Catholics, Buddhists and Muslims, including religious leaders, government officials and police officers, came together in Weligama the day after the Easter Sunday bombings to pray for the victims under NPC’s project, Collective Engagement for Religious Freedom (CERF).
After attending the commemoration, the Moulavis said they felt less threatened and afraid. Weligama Local Inter Religious Committee (LIRC) also organized a Buddhist prayer evening for the recovery of the injured. Weligama LIRC members intervened to diffuse tensions in aftermath of the bomb attacks by visiting Christian clergy to express their condolences.
The following day religious leaders of all faiths, government officers, police officers and civil society organizations had a meeting to discuss how to prevent any violence between different ethnic communities.
LIRC members also drafted a statement to present to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith signed by religious leaders and the Divisional Secretary expressing their condolences for the lives lost.
LIRC members facilitated an awareness programme on conflict mitigation for 200 members of Community Policing Committees at village level. Religious leaders delivered lectures on the importance of maintaining peace in the area while police officers spoke about security measures and crisis management.