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Centre for Peace Building and Reconciliation - CPBR, No. 277/5, Thalawathugoda Gardens, Hokandara Road, Malabe (2026)

24/09/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬 / 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲
𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴

Name: M.S.F. Sumaiya
Age: 23 years
Region: Talaimannar, Mannar

“𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.”
-𝗔 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗶𝘆𝗮-

M.S.F. Sumaiya (Sumi) is a Young Visionary fellow from Mannar. She currently serves as a teacher at a private university. As a young Muslim woman, she tries to create opportunities for other young women and children in her area to explore and experience the world in diverse ways, so that they can better understand and work for the society we live in. For this purpose, Sumi conducted her first YV facilitation on 2 August 2026.

They selected the coastal area of Talaimannar as their venue. Twelve peers participated in the activity, and they were diverse in ethnicity, faith, and gender identity. They also came from different backgrounds.

“𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝟭𝟭 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱,” described Sumi, reflecting on the diversity she identified in her group.

“𝗜 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”

Sumi feels happy about the selection of her peers because she believes this journey will be really beneficial for them in overcoming the challenges they are facing in life.

“𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦—𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝.

𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭…”

She strongly believes that having such a space is one of the core needs of young people in her area, particularly women.

“After we gathered at the edge of a beautiful path leading to the beach, we sat in a circle. I welcomed them all warmly. Then I shared my name and my favorite food. Following that, my peers also introduced themselves.”

Then Sumi facilitated her peers to spend some time simply walking around on the beach and:

𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲

𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆

𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

She also asked them to bring any element or elements that they felt a connection with. An element could represent them.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱.”

When Sumi began the activity, she had thought of creating a spiral as their centrepiece. But she later decided to give her peers the space to create it themselves. To her surprise, they also created a spiral, even though Sumi had not mentioned anything about her own thoughts.

“𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗡𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻.”

Her peers shared how those elements were connected to them.

“One peer, who was a young married woman, shared how her experiences in life transformed her from a flower into a stone.”

“𝗜 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻.”

The next activity, the paper plate activity, further supported her peer group in self-identification, self-discovery, and self-healing.

They created beautiful and reflective crafts. When they shared the stories and reflections behind those crafts, diverse stories unfolded.

Many of the stories reflected their deeper needs related to having the freedom to develop their talents and skills, connect with their passions, and explore and experience new things.

“One peer shared how she loves to have new experiences by engaging in social activities, but how it has become difficult for her because of the restrictions she faces from her family and society.

Her words reflected how I was, when I was her age. I too wanted to learn and experience new aspects of life. I also wanted to connect with society without being isolated. Fortunately, I was able to overcome my struggle with patience. So, I think gradually she will also find ways to overcome her struggle. This journey will also be very supportive for her to learn how to walk through that situation without getting hurt or hurting others.”

These reflective discussions brought new hope to her peers. They felt very relaxed and light because they had created a collective space and a safer space where they could share their lives openly, without any judgement.

Finally, Sumi asked what they would love to do next. They all wanted to have a celebratory moment of dancing and singing.

They discussed their next meetup, which is planned for the first or second week of September. There, they hope to have a celebration:

𝗔 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗷𝗼𝘆

𝗔 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗔 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗔 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

Concluding our conversation with her, Sumi shared her deepest gratitude to her mother, who has been her greatest source of support. “My mother was against my social work before. But now she has become my greatest support. Because I showed her how important this journey is for my growth as well as for others in our community. Now she understands its importance, which makes me happier and stronger. I think this collective journey will be supportive to my peers also, to make their families their sources of courage”
...

VHI Team -

Interviewed & Narrated by: Rosy Silva
Photography by: M.S.F. Sumaiya
Supported by: Vidusha Janith & Heshani Fonseka

24/09/2026

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞
𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴

Name: M.S.F. Sumaiya
Age: 23 years
Region: Talaimannar, Mannar
Ethnic/Religious Diversity: Muslim, Islam
Studies: Higher National Diploma in English
Passionate about: Photography, videography, filmmaking and social work

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Sumaiya is a young woman who carries a strong and genuine concern for the society she lives in. With this intention, she actively engaged in social work within the Mannar district.

