All in a New year 2007

Happy New year but it begins badly here in Sri Lanka. The war has notched up a degree with fighting over the festive season and a news article today from the Chief of the Army saying “We have come forward in order to annihilate the common enemy for separation and protect the territorial integrity of our Sri Lankan Motherland and her nation,” so not a lot of hope for peace as the New Year dawns.

Well may be some signs; Bishop Rayappu of Mannar has started a petition to be signed by ordinary people, electors, addressed to all parties of the conflict, to return to peace talof hope ks. "Using productively our resources regretting our past mistakes of over 50 –years," it says "we can build together a peaceful and beautiful Sri Lanka, as children of mother Lanka."

But such evocations for peace are rarely given space by the dominant forces on both sides of this intractable conflict. But there are other signs too. Recently a Dhana was offered to senior Buddhist monks by the Archbishop of Colombo at his own home. A Dhana is an offering to monks which also demonstrates a respect for their revered position in the community. This I hope will go someway to decreasing the anti-civil society rhetoric of the more chauvenist and nationalists voices in some sections of the Buddhist community here. But there's a lot more work to be done in breaking the isolation of the Buddhist Sangha some of whom seem firmly wedded to the concept of a Sri Lankan state historically 'gifted' to the Sinhalese people. Not a good basis on which to build a just, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

Hopefully, with Caritas Sri Lanka and other partners here in Sri Lanka, we can continue the slow and painstaking process of trying to build peace in this much divided society.