A three day exposure visit to Negombo was conducted under NPC’s project Collective Engagement for Religious Freedom (CERF) for 110 Local Inter Religious Committee (LIRC) members from Negombo, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Weligama, beginning with an inter religious dialogue to share participants’ experiences as LIRC members and their expectations of the visit.
Thelijawila Gnanaseeha Thero, a member of Weligama LIRC, said, “It is a privilege to meet other LIRC members so we can learn about the initiatives they have taken. Improving understanding is the way forward for us.”
Participants visited St. Sebastian Church in Katuwapitiya, which had been bombed on Easter Sunday in 2019. Father Manjula Nirosh Appuhhami said, “As villagers, we have always lived peacefully with other religious communities. After the Easter Sunday attacks, rebuilding lost trust and understanding was a challenge for all of us. You can bring the message of peace to ensure that the painful events that our community had to endure do not happen again.” LIRC members prayed for those who had lost their lives.
An inter religious conference was later held in Negombo with the participation of NPC Chairman Dr. Joe William and Executive Director Dr. Jehan Perera. Mrs. A.U. Pathirana, Negombo Divisional Secretary, said, “Inter religious platforms are rare; they bring hope for unity and prosperity”. The conference was included with experience sharing sessions by Negombo and Weligama LIRCs and concluded with an entertainment session.
The final day of the exposure visit began with a street drama by Negombo LIRC after which a reflection session was held for participants to share their knowledge. “The exposure visit was a collaboration between East and South. Team discussions helped us to broaden our understanding of LIRC initiatives,” said Kurukkal Swasi Sivapalan.