The decision taken by the Government in 2021 under Ex-President Goatabhaya Rajapakse, to ban organic fertilizer saw how it directly brought about a crisis in our agricultural sector, that adversely affected the entire country, the effects of which still lingers today. This decision is but one of many taken by the government that has paved the way to the crisis that we are confronted with today.
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, in a symbolic ruling, held the Rajapakse brothers responsible for the dire straits that our country today is clawing desperately to escape from, and it is clear that the decisions they had taken as ruling entities has led us here. Directing our attention to a more micro level of state governance and local decision-making bodies, the same situation persists. We see a culture where arbitrary decisions are being taken, divorced from proper research of the implications or consequences that might arise from these decisions. It is of grave importance that this culture is countered, and a culture where decisions are taken based on research is brought about.
This is one of the Outcomes of Project MUSTER (Mobilising University State Engagement for Reconciliation), which seeks to bring about this culture at a local level first, as well as to ensure that the university students capacity to do research is enhanced a culture of applied research is established. This project will look to facilitate cooperation between state entities and university students and academics, whose research on a local social issue, will benefit the community as a whole.
MUSTER is implemented in partnership with the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka programme (SCOPE) co-financed by the European Union and German Federal Foreign Office. SCOPE is implemented by The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms (MoJ).
The event is part of the SCOPE programme’s aims to advance social cohesion in order to contribute towards an inclusive, peaceful and prosperous society in Sri Lanka. The programme does so by strengthening resilience and capacities of communities and institutions to prevent and counter violence and exclusion; promoting pluralistic, inclusive, and fact-based public discourse; and increasing incentives and opportunities for interethnic cooperation and equal access to resources. The National Peace Council had a meeting with GIZ on the 11th of January where an introduction to the project was presented while the specifics were subjected to discussion. Looking to work with universities, the wheels for obtaining the approval processes have begun to roll. Most of the planning and the groundwork is being laid out spanning the month of January, and the team is looking forward to implementing the planning in the field come February.