Playing for Peace
Tamil, Muslim, and Sinhalese youths commemorate International Peace Day with a friendly cricket match in Batticaloa.
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| Photo: Paranamana Sujeewa, USAID/RISEN
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| Batticaloa's Weber Stadium, which was used by the Sri Lankan Army during the conflict, was host to the peace match. The stadium's return to civilian use is an important symbol of peace in the East.
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Crowds cheered as a young batsman hit a long drive at the Playing for Peace match in Weber Stadium in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. Used as a military base by the Sri Lankan Army during the country's three-decade conflict, the stadium was recently returned to the community for peacetime activities. The cricket match, which was supported by USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, coincided with International Peace Day (September 21) and provided young people from regions long separated by civil war with their first opportunity for a friendly competition.
Thirty-four youths from the South joined a like number of youths from the East to play cricket and build relationships. "I'm very happy USAID has brought youth from the East and South together," said Batticaloa Mayor Sivageetha Prabagaran. "I hope we continue to build these relationships and develop Batticaloa together." Senior coaching staff from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board attended the match to encourage the young cricketers. The coaches pledged help to develop cricket in the North and East so the national team can recruit diverse talent from across the country.
The players from the South spent four days in the East, not only working on their cricket skills but also engaging in community service activities, such as repainting Eravur Tamil Maha Vidyalayam, a school that once served both Tamil and Muslim pupils and was repeatedly affected by Tamil-Muslim clashes. The young players also erected a monument to peace on the school grounds.
"This is the first time I've visited a Tamil village. It's been a very precious experience. I'd like to invite all my new Tamil friends to Hambantota" said Nufel, a Muslim youth from St. Mary's School on Sri Lanka's southern coast. For the visit, Eravur Tamil Maha Vidyalayam was "twinned" with St. Mary's School, and during a ceremony unveiling the peace monument, the principals of the two institutions pledged to maintain the relationship.
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The peace match and Peace Day activities helped build relationships between Sinhalese, Muslim, and Tamil youths who were unable to associate during the conflict.
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Janeesh, a student at Eravur Tamil Maha Vidyalayam, said, "This is the first time I spoke to a Sinhalese person, and I'm happy our school was selected for repainting." Currently, only Tamil students attend Janeesh's school, but now that the conflict is over, pupils and staff are awaiting the return of their Muslim friends.
Youths like Janeesh and Nufel are a central focus of USAID's effort to promote stability in the conflict-affected country and foster relationships across diverse communities to create a peaceful Sri Lanka.
For further information, please contact:
K. Santi Duewel, Asia & Middle East Program Manager, 202-712-1605, kduewel@usaid.gov.
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