She first learned about the Young Visionary (YV) fellowship through two former fellows, Mathangi and Dilaxan, while participating in community programmes they organised and facilitated.

Beyond her social engagement, Sumaiya is a talented beautician, cake maker, and crafter. She strongly believes that creative practices and art forms are powerful ways for people to express themselves. She also sees them as healing approaches that can reduce stress and anxiety.

By joining the Young Visionary journey, Sumaiya is looking forward to creating opportunities for her community, particularly young women and children, to explore and experience the world more.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱

Sumaiya reflects on how her participation in the first YV workshop supported her in moving beyond many of the ideologies she had previously held onto.

“I was very judgemental. I thought that everyone should match my perspectives, practices, and beliefs. I always worried about how others dressed and behaved. But at the YV workshop, our facilitator, who was also our coach and mentor, asked us to look at situations from the view of a bird. I started to practise it. This showed me that every situation has diverse aspects. We can observe things from different angles.”

Sumaiya thinks that looking at conflicts and situations in life from a bird’s-eye view supported her in accepting, respecting, and embracing the diversity of others.

“As a result, now I can work together with any person in society without being judgemental about their practices and behaviours. I simply accept them as they are.”

This transformation made Sumaiya’s life more peaceful and reduced the conflicts she experienced with people in her community, at work, and in her personal life.

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗔𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵…

Sumaiya is from Mannar, so she travelled a long way to participate in the second workshop, which was held at Sinharaja. That journey itself became a meaningful and exploratory experience for Sumaiya.

“Before, I believed that I was not a strong person. But that long journey to Sinharaja reminded me of the inner strength I have. Further, the healing environment of Sinharaja connected me deeply with the healing of the Earth.”

Sumaiya came to Sinharaja with many doubts and fears related to some health issues she had experienced before.

“I was worried about being affected by insect bites. But at Sinharaja, I touched leeches without being fearful. I just got into the stream and spent time there without worrying about anything. I just let go of all my fears and doubts and connected deeply with the healing power of the Earth. This made me feel light and healed. It brought me a deeper feeling of inner joy and strength.”

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀

Sumaiya had many concerns about how she could create a transformational journey for her peers. So, during her personal coaching and mentoring session, she opened up about her concerns and asked for support.

“With the YV facilitator, coach, and mentor, I had a long discussion. Because I had many things in my mind about introducing diversity, nonviolent conflict transformation, and conflict styles. All of them were there in my mind without knowing what the first thing I needed to do was. But after the discussion, I understood that I just wanted to share my experience of YV with my peers, allowing them to approach a profound transformational journey through that experience. Then, in my next steps, I can gradually introduce them to the concepts that I learned, unlearned, and relearned in the YV space.”

𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Sumaiya started her journaling in a different but meaningful way.

“Even before YV, I did mandala art. It was like a method that reduced my stress and calmed my mind. Thus, as my journal, I do mandala art. It’s like engaging in deep meditation. It brings my mind to one place and supports me in practising mindfulness. I can also express my inner thoughts through the colours and shapes of mandala art. So, I can reflect on my life by looking at those artworks.”

Journaling through mandala art created a moment for Sumaiya to pause and reflect on her self-transformation journey while engaging with her passion for creative work. Therefore, she believes it became more effective for her growth and understanding.

𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲

As mentioned before, Sumaiya is a social activist who has engaged in many human right- work and awareness programmes in the area. However, she now teaches at Loyola Campus, which has made her busier and somewhat distanced her from her initial social work.

“But I discuss the conflicts we face with my students. I always wanted young women to explore and experience society more. I want to create opportunities for that—safer spaces where they can express themselves and improve their talents and skills. So, the dialogues I am having with my students are very useful.”

