Meeting Prof Rev Bellanwila Wimalaratne Thero. Chancellor, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Nonviolent Peaceforce  (NP) is not all about providing unarmed civilian peace keepers in areas of conflict. Here I am meeting a respected intellectual and faith leader, Venerable Bellanwila Wimalaratne Thero, at his ancient vihara (temple) in south Colombo.

He is well known for his inter-Faith work and had just returned from a visit to Jaffna and other northern parts of Sri Lanka with faith leaders from the Sri Lanka Christian, Hindu and Islamic traditions.

It is vital that wider civil society understands the scope and nature of NP's work and indeed, in Sri Lanka, negative media coverage has hampered NP's engagement with the community. After a string of work permit refusals, often given prominence in the press, we have now had a string of extensions for our international staff. From this we can draw some comfort. However it is vital to reach out to all sections of the community to inform them about the nature of NP, who supports it and how it operates. Without a clear understanding of our work getting to the communities where our protective presence is needed can be impossible.

I went to meet Professor Wilmalaratne Thero along with two of our local NP staff, Bernard and Pakrama. The Bellanwilla Temple, where the Thero is the incumbent, just happens to be where Pakrama and his family worship and so he was able to make the introduction. Our discussion was illuminating. The Venerable Thero spoke of the widespread suspicion of development agencies and the palpable fear of what are perceived as 'their hidden agendas'. The type of people who become staff of NP, its origins as an organisation and its current funding sources, were all discussed to give the Thero an idea about where 'we' are coming from. Sri Lanka has clearly suffered from a 'cultural invasion' of NGOs particularly since the Tsunami and, further, 'good governance' of NGOs is not universal. Suspicion is understandable!

We learnt of religiously motivated church agencies who still use relief and humanitarian assistance as tools for proselytising. Given this context the Thero is not alone in displaying caution in relating to Non-Governmental Organsation. But he was equally critical of government for not fully engaging with civil society organisations, who have a vital role to play in helping to build reconciliation in Sri Lanka. This beautiful country has too often suffered and been brutally scarred by conflicts often ascribe to self-seeking politicians.

When I come back to Sri Lanka I very much hope to be able to meet the Thero again and explore how we might cooperate in popularising the concept of 'Unarmed Civilian Peace-keeping'

Meetngs and learning - just some of what I am now doing here in Sri Lanka with Nonviolent Peaceforce

This was a short visit to a promotional event for a Batticaloa School for the Dear. Some really interesting work being done here. Skype hand language and lip reading  now how's that?

After Elections - Chillin!

Spending the afternoon listening to live 'Barefoot Jazz' and musing on 56yrs of life, whilst Prasanna shots away on the camera.

What now faces civil society actors here is not easy to contemplate. There seems little magnanimity only fears of further clamp downs. Just can't understand why, in such a beautiful country, civil society thinks of itself in such derogatory terms when it is really at the base of any democracy. A number of media personnel have disappeared - so no change on that front.

What now? Well that is anybody's guess. Some how I feel that real constitutional change isn't possible until a new spirit of tolerance and diversity is allowed to emerge and then seems as one of the positive characteristics of Sri Lanka and not something which undermines national identity. Umm I wonder will that ever be  possible? Well I am always a person of hope and unlimited optimism.

Post Elections

Now back in Colombo since Wednesday evening and thinking of report writing and remaining in the hotel to aid recovery. Rumour and counter rumour prevails in the aftermath of the election results. I am still asked not to make public comments until CMEV has reached a clear position. Suffice to say there is a lot of thinking to be done and already analysis and commentary is developing in the restricted space that still exists for open debate.

This morning's papers anounce that the President is going to dissolve Parliament in the hope of getting a 2/3rds majority to bring about constitutional reform, but what constitutional reform. One of the most knowledgeable sources on these constitutional questions is Rohan Edrisinha, Head of the Legal and Constitutional Unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) an here he addresses key concerns in a short video here - http://vimeo.com/9047863.

Meanwhile on a more basic note I am in slow recovery from my 'war wound'. I have now checked into the OPD of Durdan's Hospital not far from my hotel in Colombo and am getting painful dressings every 2 days. Sadly was told yesterday that this has to continue for 14 days. Ouch! I wish we had less hair down there!

All in a days work!

Hope you are following my twitter! typing every message out on my
hand-phone takes for ever.

Now in hospital in Kalmunai prostrate recovering from operation to
remove a groin abscess. Too much travel on pitted roads in hot
weather, apparently; should be out tomorrow and back on the road for
Monday. 25 and 26th likely to be most volatile. A lot of violence
predicted.

Here the news service of the organisation I am volunteering for is
fairly good. They understandably ask us not to blog details of our
work.

Groundviews

my twitter is www.twitter.com/hafstad

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to
do nothing."
Edmund Burke, attributed

A Sore Day

I finally found the only way of blogging is to use the internet browser on this pocket phone. The monitoring operation here is on a low budget so linking my laptop via a broad band 'dongle' just ain't possible.

I am staying in a new build, jerry constructed, 'guest house' looking out over a rough beach. Salesman and wedding guests coming to the locality are the only others here. The florid tiled floors and dank aircondition rooms say it all and only slowly am I getting into that cold
shower in the mornings. By evening the water has warmed a bit so doesn't present such a challenge.

The rough road travelling has led to the development of an acutely uncomfortable cyst on my bum. In fact to be more accurate, between my legs. Yes! Ouch! Now sitting in the van between meetings is excruciating and not help by the unnecessary speed of my driver. Still we're getting by and learning a lot about the ground situation in the run up to the poll on 26th.

Journey East

Now 8pm as Raj my driver takes the minibus, shared by the two of us, around hare pin bends on the wrong side. We are one third of the way to the District of Ampara negotiating the winding roads of Ratnapura District, famous for rubber and tea. Small three wheelers frequently slow our pace but give me some hope will arrive in Kalmunai alive by 11pm. Whoops another blind bend and a bus full headlights blaring directly at us.

Time to get off my PDA mobile and focus on saving my life.

All Set Up and Now Wondering What Next

We arrived in Colombo earlier yesterday morning after a previous 24 hours without sleep so yesterday was a bit disorientating to say the least. Too tired to sleep. So I visited Caritas Sri Lanka and caught up with old friends there. It seems from all reports that the Presidential elections are a very close fight, with the focus on the latter. Violence is supposedly springing out all over, but that doesn't seem to be remarkably different to former elections and possibly less violent than most.

There are 4 international monitors so far in our team and apparently some 12 Nepalese students, already here, who'll join in. It is forecast that the Eastern Province is going to be most volatile so that's where we'll go and the four of us break up into one man teams, each with a small band of local assistances and translators. Tomorrow we'll have our briefing and then set off for the 4 to 5 hours journey East (actually more like 8 or 9 hours) then back to Colombo for debriefing on the 27th or 28th. It is likely, but not sure, that the 27th will be curfew to try and prevent any violent excesses following the polling day on the 26th.

We'll see!