Under NPC’s project Prevention of Violent Extremism Capacity Building in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, meetings were held to develop proposals for district level campaigns in the Ampara, Batticaloa, Kandy, Kurunegala, Vavuniya and Mannar districts with the participation of 155 people from civil society organizations, religious leaders, youth, state sector officials and community police.
The meetings focused on identifying narratives creating the justification for targeted violence against minorities and formulating effective responses through the campaigns.
At earlier workshops, participants had learnt how to identify harmful narratives and distinguish differences among types of harmful narratives and about freedom of expression within a local and international legal framework. They developed a proposal for the campaign on a counter narrative after identifying community based harmful narratives.
Some of the ideas for the campaign included pasting posters in public places and buses, a video campaign on social media, information sessions for students, street dramas, signboards in public places, peace walks and blood donations.