Sumaiya is not just having dialogues; she is also seeking ways to put those dialogues into action. In this regard, she currently works with a leading organization in the area.

“My peer formation is also an action towards that purpose. Through that, I hope to take the first step towards an effective transformation.”

When Sumaiya joined YV, she thought mainly about the opportunities it would bring to her community work. But Sumaiya shared how engaging with YV supported her in a deep process of self-transformation while rooting her more deeply in the Earth.

Therefore, she is also looking forward to going on a similar journey with her peers, supporting and strengthening their processes of self-transformation, community connection, and Earth-rooting.
...

VHI Team -

Interviewed & Narrated by: Rosy Silva
Photography & Poster Designed by: Niranjan Dissanayake
Supported by: Vidusha Janith & Heshani Fonseka

23/09/2026

Are all the limitations we carry truly our own?
Or are some shaped by the systems around us?

It became a living classroom.

It was a place to listen, touch, smell, taste, feel, and wonder.

A tiny mushroom revealed a whole world of co-living.
The forest canopy showed interdependence without competition.
Different natural colours reminded us of the beauty we often overlook in our human-made world.

And one simple realization kept returning:

In nature, nothing is wasted. Everything is connected.

The participants felt the soil in their hands, embraced the space between trees, tasted water from different points along the trail, and noticed how each stream carried a different taste—almost like herbs.

Some found silence and solitude deeply healing.
Some felt an unexpected boost of energy.
Some rediscovered a sense of authenticity and freedom.

Walking through the forest, one participant even found themselves asking forgiveness from nature….for the ways human-made structures disturb its balance.

From microorganisms breaking down matter to water constantly adapting to its path, every encounter offered a lesson.

Nature’s wisdom is simple:
Stay connected.
Adapt without losing yourself.
Take only what you need.
And reminding that we are part of the whole…
............

Workshop on " 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 & 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 "

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗬𝗩𝗙) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴
𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮
...

VHI Team -

Narrated by: Heshani Fonseka
Photography by: Niranjan Dissanayake
Supported by: Chamidu Sandeep & Savindi Shehara

23/09/2026

What makes our lives so heavy?
What have we created that nature never needed?
And what can the forest teach us about living differently?

Experiencing Sinharaja became an invitation to pause, notice, question, and see differently.

Sharing a realization,
Eventhough growing up among the tea estates of the hill country and despite being surrounded by nature all his life, he had rarely stopped to truly observe the birds and animals around him.

slowing down changed everything.

Mushrooms in different forms.
Snails in unexpected colours and patterns.
The natural resins and scents of trees.
Cobwebs holding tiny worlds of their own.
The Gin Ganga flowing through its ecosystem.
Leeches, once feared, now observed with curiosity.
A spring of fresh water….experienced, not simply seen

It made the group to think about this differently.

In our human systems, flexibility can sometimes mean giving up our own space for others.
But nature shows us another possibility:
Can we adapt without losing ourselves?
Can difference and coexistence create a win-win?

The forest also became a place to meet fear.

One participant shared,
since childhood, she had been discouraged from entering forests because of fears around insects. Yet after walking through Sinharaja, she felt stronger.

Nature doesn't always remove our fears.
It teaches us how to face them.

The forest canopy raised another question:
Is this a competition for survival…..or an ecosystem where everything has learned to coexist?
Thus the forest became a mirror of our own society.

One participant felt something unexpected….the lightness of the forest made the heaviness of human life more visible.

“Contradiction is the key to wisdom,” Dishani reflected

When we step away from the noise of society, we begin to hear our own inner voice.
That is the real gift of observation.
And somewhere along the way,
nature helps us see ourselves.
............

Workshop on " 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 & 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 "

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗬𝗩𝗙) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴
𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮
...

VHI Team -

Narrated by: Heshani Fonseka
Photography by: Niranjan Dissanayake
Supported by: Chamidu Sandeep & Savindi Shehara

23/09/2026

How can we reconnect with that sense of belonging in a world that constantly pulls us away from it?

