 |
|
 |
|
FIRST INTERIM REPORT ON YOUTH DIALOGUE FORUMS (YDF)
A Program of Peace-education among Youth
|
Youth Dialogue Forum (YDF) initiated and implemented by the Social Scientist's Association, funded by the Grassroots Foundation, and is a program of socio-political education.
We say, emphatically, that the socio-political education is the wayward to enrich rural lives in Sri Lanka . In fact, the program is a gratifying realization of the motto of the grassroots foundation, ‘Going Rural: Enriching Lives'. |
|
At first, we select about 50-100 youth living in target areas, between 18-25 years of age, Belonged to both gender and different ethnic and religious categories, and organize them into forums. Secondly, many dialogic discourses are conducted with each group on themes of democracy, democratic governance, citizenship, multiculturalism, protection of human rights, minority rights, non-violent conflict resolution, peace-building etc. Further, the following themes are also being dealt with: social/individual problems of Sri Lankan youth and methodologies of its resolution, socio-political youth movement of Sri Lanka and their perspectives, the quality of the education received by the youth of Sri Lanka, contemporary arts and cultures of Sri Lanka dialogic education for youth which motivates the transformation of the society etc. |
|
The YDF Program has three main objectives: |
| |
• Raising the socio- political consciousness as well as understanding of the youth on current issues of governance, democracy, economic development, conflict and peace, political reforms, etc |
| |
• Bringing the youth together to reflect, discuss and debate on political and social issues that are central to the realities of Sri Lanka today. |
| |
• To record and bring to the attention of political leaders, policy makers, key Influential personalities in the country the voice of the youth on above-mentioned major public policy issues. |
|
Later, YDF will organize advanced youth educational programs, overseas youth exchanges, youth networks for economic empowerment, etc.
One dimension of youth marginalization of our society is the fact that they are not recognized as a socially important community. On political, national and policy issues they are hardly consulted; their views are hardly solicited. The YDF seek to provide the space where young women and men in the community are indeed empowered. We strongly feel that the views of the youth need to be brought to a wider public domain. The challenge all of us face today is to make the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim youth of the country an agency and participants, not passive observers of the process of change and transformation.
In context of these ideological positions, the YDF program has successfully completed many initial workshops within the period of 3 months (July –September) in the following areas: |
| |
• Orubendiweva Maha Vidyalalaya, Mahiyanganaya (100 Participants) |
| |
• Eluwankulama, Puttalama (60 Participants) |
| |
• Meeriyabedde, Passara (60 Participants) |
| |
• Kudapaduwa, Negombo (50 Participants) |
| |
• Mallehewa Maha Vidyalaya, Bibile (100 Participants) |
| |
• Thenagallanda, Moneragala (60 Participants) |
| |
• Wadinagala,Ampara (60 Participants) |
| |
• Colombo (35 Participants) |
(Total no. of participants 525) |
|
After having initial orienting workshops the program is organizing dialogue forums on monthly basis until the Inter-District Dialogue scheduled to be taken place in the first week of December in Colombo . During these monthly dialogue workshops the emphasis is laid on to develop the capacity to produce and articulate the knowledge as well as experience of the young participants.
Within the months of October and November YDF plans to implement workshops in Galle district, Matara district, Hambantota district, Colombo district, Batticaloa district, Kurunegala district and in Jaffna district.
|
| |
• 2 workshops in Galle district |
| |
• 2 workshops in Matara district |
| |
• 2 workshops in Hambantota district |
| |
• 4 workshops in Colombo district |
| |
• 2 workshops in Batticoloa |
| |
• 2 workshops in Kurunegala district |
| |
•1 workshop in Jaffna |
Photographs of few initial workshops are attached here in order to provide a visual display of the program.
To conduct these workshops the YDF has to organize a pool of resources persons: university professors and lecturers, Buddhist monks with academic background, non-academic intellectuals, etc. Workshops are not being conducted through the traditional methodology: lecturers/listeners/ activity. They are basically brain-storming dialogic discourses which promote participatory as well as dissenting strategies in order to construct and nurture peace-loving young citizens with critical minds.
Completing the 3 months of accelerated and hard-pressed but enthusiastic and stimulating work, with the groups of youth living in the rural periphery of Sri Lanka , the YDF program would like to present the following observations for your perusal: |
|
| 1 |
Organize other sustainable programs in order to support youth who remain actively and consciously within the YDF program. For example, programs on poverty alleviation, networks on economic empowerment, educational programs, libraries and reading rooms, IT centers and e-libraries, entertainment and multicultural festivals, etc. |
| 2 |
Activities of the YDF program is now confined to few selected areas of the country. Definitely it should be expanded to cover the whole island with an intention to build up a multiethnic, multicultural youth movement in Sri Lanka that fosters ethnic harmony and culture of peace. |
| 3 |
The YDF program has acquainted few marginalized communities living in the rural which undergo numerical socio-political impediments. Among them are aadivasi groups, ethno groups, caste villages, etc. Aadivasi community in Dambana-Mahiyanganaya is the most dynamic community in which you identify significant upward social mobility. The present chief of the community, Vannilaththo, is a very dynamic leader possessing a high degree of social-consciousness. He is very friendly with the SSA and took part in all YDF programs organized in the Uva province. Nowadays he is engaged with us in discussing ways and means to upgrade social status of his community while preserving their Aadivasi cultural identities. |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
