www.cpalanka.org A ternatives No 24/2, l THE CPA NEWSLETTER 28th Lane - Off Flower Rd, Colombo 7 Sri Lanka Vol 3 Issue 4 (Jan-Mar 2006) 04 Pages - Issued Free “In our opinion there is no The Future of Democracy alternative to this.Federalism and with its reconciliation of the demands for “self rule” with Good Governance the aspirations of those for in Sri Lanka “shared rule” is necessary for Sri Lanka, for a durable and CPA organized an all-island National Symposium On The Future Of Sri Lanka and The Federal Idea, 6th democratic peace and for Feb, in Colombo governance. In order for this to Attended by over 1000 participants , the be achieved it is necessary that Symposium brought together trainers and members of there be public support and civil society groups from around the island.They legitimacy for federalism and reviewed the workshop series which was focused on the Awareness Workshops on Federalism carried out in turn that the public are over the previous year.Further plans for the next aware of all that it entails.” phase of the programme on a regional basis were also Dr P Saravanamuttu, Executive examined. Director, CPA, addressing Participants, most of whom were from outside participants at the National Colombo, were afforded the opportunity to hear the views of the political parties and main actors in the Symposium on the Future of conflict. Democracy and Good Rohan Edrisinha , Director and Head of Legal and Governance in Sri Lanka. Constitutional Affairs, CPA, made a presentation on Co- ordinator: Lionel Guruge “Sri Lanka, the Future and the Federal Idea”. Trainers, Photos :Sriyantha Walpola Sumith Weerasingha, Senthil Sivanyangam, Shahira Ismail and the National Trainer, S.G. Punchihewa shared trainer experiences with the participants,and this was followed by an address by H.E. Jeffrey J Lunstead , Ambassador of the United States of Sanjana in California .........Pg2 America. Hon Rajitha Senarathne ,Hon Min of Dr Saravanamuttu in (>>Page 3) Jordan.........Pg2 Kethesh in India...................Pg 2 CMEV commenced monitoring of the Local Government Staff Profiles.......................Pg 2 Elections Campaign 2006 from the close of nominations, Media Workshop in February 16. It was decided to carry out monitoring of Tholangamuwa...............Pg 3 only certain selected Pradesheeya Sabhas, Urban Councils In the Press.........................Pg 3 and Municipal Councils on March 30, the day of the Election. Selection was based on previous records of a Calender of Events.............Pg 4 high incidence of election related violence, ethnically- Latest Publications.............Pg 4 diverse electorates and locales in which small regional parties and independent groups were contesting. Areas (>>Page 3) Digitized by Noolaham Foundation. noolaham.org | aavanaham.org A l ternatives Official Newsquarterly of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo, Sri Lanka 2 Jan-Mar 2006 CONTACTING CPA Web StateDr Saravanamuttu, Building & Internal Conflict... http://www.cpalanka.org ED, CPA, was invited to Sanjana Hattotuwa, Co ordinator, email be a resource person CPA Media Unit, was invited to [email protected] at a meeting on present a paper titled Thoughts on Federalism organized Democracy, Peace, the Internet and Overall Coordinator of by the United States New Media at a conference on Com- CPA Units: Institute for Peace munication Technology and So- Dr. Paikiasothy th Saravanamuttu (USIP) in the Dead Sea, Jordan 27 cial Policy in the Digital Age: Ex- nd Executive Director Feb-2 March. The meeting was panding Access, Redefining Con- E-mail: attended by Sunni politicians and trol organized by Annenberg [email protected] opinion makers from Iraq. Other Schools for Communication at the Centre for Monitoring resource persons included Bob Rae and University of Pennsylvania and the Election Violence George Anderson from the Forum of University of Southern California (CMEV) Federation and Prof. Cheryl Sanders. held 10th March in Palm Springs, E-mail: Prof Nicholas Haysom and other California [email protected] officials from the Office of Constitutional Legal Unit Support (OCS) of the United Nations Contact Person Mission in Iraq(UNAMI) also attended. Rohan Edrisinha E-mail: [email protected] Media Unit Dr P Saravanamuttu and Kethesh Dr P Saravanamuttu , ED, CPA Contact Person Loganathan, Director,CPA and Head participated in the Regional Sunanda Deshapriya Peace Unit also made presentations at Seminar on Political Violence and E-mail: the International Seminar, on the Terrorism in South Asia, [email protected] “Peace Process in Sri Lanka: Islamabad, Feb 1-2, organised by Peace and Conflict Challenges & Opportunities”,Feb 15th the Islamabad Policy Institute and Analysis Unit – 16th organised by the Centre for the Hanns Seidel Foundation. He Contact Person Security Analysis,Chennai, and the made a presentation on “the Sriyani Wijesundara Hanns Siedel Foundation Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka”. E-mail: [email protected] Polling Unit Contact Person Staff Profiles,CPA Pradeep Peiris E-mail: [email protected] Ms B D Translation Unit Niluka Damayanthi Ratnayake Krishanthi Contact Person is the newly appointed officer in Anandawansa Gananathan Sivajothy charge for the Anuradhapura who has a E-mail: Regional Centre of Vibhasha. The B.A.