The journey was not only about feeling the forest.
It was about feeling rooted - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

With the forest around them, the participants noticed the many layers of sound, the changing rhythms, and the subtle differences in how nature moves and communicates….

Some felt the sensitivity and softness of wild creations.
Some noticed their own breath.
Some discovered the beauty of silence.
Some felt a sense of freedom….like a butterfly moving through nature without the restrictions we often place on ourselves.

It also opened a deeper conversation …..our alienation from the Earth.

As Karl Marx explored the concept of alienation, modern systems can create distance between people and the conditions of life around them…..
The participants reflected how modernization is fueling the polarization and alienation and how our ways of living can pull us further away from natural rhythms….and, in the process, from ourselves.

A great river does not begin as a river.
It is formed by countless small springs, streams, and tributaries….each different, yet flowing together.

Our lives are much the same.
We may carry different dreams, ambitions, identities, and expectations.
Yet beneath those differences, we may all be moving toward something deeper…a shared sense of meaning, connection, and purpose.

This is what the Earth teaches us:
We can be different and still belong to the same flow.
We can remain rooted in ourselves while being deeply connected to others…
............

Workshop on " 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 & 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 "

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗬𝗩𝗙) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴
𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮
...

VHI Team -

Narrated by: Heshani Fonseka
Photography by: Niranjan Dissanayake
Supported by: Chamidu Sandeep & Savindi Shehara

23/09/2026

What happens when we listen beyond hearing and start listening?

For the Listening Group, the journey became an invitation to listen beyond words.

They heard the tiny sounds of ants moving along the pathway.
Monkeys calling from the trees.
Water flowing downstream.
Dry leaves crunching beneath their feet.
Even the subtle movements of leeches.

But the deeper learning was not only about what they heard.
It was about what listening revealed.

One participant shared how they usually feared walking through forests because of leeches and thorns. This time, there was no fear.

Instead, there was curiosity.

The forest began to challenge the idea that our human way of living is always the “best” way.

A leech became a teacher of balance….taking only what it needs, neither more nor less.

A 500-year-old tree became a teacher of patience, memory, and experience, having witnessed generations come and go.

The forest became a healer too.
Breathing felt different.
The energy felt different.

And stepping into the water seemed to wash away the tiredness of hours of walking.

Even the same sound carried different meanings.
For one, flowing of water sounded like a welcome.
For another, it sounded like the flow of life through different turning points.
For someone else, it sounded violent.

Nothing existed alone. Every living being depended on another.

In a world that often frames relationships as either dependence or independence, one reflection emerged:

Balance is where interdependence exist where the ego no longer is at the centre….

For some, listening deeply created a sense of entering another being’s space….as if they were disturbing a meditation already in progress.

For another, solitude brought comfort. Being alone no longer felt like loneliness. Silence itself became healing.

This is what it offered…..not answers, but new ways of listening.

Sinharaja was not simply a place they entered.
It became a teacher that invited them to slow down, listen deeply, dissolve other noises, and reconnect with their roots.
............

Workshop on " 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 & 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 "

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗬𝗩𝗙) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴
𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮
...

VHI Team -

Narrated by: Heshani Fonseka
Photography by: Niranjan Dissanayake
Supported by: Chamidu Sandeep & Savindi Shehara

21/09/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬 / 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲
𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴

Name: Lakshi Kariyawasam
Age: 24 years
Region: Elpitiya, Galle

Rain along the southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka is often heavy. The 10th of August 2026 was also such a rainy day, bringing rain and thunderstorms to the area. But it was a remarkable day for a group of young women. This group was formed by a Young Visionary fellow from Galle. Her name is Lakshi.

“I started my journey of community rooting on the day by forming my peer group. It has 06 peers aged between 21 and 25. They are all my friends from the village. They study at diverse universities and higher education institutes around the country; therefore, they currently live in diverse regions.”

