Sharing our caring ways

By Renton de Alwis

 

Written and published in early 2010, this reflects the expectations we then had and may serve as a baseline to critically evaluate where we are now....

The mistakes we made in the past are many. The lessons we can learn from them are also many. We now are on a development model that focuses more on an equi-distribution of resources and opportunities between regions making it an effort of the many, as against an investment of a few. Here, principles of meritocracy, transparency, fair play and long-term sustainability must prevail.  Bribery, corruption, indiscipline and seeking short-term gain at the expense of long-term sustainability must not be permitted.  It is only then can true unity be built among all races, where we can begin to discover the unity within the diversity we seek as a nation.

Sri Lankan identity

We need to be assertive, be thought of and be treated as ‘Sri Lankan Sinhalese’, ‘Sri Lankan Tamils’, ‘Sri Lankan Muslims’, ‘Sri Lankan Burghers’, ‘Sri Lankan Malays’ and ‘Sri Lankan Addhiwasi’ and not as Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Malays or Addhiwasi of Sri Lankan origin.  While this differentiation may seem subtle, it is a profoundly important distinction which we as a nation must begin to understand and articulate, to ensure that we feel and belong as a nation of one people united, with diverse origins, backgrounds and cultures.

Civil society leadership

Sri Lanka has now begun to move on to the next phase of development looking beyond the reign of LTTE terror. Rightfully, our primary focus must be placed on caring for our Tamil and Muslim brethren who remain displaced and are awaiting resettlement. While the state, several NGOs and an alliance of INGOs are playing their roles to the best of their abilities, there is so much more we as members of civil society can and must do to augment that effort. The needs are many.  Regrettably, the interest levels we saw in providing for their needs during the first few weeks after the exodus of displaced persons, has now somewhat faded. If our business and civil society leadership such as chambers of commerce, media houses and social service organisations were to focus the attention of their members and audiences, about ways in which we can share our caring ways on a continued basis, that would stand us all in good stead as we go on building our future.  

Commendable initiative

In citing one example of such possibility, I focus on three young Rotary volunteers (visit www.unitingsrilanka.com) who were involved in screening a few Charlie Chaplin and cartoon movies for the enjoyment of several hundred displaced persons at the Arunachalam Camp’s sections 1, 2 & 3 in Chettikulum, on the night of Saturday last. While some may scorn at such efforts, portraying them as sugar-coating the suffering of the displaced at the camps, the laughter and joy generated among several hundred children and adults alike, reportedly justified the value of the momentary entertainment. These volunteers sought to borrow the needed equipment, screens and sound systems in Colombo and transported them back and forth to enable the fruition of this commendable initiative. Our salutation goes out to those volunteers and the authorities that facilitated the effort. 

Other needs and opportunities

Other ideas for meeting real and therapeutic needs of the displaced at the camps will extend from the conduct of medi-care clinics, providing nutritional supplements and generic drugs on a continued basis, provision of reading material in Tamil in the main as well as in English and Sinhalese in limited quantities, conduct of activity based counselling sessions and even making available simple musical instruments such as bamboo-flutes, thalams, mirdangam drums etc. to those who play them. The soothing effect of music can be of high therapeutic value for most in the camps.

For the long-term, there are those hard core members of the terrorist outfits that need to be re-oriented to live peaceful and productive lives in the future. Programmes are now in place for vocational training, family support initiatives etc. for meeting this challenging task. The parallel process of clearing of mines, developing infrastructure, allocation of land and other facilities needed for resettlement is also ongoing.

Collective social conscience

These are all initiatives, where the government plays a centric role but need to have the nation’s collective social conscience backing it. That collective social conscience needs to transcend any racial, political or ideological positions. It needs to be formed on the principles and basis of social justice and on a genuine sharing of our caring ways. Right understanding, effort, compassion and loving kindness must reign supreme in that effort.

Celebrate the diversity

With the Head of State paving the way, rest of our civic and political leadership at all levels must be committed to sensitise and mobilise our people in all spheres of activity and social levels on the need for us to celebrate our differences and diversity. They must be able to clearly articulate and act to bring meaning to the need for us as a nation to seek unity within the diversity we in Sri Lanka possess. They must understand and appreciate the value of the diversity of our natural, heritage and cultural endowments, people dynamics and ideological divisions and seek to celebrate its value, protect and conserve them.

The new unified Sri Lanka we envision for all Sri Lankans will then and only then see fruition, as an essential outcome of sharing our genuinely caring ways and our determined efforts at celebrating our diversity to find the unity we seek within that diversity.