needs etc., existing in the various districts they propose to work in, and submit proposals to the P & D Programme.

 

The proposals are shortlisted, reviewed at district level and then chosen.

Each partner would have their own methodologies to measure the success of their projects.