Introducing her peer group, Lakshi started to share her first YV ground activity experience with us.

Even though the group first gathered in the town, hoping to conduct the activity outdoors, connect with the rhythm of the Earth, the rain disrupted their plan. Surrendering to the plan of Earth, Lakshi searched for a way to respond to the situation wisely.

“I called one of my friends and asked for permission to do the activity at her home. She willingly supported us, so we went there.”

Lakshi welcomed her peers by giving each of them a notebook, a hair scrunchie that she had sewn herself, and a flower. The young women became even more excited about the activity because of this warm welcome.

Then we sat in a circle and introduced ourselves to each other. We shared our favourite things and something that we really love to do, experience, or have from this whole world if we had the opportunity. This opened a discussion that unfolded many untold stories.

Since Lakshi had known her peers for a long time, she thought that she knew everything about them. But the wishes they shared made Lakshi realise how little we sometimes know about the ‘other’.

“One of my peers was my cousin sister. Her wish was to meet her father before he passed away. Though it could not happen in reality, it reflected a deep emotional heaviness she carried because of the loss of her father. I didn’t know that still she has such emotional pain about her loss. Therefore, this activity supported me to realise how important it is to listen to others.”

Lakshi is a skillful dress designer, and she wanted to combine her passion with her YV journey. For that purpose, she facilitated a short sewing lesson for her peers on stitching a skirt. The peers were very interested in this opportunity.

After that, Lakshi facilitated the group through the paper plate activity. She suggested them to draw or craft something that reflected their feelings at the present moment or, more generally, about themselves.

At first, they had many questions about how to create a craft or artwork that could reflect a person’s feelings. But Lakshi supported them by discussing how art can bring our inner expressions out.

“Finally,they came up with diverse creations that reflected their inner selves.”

One peer who wanted to go to a separate place to do her artwork painted the paper plate in red. She expressed how she often feels annoyed for no clear reason. She further shared how that feeling had distanced her from her family and friends. She wanted to get rid of that negative feeling that she had suffered from for a long time.

Lakshi approached the concept of ‘diversity’ through the diverse stories they shared. She invited them to explore how we are all diverse and how Earth itself is created based on the fundamental principle of diversity.

However, the group focused more on ethnic and religious diversity in human society.

They shared how they had not been exposed to diverse religious or ethnic groups when they lived in their village. But their exposure to ethnic and religious diversity at university brought a heavy feeling to many of them. They said that, at university, people sometimes force others to behave according to their own ethnic practices. They felt that people highlighted each other’s differences not to build connections, but to create discrimination and separation.

When Lakshi shared with them how YV accepts, respects, embraces, and celebrates diversity, taking it as a strength rather than an obstacle, the group also added their personal experiences and insights, nurturing the collective learning.

Then, together, they created a centrepiece using elements that Lakshi had collected from the beach.

“We created a spiral with sand, seashells, and pebbles to symbolise the learning, unlearning, and relearning journey we started on the day.”

To conclude the activity, they shared their feelings about the day. This also opened a discussion about what it means to accept and respect someone or something.

“Does accepting and respecting mean accepting any negativity? Or does it mean accepting the reality while working towards transformation?”

Through this discussion, the group understood that accepting and respecting does not mean collaborating with negativity. Instead, it means working collectively towards transformation.

Lakshi feels happy about her first facilitation experience. Her facilitation made her think deeply about the effort an organization and its stake holders should put into a three-year fellowship like YV. She also noticed how her peers trusted her enough to open up their inner selves within the circle and also after the activity

“After the activity, the peer who always feels annoyed had a personal conversation with me. I listened to her without any judgement or advice. This made her feel relaxed. I am so happy about that.”

Lakshi’s authentic presence brings energy to others and encourages them to engage and connect deeply. Her first facilitation reflects her ability to walk alongside her peers as well as with many other wounded people in society on a healing journey.

