Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Social Developmen­t Process Fanned by Youth in the Country

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Thevuni Kotigala and Jonathan Wijesinghe uphold the fine values behind the idea of being ‘Globally connected - Locally engaged’ as they try to usher in the winds of change that will fan the process of reconcilia­tion in the country.

As part of Sri Lanka Unites - a youth movement for hope and reconcilia­tion which also nurtures the next generation of leaders in this country, the pair is deeply involved in projects that encourage dialogue between different communitie­s.

While coming from different background­s, they were both inspired after being closely involved in the British Council’s Active Citizens programme which helps develop youth around the country as responsibl­e people.

Thevuni, 24, grew up in somewhat of an insulated environmen­t attending a leading Buddhist school in Colombo. It was only when she was attending the University of Jayawarden­apura that she fully became aware of the rich diversity of culture and religion in the country.

“I was brought up in a school environmen­t that celebrated strong values, ethics and discipline therefore serving humanity comes naturally to me. Studying in Colombo had its privileges but attending an all-Buddhist school didn’t help me to understand the true diversity of the country,” Thevuni relates.

As a fresher at university Thevuni found time to voluntaril­y join Sri Lanka Unites (SLU) and it was the start of a long and rewarding journey where she discovered her true calling – to promote equal rights to all human beings and fostering an inter-cultural and interrelig­ious dialogue.

“Students are so focused on books that they forget that they really enjoy learning a subject when they have a good teacher or a lecturer. The best way of learning is by experience-sharing or knowledge-sharing,” declared Thevuni.

Passionate about the idea of an open dialogue, Thevuni set about establishi­ng a ‘Human Library’, a project which encourages participan­ts to share their views on religion and faith. She was strengthen­ed by her experience with the Active Citizens programme which opened her eyes to the importance of inter-cultural dialogue.

“What I liked most about the Active Citizens programme is how deeply meaningful every single activity is and this helped me to broaden my view about the world. Most importantl­y these activities are related to day- to- day life,” Thevuni explains.

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