ICSLS 2005
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Item Friendly Visitors from Down Under: A Case Work on Australian Humnaitarian Project in Sri Lanka(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Chan, H.; Harvey, X.; Govinnage, S.The arrival of a Portuguese visitor in the southern coastal town of Galle by accident in 1505 is considered as the beginning of the ‘Western invasion’ in Sri Lanka. The Dutch and the British followed the Portuguese and their arrival and action not only changed the modern history of the Island, but also influenced the economic, social, environment and cultural activities of the nation. Five hundred years after the arrival of the first Portuguese invader to Sri Lanka, thousands of foreigners arrived in the Portuguese controlled areas on or after 26 December 2004. On this occasion the main motive was neither invasion nor trade as the influx of new wave of foreigners in 2004 was associated with humanitarian assistance to those affected by the Boxing Day tsunami. Of the large number of foreigners who arrived in the Sri Lankans shores after December 2004 included Australians, representing NGOs, the Government and individuals. Some of the NGOs included professional organisations such as the Australian Medical Association (AMA). For example, in February 2005, the AMA Branch in Western Australia delivered an aid package worth over A$ 2 million. Medical contingencies from other states included not only medications and equipment, but also individual practitioners and medical students. This paper outlines a humanitarian project conducted by the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) in conjunction with the Unite for Sight Foundation and the Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organisation, and their work in the southern coastal belt commenced in December 2005. This paper will discuss the objective, processes involved and the possible outcomes of a humanitarian project led by the AMSA in the southern coastal belt providing, both short and long terms benefits not only for the tsunami affected people but also for the ‘visitors’ who will gain benefits as future health care providers in a multi-cultural Australia and elsewhere.Item Ethnic Violence in Sri Lanka: Comparing Security Solutions from other Similar Intractable Conflicts(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Imre, R.; Govinnage, S.Sri Lanka has been a focus of international attention since July 1983 due to the ongoing civil war, which has claimed over 60,000 people since it broke out. The civil war and associated ethnic violence has not only claimed human lives, but also delayed social advancement and economic prosperity in this island nation once regarded as a model for a developing nation. Despite international intervention for a ‘peaceful solution’ the country is at crossroads with an uncertain future. This paper will explore the possibility of moving beyond the irreducible categories of ethnicity and show how other peoples have overcome similar violent political conflicts elsewhere emphasising the possible lessons for Sri Lanka. When we look at intractable conflicts around the world, we often find political actors who are entrenched in their own battles for power. This power manifests itself in a number of ways such as, territory, voting rights, special concessions, language rights, cultural rights, as well as several other political expressions of a struggle for power and authority. In many cases, the struggle for power must take on an ethnic dimension in order to ensure that the conflict is one between two distant ‘others’. Without this dimension it might not be possible to negotiate on a type of universality and core values that bind ‘ethnicities’. In this paper we will draw out the similarities of these conflicts to some aspects of the civil war in Sri Lanka in an attempt to provide a set of comparative political tools for the understanding of similar conflicts around the world.Item Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka – An Outsider’s View(University of Kelaniya, 2005) Govinnage, S.Sustainable development focuses on the importance of meeting the needs of current and future generations through the integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity. In the implementation of sustainable development strategies the communities, people and their values are considered to be of vital importance. “A Sustainable community would be secure, healthy and equitable, with a clear sense of place,” (Environment Protection Authority, 2002). After more than 130 years of colonial rule, Sri Lanka gained independence from the British in 1948. Today, the country is at crossroads following a brutal civil war which ravaged the country since 1983. Despite all the internal constraints and challenges facing economic prosperity, “Sri Lanka reaffirms the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 which emphasize the need to eradicate poverty and reduce disparities in living standards to achieve sustainable development…” (United Nations, 1997). The paper will question the extent to which Sri Lanka’s sustainable development strategy assists in developing a society which is secure, healthy and equitable, with a clear 'sense of place'. In this regard the paper will examine key issues which either link or separate Sri Lanka’s sustainable development programme from its national disaster management programme. Its objective is to highlight the need for developing an alternate, sustainable development strategy which will meet the needs of current and future generations, through the integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity.