Sarath Fernando - A Small But Loud Global Voice

So sad to hear this morning of the death of Sarath Fernando, a friend and untiring advocate for the poor, not only in Sri Lanka but throughout the world. My first thoughts are for his wife and close family. Then my thoughts turn to the importance of celebrating his huge contribution to sustainable development, human rights and justice built on equality.

I first encountered Sarath in the last years the 1980s. He had assisted Asia Partnership for Human Development (APHD) in the research for a report on Free Trade Zones (FTZ). The study found a comparable situation, namely the terrible conditions workers, faced in export processing zones throughout the world. The development of 'investment friendly' free tax EPZs was an economic development strategy Sarath and many others blamed on the Bretton Woods promulgated structural adjustment programmes. Like many of us he was frustrated by the fact that this global study was left to gather dust on the shelf and not used to spearhead an international campaign to bring improve employment rights in FTZs. The study hit at the heart of the huge injustice Sarath believed was core to neo-liberal economic policies.

By the later half of 1980s Sarath, and others engaged in struggles for land reform and pro agricultural policies, had become targets of para-military groups in Sri Lanka. They were considered enemies of both insurgent groups as well as Sri Lankan government associated paramilitaries. Devasarana, a centre for peasant farmers and closely associated with the Church of Ceylon, and where Sarath was then 'moderator', was amongst those groups having to arm themselves in self defence.  Hundreds of families took refuge there in fear of murderous raids by various armed groups.

One memorable moment in 1991 or 1992. Sarath took me to meet families of the disappeared in a community hall near Kuneragala, where he lived. It was a very poignant and emotionally challenging afternoon as I, and an other European visitor, listened to many painful testimonies from women telling of the abduction and disappearance of husbands, sons, fathers and sometimes daughters. Some accused the JVP insurgents, others paramilitary groups associated with parliamentarians. I was merely a young employee of CAFOD, an international development agency, but somehow these women believed I had some access to advocate on their behalf. It was a cry of despair when all local forms of advocacy had been closed to them.

That was one of the single most important experiences which moulded my life and career. I told Sarath how powerless I felt at hearing all these testimonies and he simply replied 'Never under-estimate the power of solidarity'. A really important message for me.

As we drove together up to Kandy we past the grim site of a burnt patch on the side of the road. Sarath explained that this was a common way the JVP and paramilitaries publically disposed of bodies of those executed; their bodies thrown onto heaps of burning car tyres. Later on that visit to Sri Lanka I met Richard De Soysa, a Sri Lankan TV broadcaster and journalist, just hours before he was abducted and killed.

A year later I was involved in helping to organise an international conference in Thailand (1991?). It brought together a wide variety of civil society groups, leaders from Sri Lanka with international advocates. Sarath was there reminding us throughout our deliberations of the terrible conditions faced by tea plantation workers, FTZ workers as well as the on going struggle for self-determination of the Tamils of the North and East. The JVP uprising, he insisted, could never be considered in isolation to the widespread discontent with the unresponsive governing class. We forged a common advocacy approach in the context of a abandonment of the rule of law in Sri Lanka. Many of our common friends and colleagues were under death threats or actually abducted and frantic attempts were being made to identify their places of detention and then to advocate for their release.

This conference started a long long association with Sarath and his wide network of activists. I always considered Sarath ageless, as those surrounding him, both at work and at home, were always as young and exuberant as he. Sarath never tired of travelling and struggling for justice going anywhere he thought he could help in the global struggle. In Via Campesina http://viacampesina.org/en/ he was well renowned for raising issues of landless peasant, food security and the threats to small famrers of agri-business. These were issues which he was address just days ago before his untimely death.

I visited him at home just 12 months ago knowing he was finding walking more difficult and was now often at home, reading, writing and meeting friends. Not a bit of it; Sadun his son told me Sarath was attending a consultation amongst farmers in the south, at least 7 hours travel away. A MONLAR training for new members, an organisation Sarath's enthusiasm gave birth too and will long survive him. 'He doesn't walk too well'  I recall Sadun saying, 'but if we can get him in a minivan he'll still go'.

Sarath was a communicator but we can't really say 'par excellence'. He had so much to say and was so passionate he frequently didn't know where or when to stop. He once met me on arrival at Katunyake airport and told me I was chairing the opening session of a meeting of the integrated programme called People's Platform For Development Alternatives. The name itself encapsulated Sarath's vision. He took a major role in bringing peasant farmers, plantation workers, Fisherfolk into this common platform. I complained that I had just flown in from Manila (or somewhere) and desperately need 2 hours in bed. 'You only have to make a few opening remarks and start the introductions', he assured me.

Suitably press-ganged I went to the hotel where the conference was gathering and went to the platform table and started the opening session. Struggling to keep my eyes open, fighting against the whirring ceiling fans and cacophony of crows outside, I asked the delegates to introduce themselves and say something of their expectations. At the tea break I turned to a colleague and said 'Phew! thank God I got through that OK - I must now go sleep for a few hours'. He then told me that when Sarath started on his 'expectations' my head had suddenly fallen forward with a loud snore and hit the microphone with a thud. This had stopped Sarath in his tracks. I'd woken immediately, totally unaware, and asked the next delegate to continue.

He mesmerised. I am not entirely certain I totally bought into his analysis of the global economy, especially when he once firmly told me that the Global Development Goals were just another way of dressing up theft from of the Developed from the Underdevelopment world. However he was always captivating and once when staying with me in London he launched into a critique of Development Aid Agencies. We left London Bridge on the train home chatting but suddenly we were in East Croydon, way beyond my home stop. We crossed platforms and got the train back this time focusing on finding my home station. Sarath started another lecture on the non-transparency of aid agencies and before I knew where I was we were back where we started in London Bridge.

Sarath's impish smile, his quiet spirituality, his thirst for justice, and his deep deep knowledge and his hunger for more; these are amongst the qualities for which I will remember him. Brevity was not one of his skills but I can't help feel that we would all be the poorer had he spoken less. A remarkable and courageous man I will never forget.