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‘Peace Road’ in Sri Lanka Promotes Reconciliation
Written by UPF–Sri Lanka
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Vavuniya, Sri Lanka—Since the end of the nearly three-decade-long Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, the Sri Lankan government and NGOs have been striving hard to promote peace and reconciliation in the island nation.
On September 9, 2017, UPF-Sri Lanka organized a Peace Road event on the theme, "Towards Peace and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka” in the city of Vavuniya in Northern province.
The idea of a “Peace Road” or an international highway that physically connects all people of the world together was the enduring vision of UPF co-founder, the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. Every year since 2015, the Peace Road tour has been held annually and has involved the participations of thousands of supporters and friends of peace.
The opening ceremony took place at the Vavuniya Muslim Maha Vidyalayam, a national school, and began with a minute of silence and prayers, which were offered by representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim faiths. The welcome speech was delivered by Lt. S. Sarrajh, coordinator of UPF-Sri Lanka, Northern Province, and coordinator of the event.
The Peace Road project was introduced by Dr. Chula Senaratne, secretary-general of UPF-Sri Lanka. A peace message was given by Hon. K.K. Masthan, a member of parliament (MP) representing the district of Vanni, and the peace declaration was delivered by Hon. A.N. Sivasakthy Ananthan, also an MP representing the district of Vanni.
Blessings for the peace and unity of Sri Lanka were given by Mr. Thireshkumar, a government representative, and Mr. Paranthaman of the district secretariat.
Afterwards, led by Hon. Masthan, the more than 200 participants walked and biked to Vavuniya Saivaprakasa Ladies College, which is located in the middle of Vavuniya, through periods of heavy rain.
At the end of the event, each participant received a certificate of appreciation, and everyone was happy to have successfully completed the Sri Lanka leg of the 2017 Peace Road.
The Peace Road event was co-organized by UPF, the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) and the Youth Federation for World Peace (YFWP).
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