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Activities

Forum for Interfaith and Dialogue (FIFAD)

An intense dialogue was initiated to ascertain the challenges to religious harmony in the country
was initiated in June 2013, with senior members of the Clergy of main religions in Sri Lanka, academics, professionals, the legal community and the civil society.

Colloquium on Challenges to Pluralism in Sri Lanka

A colloquium was held in January 2014 with the participation o eminent experts from the South Asia region and beyond on “Challenges to Pluralism in South Asia”, to give an impetus to the FIFAD process.

Building Religious Harmony

SAPRI initiated a programme on Building Religious Harmony in June 2014 as a pilot project, inviewofthegrowingtensioninthecountryduetotheradicalactsofextremereligiousgroups, promotingandperpetratingviolenceagainstminorityreligiousgroups. The project was initiated in Attanagalla, Negombo and Kurunegala, with SAPRI’s own funding.

A series of Capacity Building and Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops were held for selected participants in Ratnapura, Kuruneglaa and Gampaha districts for community leaders and multi-stakeholders as well as religious leaders. The initiative targeted a mindset and attitudinal change. The initiative was funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Building Religious Harmony towards Protecting Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka

27 Capacity Building Workshops were conducted in Kalutara, Galle, Ratnapura, Kegalle and Puttalam districts in 2015-2016, taking the message of religious harmonytoadifferentgroupofdistrictsacrossthecountry. The Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) funded program built upon the success of the previous initiatives, and added newtargetgroups, namely, the Buddhist clergy; Political Leaders; and Political Activists.

National Strategic Review on Food Security and Nutrition Leading to Zero Hunger

SAPRI partnered with United Nations World Food Programme in 2016-2017, to review existing literature and information on food security and nutrition in the country. The effort was aimed at making necessary recommendations to close existing policy gaps with regard to food security and nutrition in Sri Lanka. The initiative was conducted under Sustainable Development Goal- 2, themed as ‘Zero Hunger’.

Empowerment of Women Local Government Councilors

In a bid to strengthen women’s participation in political leadership following the 2018 Local Governing Council Elections, SAPRI partnered with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to improve capacities and create awareness regarding the importance of the role of newly elected Women Local Government Councilors. The initiative was conducted in Ampara, Colombo, Gampaha and Vavuniya districts, benefitting approximately 250 participants including Women Local Government Councilors, as well as community members.

The initiative consisted of Capacity Building Workshops, Awareness Raising Workshops, experience sharing sessions with entrepreneurs and senior Foreign Service representatives of diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka, and the formation of a high level experts’ committee to provide technical assistance to Women Councilors

Integrated Pest Management

SAPRI engaged with the Women Councilors of Ampara District and the agricultural community, with the assistance of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to disseminate knowledge on sustainable agricultural methods using Integrated Pest Management. The series of 5 programs was conducted in early 2020, in Ampara, Akkaraipattu, Ninthavur, Kalmunai,andUhana.