Training on Transitional Justice (TJ) for students of Peradeniya University was held under NPC’s project, Youth Engagement with Transitional Justice for Long-lasting Peace in Sri Lanka.
The objectives of the training, which included dramas, role playing, lectures, film screenings and participatory discussions, were to educate the students on the concept of TJ and its importance in building sustainable and to motivate them to produce tools to take the concept to the public.
Some comments by participants on how to make TJ effective:
- Institutional reform helps to form new institutions and appoint new officers in a transparent manner.
- Through public referendums civilians can directly contribute to the decision and policy making process, which means all are treated equally and every citizen has a right to raise their voice against discrimination.
- By selecting Parliament members who treat all ethnic groups equally we can build trust among different ethnic groups. This will speed up the TJ process and bring justice to all victims.
- Acting according to the Constitution leads to equality and justice.
- Appointing responsible and accountable Parliament members helps the TJ process.
- Through a proper economic policy, the reparation process can be done in an effective way.
- Civil society organizations can work with government authorities and pressurise them to have a truth seeking process.
- If we have leaders who respect democracy even because of the international pressure, we can continue the TJ process.
- In the process of making necessary changes to the Constitution we can have a public referendum so that we can make changes that treat every citizen equally and that protect peace and harmony.