(Special [email protected] officers administrative work Our Address in English) includes conducting language attended 24/2, 28th Lane, classes, maintaining the mini the Off Flower Road library and promoting language Vibhsasha Colombo 7 based Translation Sri Lanka understanding Program, Tel: 94-11-565304-6 between and is in charge of the English communities Fax: 94-74-714460 and Sinhala versions of the Trilingual Vibasha Newsletter. Veluthan CPA held an in house Vathanaramya Strategic Planning Is the officer in Leaving CPA ... Meeting Jan 27th where charge of the Ketheshwaran Loganathan , members of staff were Badulla Regional Director,CPA and Head of the encouraged to Centre Peace and Conflict Resolution contribute their ideas Unit,resigned from CPAs Peace towards formulation of the organizational Ms Thuriaraja Unit and Board of Directors, as Strategic Plan for the Vinosine of 31st March.He has been next three years. Staff Is the new officer appointed by the Government and the Board of in charge of the as the Deputy Secretary Directors were in Vavuniya General of the Government attendance. Regional Centre Peace Secretariat (SCOPP). Digitized by Noolaham Foundation. noolaham.org | aavanaham.org A l ternatives Official Newsquarterly of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo, Sri Lanka 3 Jan-Mar 2006 Media Workshop in Tholangamuwa Participants at the Workshop A three-day workshop titled “One tion of a strategy to further Voice Campaign for Federalism, these efforts through one voice, while retaining individual Peace and Reconciliation” was Dr Devanesan Nesiah and held, 5th -7th March, at the Hu- organisational identities, and to Prof.Jayadeva Uyangoda among man Development Centre, explore and create blueprints for the paritcipants at the National Tholangamuwa, as part of Media a sustainable national level com- Symposium. Unit's "Voice of Reconciliation" munications strategy to promote project. Attending the workshop peace-building, federalism and (>>Page 1) reconciliation in Sri Lanka. were representatives from a Constitutional Affairs The workshop was conducted by number of organisations which D.E.W Gunesekera, Donna Barker, (Director, Publica- have been working to establish Hon Suresh tions and Training) of IMPACS, peace and reconciliation and bring Permachandran (TNA), the primary partner in the Voices in a political solution through the A.M.Faaiz of Reconciliation project facili- application of the federal idea in (Representing SLMC) tated by the Media Unit (More Sri Lanka. Among the objectives and Hon. Jayalath at: www.voicesofpeace.lk) of the workshop was the formula- Jayawardene,MP, also spoke. The afternoon was given to an Open An interview by Lanka issue titled War Peace and Forum on “the Federal Monthly Digest with the Law and Kethesh CPA in the Idea: the Way Forward” Rohan Edrisinha, Director Loganathan, Director and by prominent civil and Head of CPA's Legal Head of Peace and Conflict Press ... society leaders, and Constitutional Affairs Resolution Unit, CPA, was Unit appeared in its March moderated by Sunanda (>>Page 4) Deshapriya, Head, Media Unit, CPA (>>Page 1) The Symposium also made time for a short where the functioning of was recorded as being drama on “Diversity” by local government CMEV directly related to the Wasantha Moragoda. institutions had been elections. The highest Simultaneous affected by the tsunami number of incidents was translations were too were under reported from the available and overall co- particular scrutiny. Districts of ordination was by Colombo (34), Lionel Guruge. 45 CMEV field Gampaha (32), More information at monitors began Anuradhapura http:// work on March 15th (24), Kurunegala www.dailymirror.lk/ in 17 Districts, and (23), Ratnapura 2006/02/07/front/2.asp monitored the (21) and Kandy and http:// conduct of the (17). The highest www.dailynews.lk/ election campaign. number of 2006/02/11/ assaults, 17, was By March 29, CMEV reported from the A joint statement had received 274 CMEV Posters North Western province. Fourteen was issued by reports of incidents of election- incidents involved the use of fire participants at the related violence. 118 of these arms. The CMEV press Symposium were categorized as major release is available on emphasizing