The Community Trust Fund (CTF) used youth volunteers as Peace Facilitators. Their goal was to reduce friction between internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities. These host communities include people living in and around temporary settlements for IDPs in Sri Lanka. The CTF introduced a non-violent conflict resolution program. The program organized youth volunteers to bring IDPs and host groups together. The volunteers created village peace committees made up of leaders from both communities.
Historical Context of IDPs
Muslims from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka were forcibly evicted in 1990 by a Tamil militant group. This group has been fighting a bloody war for the last two decades against the Sri Lankan government, demanding a separate homeland. During this ethnic cleansing, people had only a few hours to leave their homes, abandoning their resources and belongings. As a result, about 75,000 minority Muslims lost their homes and arrived in the northwest of Sri Lanka. Government authorities made no arrangements to receive these IDPs. In fact, they prevented entrance to the capital to avoid international scrutiny and media attention. Considering the plight of these people, local residents allowed them to seek temporary shelter on their land.
A Change in Attitude
However, the host community’s attitude changed when the temporary relocation became more permanent. IDPs were seen as competition for livelihoods and resources, which were already scarce in the area. Conflicts between the locals and IDPs grew rapidly and occasionally resulted in violence. There is still no hope for IDPs returning to their homes after 13 years of dislocation.
The CTF Mission and Method
CTF integrated rehabilitation and peacebuilding into all its programs. By establishing this as a broad theme, they hoped to unite the IDPs with host communities. This tactic required significant shifts in their programming. CTF had to engage with host communities without diminishing their relationship with IDPs. To do so, CTF undertook a random sample survey within both the host community and IDPs. The interviews and questionnaires focused on the reasons for tension and distrust. The survey also included suggestions from these two communities on ways to improve their relationship. The results indicated that any rehabilitation and relief work should benefit both communities. Initial resettlement in the region had restricted resources to accommodate a large influx of refugees.
Responding to Community Feedback
CTF reprogrammed all its activities, giving equal attention to the needs of both communities. CTF then selected an equal number of young volunteers from both communities and trained them in non-violent conflict transformation. Thirty-six trained youth returned to their communities to function as Peace Facilitators. Peace Facilitators conducted door-to-door visits, providing guidance through counseling. This counseling helped people troubled by their long-term displacement and loss of property and lives. Peace Facilitators also collected stories and shared them with the communities on a regular basis.
Impact of Peace Facilitators
Through their work, Peace Facilitators identified issues that caused unrest between the communities. They worked to discuss and settle disputes. The efforts of the Peace Facilitators soon gained recognition, particularly due to their professional yet friendly way of handling problems. With the help of Peace Facilitators, CTF met with different community groups and organized awareness programs on various social issues.
Forming Peace Committees
At the end of these programs, participants were encouraged to form Peace Committees with a mixed group of members. Elected members of Peace Committees were usually individuals already influential within the community, such as priests, village leaders, community workers, NGO representatives, government officials, and teachers. These village peace committees worked in their own creative ways to build peace and trust among the communities. CTF provided human and financial resources for their collective community actions. They also secured these peace committees’ support for project implementation and monitoring.
Impact of CTF’s Project
The formation of Peace Committees with equal representation created awareness around community issues. Peace Committees also improved social relations among neighbors and within the community as a whole. Awareness-raising workshops and peacebuilding activities helped foster understanding of IDP communities. CTF’s success in building mutual respect among different communities was based on three principles: being proactive, being willing to take somewhat risky actions, and using a bottom-up approach.
