USAID/OTI Sri Lanka Success Story June 2006
Emotional Moment for War/Tsunami Sufferers in Oluvil
USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) program in Sri Lanka aims to generate greater support for a negotiated peace settlement to end the island nation’s longstanding internal conflict. To accomplish this, USAID/OTI supports local groups to implement small-grant activities that: promote inclusive, collaborative priority-setting resulting in community improvement projects at the local level; increase understanding of key transition issues; and restore normalcy in tsunami-affected communities.
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| “Community attends inauguration ceremony for project to rehabilitate roads in Oluvil.” |
For the first time in 16 years, people from three neighboring Ampara District communities -- separated by the fear and mistrust bred by war – assembled together to celebrate. The excited children who garlanded USAID representatives at a ceremony launching an OTI-funded livelihoods support project were too young to understand the tragic backdrop against which the event was taking place.
“Even if OTI stopped the proposed activities halfway through for unavoidable reasons, we will be happy because of this moment,” an elderly villager said.
For the older generation from the three vastly different ethnic communities – the Muslim village of Oluvil, the Tamil village of Thiraikerney and the Sinhalese village of Deegavabi -- time does heal, albeit slowly. Memories of politically motivated communal violence in the early 1990s that claimed 46 lives will never completely be erased. Though families displaced from the tragedy returned to their homes in 1994, relationships between communities have remained cool.
OTI is supporting these tsunami-affected villages with supplies and labor costs for road rehabilitation, as well as business development skills training that will increase economic interdependence between communities and build trust through collaboration. The inauguration brought over 60 multi-ethnic villagers, local government leaders and religious dignitaries together, providing them a clear understanding of this new grant. This, too, helped motivate and strengthen the links between the communities.
For the inauguration, Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala villagers gathered in the premises of the local Hindu temple – the precise spot of the killings 16 years ago. For most, it was a completely new emotional experience.
“Your interest and this achievement,” said the elderly villager, “is more than enough for my lifetime.”
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C.: Christie Sunwoo, Program Manager, 202-712-1417, csunwoo@usaid.gov
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