Port of Call LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
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October 10-11, 2003 Global University Study Program – The Non-Violent Peace Force in Sri Lanka
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The beauty of Sri Lanka can be found in the small things
The civil war that has threatened to break the tiny island nation of Sri Lanka apart since 1983 has become well known for its viciousness and intractability. The fragile yet hopeful cease fire and peace accord recently negotiated with the help of Norway between the government and Tamil separatists (the LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam) in the North-East is rightfully held as an unprecedented and desperately-needed achievement. Receiving less coverage in the international media, are the smaller, extremist or marginalized parties, and the conflicts within the 'government' and 'rebel' sides.
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The best kind of welcome
Less well known though, aside from numbers of dead reaching the tens of thousands listed below the headlines in newspapers, is the impact that war has had on the people. Participants and staff from Peace Boat's 'Global University' program learnt not only about the impact of war on people, but the impact people are making to transform the problems of conflict through peace building.

Humid, bustling streets crowded by old colonial architecture and people offering greetings rather than sales pitches were our first welcome to Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. The focus of the study program was to hear the voices of people from both the Sinhalese and Tamil sides of the conflict, and meet members of the 'Non-Violent Peace Force' (NVPF), conducting the first peace mission since the organization was founded in 2002. Facilitating our program were Akihiko Kimijima and Yutaka Ohata, both members of the NVPF and guest speakers from Japan who guided our education onboard as Peace Boat sailed between Singapore and Sri Lanka.
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Learning that soldiers are much more human than they usually appear
Comprising of 11 field workers and three program coordinators, the goals of NVPF in its first 'deployment' are, through acting as witnesses, accompaniment and other activities aimed at de-escalating dangerous tensions in conflict-prone areas and to create a space for local people to pursue dialogue and peace-building. NVPF workers include Germans, Kenyans, Filipinos, Ghanans, Americans and Japanese, and range in age from 24 to 60. Their experiences vary from academic, military and NGOs, but all members share a deep desire to see the NVPF make a positive impact on the fragile conditions of peace in Sri Lanka from the grass roots. On a larger scale, the NVPF presents a model of unarmed civilian intervention in conflicts that could complement and eventually replace intervention by traditional military forces.

The first stop on the two-day study program was a state military rehabilitation centre in an undeveloped suburb of Colombo. Amidst the slow rural life and green surroundings, occasionally interrupted by a train rattling nearby, government soldiers who have suffered neurological trauma in the conflict, engaged in physical, mental and social rehabilitation programs. Occupying the 91 beds inside the hospital were mostly young men in their early 20s, trying to repair broken bodies and minds for some sort of meaningful life in the future.
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One of many ways to become friends
Hearing about the daily struggle to learn to live with the effects of landmine and bullet wounding through drawing activities, developing prosthetics and making craft goods to sell for support, it was clear how the end of war could devastate otherwise productive lives by turning people into soldiers after which they spend years just trying to regain some normalcy in life. It was the first time a group such as ours had visited the centre to learn about the experiences of the patients and staff, and we were immediately made to feel welcome by our new friends.
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Evening at a Buddhist temple
As the sun set we travelled through more suburbs towards the ocean and our accommodation, stopping at a local Buddhist temple to mingle with people coming to and from worship. Hosting the 20 participants for dinner were the 13 field workers and three administrators of the NVPF.
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Margaret, from Canada, explaining the work of the TRO
ising early to a breakfast of noodles, curry, toast and fruit, watching the sun rise over the tree-filled neighbourhood, we prepared for our visit to the Tamil Rehabilitation Center. Founded in 1985 as a relief organization for Tamil refugees fleeing conflict regions in the North and East, with the end of conflict the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) has developed programs focusing on rehabilitation and development for displaced peoples, including non-Tamils affected by the war. The TRO is also responsible for creating the first all-woman landmine removal team, and was the only international organization in the LTTE-held North during the entire civil conflict.
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In Sarvodaya, a women's organization that is acting as host to the NVPF while it establishes its training programs and operations in Sri Lanka, Peace Boat participants and the NVPF members gathered for introductions to the activities of each organization and workshops on cultural communication, revenge and reconciliation. The hosts of the afternoon's programs included people who were scheduled to depart for areas where conflict still periodically disrupts daily life, bringing the immediacy and relevance of the programs into sharp focus. Participants on both sides ended the afternoon with optimistic discussion about future cooperation.

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Joining a fashion show of Sri Lankan dress
Finishing a rich experience in Sri Lanka, the Global University program participants and other tours converged at the seaside for a cultural exchange festival featuring Japanese and Sri Lankan music and dance performances, speeches and other exchange activities. In the soft light of the setting sun, it was an ideal way to end the two-day program for all participants, knowing that it is people's initiatives working towards conflict resolution, reconciliation and re-development of civilians and ex-fighters that are integral to the success of state-level peace negotiations.