Since she has combined her transformation journey with her passion for sewing and dress designing, it also creates more opportunities for her peers in various ways.

As Young Visionaries, we wish Lakshi and her peers, strength, trust, and courage as they continue walking together on their journey of healing and transformation.
...

VHI Team -

Interviewed & Narrated by: Rosy Silva
Photography by: Lakshi Kariyawasam
Supported by: Vidusha Janith & Heshani Fonseka

21/09/2026

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞
𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴

Name: Lakshi Kariyawasam
Age: 24 years
Region: Elpitiya, Galle
Ethnic/Religious Diversity: Sinhala, Buddhist
Studies: Undergraduate in BA(Hons) in Sinhala, University of Ruhuna
Passionate about: Dancing, Drama, Social work and dress designing

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Lakshi is a young woman who is currently pursuing a special degree in Sinhala at the University of Ruhuna. Alongside her academic journey, she has been passionate about dancing, drama and dress designing since her school days and continues to explore these interests.

While joining the Young Visionary Fellowship, she hoped to develop her understanding of how language can act as a bridge between diverse communities living in society. She believes that words have the power to connect and heal people when used positively. Thus, through her journey with YV, Lakshi is seeking new paths that she can use to become a bridge for the unity of diverse communities. She believes her talents in drama, dancing and dress designing will also support her dream in diverse ways.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽

The first workshop brought many new experiences to Lakshi that inspired and motivated her in many different ways.

“𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝘄… 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗷𝗼𝘆. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳, 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗩 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲. 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴,” shared Lakshi, expressing her happiness about experiencing and connecting with the YV circle for the first time.

She also shared how the new learning about nonviolent conflict transformation developed her view of facing the conflicts of life in a more positive manner.

𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻. 𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗮, 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲,” said Lakshi, explaining how the workshop at the Sinharaja Rainforest and the environment there, which was filled with the healing powers of Earth, led her on a journey of self-transformation and self-healing.

“𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼-𝗬𝗩 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗻𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗦𝗮𝗶 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀. 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱𝘆.”

The discussion that emerged from Saisuthan’s sharing opened another space for reflection. The YV facilitator/coach & mentor supported Lakshi and other YV fellows in understanding how such issues could be addressed politically, without carrying only the emotional weight of the conflict. Since Lakshi had not previously been exposed to this aspect of society, she is now exploring the political background of the conflict.

𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

Lakshi is a talented dress designer who runs her own clothing design business.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆. 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱.”

𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲

Lakshi believes that giving each YV fellow a personal WhatsApp space for communication was like adding value to each of their lives.

“𝗬𝗩 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗜𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆.”

𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵

As Lakshi shared before, her immense hope is to become a bridge that connects diverse groups that are separated from each other due to various political, social, and regional reasons. For that, she is now trying to learn to speak Tamil.

“𝗔𝘁 𝗬𝗩, 𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗩 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮𝗻𝘀.”

As a person who comes from southern Sri Lanka, where the majority of the population is Sinhala Buddhist, this thought has a deep meaning and value. It shows her authentic need and hope to connect with the ‘other’ in order to listen to them and understand them.

Also, as a tutor who teaches children, Lakshi has started to share her learnings, un-learnings, and re-learnings with her students. She thinks making children aware of the conflicts that diverse communities face while living in the same country will be very important for building empathy rooted understanding among them.

“𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽, 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿.”

Lakshi’s exposure to different aspects of society through YV has encouraged her to explore a journey of building connections and peace, and bringing reconciliation among diverse groups. We believe this journey will support her in becoming an authentic peacebuilder and connector who can bridge communities that have experienced discrimination, separation and polarization in this land of Sri Lanka for a long period of time.
...

VHI Team -

Interviewed & Narrated by: Rosy Silva
Photography & Poster Designed by: Niranjan Dissanayake
Supported by: Vidusha Janith & Heshani Fonseka

Centre for Peace Building and Reconciliation - CPBR

24/09/2026

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