Monaragala, Sri Lanka—On August 11, 2018, UPF co-organized a rally and walk for peace in the Monaragala district of Uva province in southern Sri Lanka for the Peace Road 2018. Partnering with UPF to organize the event were the government of Sri Lanka, Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) and the Youth Federation for World Peace (YFWP). The theme of the one-day program was “Towards Peace & Reconciliation in Sri Lanka.”
The rally began with prayers, offered by leaders from the Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim faiths. This was followed by a welcome speech, given by Mr. S. Sarrajh, coordinator of the Northern Province chapter of UPF-Sri Lanka and president of YSP-Sri Lanka.
The Peace Road project was introduced by Dr. Edgar T. Tanate, director of education of UPF-South Asia. Dr. Chula Senaratne, secretary general of UPF-Sri Lanka, and Mr. Sarrajh also spoke.
During the opening ceremony, Mr. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, minister of public administration and management and minister of law and order of Sri Lanka, and the chief guest, Hon. Ananda Kumarasiri, deputy speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, gave speeches.
Afterwards, around 100 local leaders and youth gathered for and participated in the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) long walk for peace.
At the end of the event, the participants received t-shirts and certificates of appreciation, and everyone was happy to have successfully completed the Peace Road 2018.