SRI LANKA
Contact
Dr. Chula Senaratne, chulaslk@gmail.com12, Kanatte Road
Boralesgamuwa
Sri Lanka
+94777327022, +94112509265
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Global Peace Council Member
NextGen Interns Promote Character Education in Sri Lanka
June 20, 2008
Interns Elysa Thalheimer, Tesia Bobrycki, and Audrey Martin were struck by the war-like aspects of Sri Lanka. Everywhere they went, they saw officers with rifles stopping cars and checking everything. They learned that if you are Tamil, it is especially difficult. Most Tamil students yearn for peace, but they don't know how it will come about. The idea of a peace sports festival inspired them, as did meeting their first Westerners. The interns felt the impact of war on society in a way they had never felt before.
UN Year of Sports and Physical Education Can Help Promote Peace
June 5, 2008
UPF offers various sports programs in promotion of peace in support of the UN Year of Sports and Physical Education.
Building Peace in Sri Lanka through Sports and Service
March 30, 2008
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - Basketball clinics and peace lectures drawing on texts held sacred in Sri Lanka's multi-religious society were highlights of a recent Youth Leadership Development program in Sri Lanka. About 60 Sri Lankan youth attended the March 28-30, 2008, seminar at the Subodhi Center for Integral Studies in Moratuwa, Colombo.
RYS Participants Rennovate an Orphanage in Ratnapura
August 24, 2007
Ratnapura, Sri Lanka – RYS participants built a study hall and repaired and upgrade the existing play area of the local orphanage which houses 22 boys, all less than 12 years old.
Religious Youth Service Helps Orphans in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
August 24, 2007
RATNAPURA, SRI LANKA - A Religious Youth Service project in Ratnapura, Aug. 18-24, 2007, helped improve the lives of Tamil and Sinhalese children whose parents abandoned them or are in jail are sent by the government to the local orphanage.
Sri Lanka Government Partners with UPF in Leadership Conference
August 6, 2007
The Sri Lanka Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in collaboration with the Universal Peace Federation held a ground-breaking conference in the parliament Aug. 5-6, 2007, that set a new level of cooperation between governments and UPF educational initiatives.
D.L. Mendis: Good Governance, Lasting Peace
December 1, 2006
Good governance has become an important issue in national and global politics. It has gained importance with the demise of the Cold War and the resurgence of democratic ideals. The emergence of global threats and challenges has further accentuated its importance. According to Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, good governance must go beyond national interests, national boundaries and legal obligations to embrace interreligious values in order to establish lasting peace.
UPF Builds Harmony in Sri Lanka through Service, Sports and Music
September 7, 2006
A Religious Youth Service project Aug. 27-Sept. 3, 2006, at Kandapola brought together participants in a common bond to help renovate a government school building and provide it with pipe-borne water.
RYS Participants Help Provide Running Water for School
September 3, 2006
Kandapola, Sri Lanka – This year Sri Lanka had a unique RYS program called the CELEBRATION OF LIFE. Participants helped to provide a running water facility for the area around the Methodist College in Kandapola, as well as upgrading the Primary section of the school.
Religious Youth Service Helps Build a Community Center in Southern Sri Lanka
August 10, 2006
Tangalle, Sri Lanka - After the December 26, 2004 tsunami, RYS worked with other agencies to build a community center and sports complex in Tangalle, on the southern coast.
Promoting Character Education throughout Sri Lanka
April 3, 2006
The Universal Peace Federation held six programs over seven days; organizers traveled about 1,200 kilometers and reached 529 people. The participants were mostly students, but also included Ministry of Education officials, teachers, principals, religious leaders, Ambassadors for Peace, and alumni of Religious Youth Service and Interreligious Peace Sports Festivals.
UPF's Relevance to Sri Lanka
December 30, 2005
A national inter-religious advisory council for Sri Lanka is being considered favorably by the President. The expertise of the UPF together with availability of vast funds at its disposal would be of immense benefit to the proposed religious advisory council and also for our economic development.
Peace Tour Inaugurates UPF in Sri Lanka
November 24, 2005
Colombo, Sri Lanka - An excellent team prepared for the inauguration of the Universal Peace Federation in Sri Lanka: Mr. Thilairajan, Dr. Robert Kittel, Rev. John Gehring, Ambassador D.L. Mendis, and numerous Japanese and Nepalese volunteers.
Tamils and Sinhalese Help Tsunami Survivors on the International Day of Peace
September 21, 2005
Religious Youth Service organized a service project in southern Sri Lanka Sept. 16-24, 2005, to mark the UN International Day of Peace and to help those affected by the tsunami.
Rebuilding After a Tsunami Through Interreligious Harmony
August 24, 2005
Bata Atha, Sri Lanka— An RYS project was held in “Bata Atha,” a remote village in the southern part of Sri Lanka. This area was the worst hit area by the tsunami in December 2004. RYS committee decided to build a community center for the people affected by the tsunami.
RYS Hosts Island Friendship Project in Sri Lanka
April 25, 2004
Bambarabedda, Sri Lanka—RYS participants were eager to take on the task of providing the children of the countryside a library as part of the local Buddhist monastery and community school. Technicians guided the volunteers through the different stages of construction.
Reflections on Religious Youth Service Experience in Sri Lanka
April 24, 2004
When I close my eyes, I can still smell the air of Colombo. It was a fantastic experience. I’m so honored to represent all the delegates from Mr. and Miss University and participate in the service project held by Religious Youth Service (RYS) in Sri Lanka.
Religious Youth Service Promotes Peace in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
April 24, 2004
Sri Lanka is one of the places where Religious Youth Service has invested heavily since 1992. Having embarked on peacebuilding initiatives during the civil war period, we could not attract any youth from the North or East for the first project because of the fierce fighting that had been going on between Tamil militant groups and the government forces for almost two decades.
RYS-Sri Lanka: Peace Through Interreligious Dialogue & Service
August 13, 2003
Jaffna, Sri Lanka—RYS finished constructing and painting walls, building a small room, and laying a roof of a preschool. In addition, we donated furniture and play equipment for the school and repaired a fence and planted trees and a garden.
Religious Youth Service Opens Doors in Eastern Sri Lanka
August 26, 2001
Manresa, Sri Lanka - Thanks to a cease-fire between the government and the Tamil insurgents in December 2000, roads were opened to the public and people could begin to move somewhat freely around the country. However, even though there was a political will to settle deep-rooted problems, no effective mechanism had been created to bring people together to meet in heart and reconciliation. A Religious Youth Service project August 23-26, 2001 opened doors for that to happen.
