Monaragala, Sri Lanka—Religious Youth Service (RYS), in partnership with Youth and Students for Peace (YSP), held its 2018 Island Friendship Project, “Safe Spaces for Youth,” in Monaragala, Sri Lanka from August 10 to 17, 2018. Fifty-seven participants and staff from 10 countries participated in the one-week project, which involved constructing an extension of a Buddhist community center and building a concrete walkway around it.
The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, minister of public administration and management and minister of law and order of Sri Lanka, and the chief guest, Hon. J.M. Ananda Kumarasiri, deputy speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, who both delivered messages of peace.
Prayers were offered by religious leaders from the Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim faiths. This was followed by a welcome speech, which was given by Mr. Sajjidin Sarrajh, president of YSP-Sri Lanka. The project was introduced by Dr. Edgar T. Tanate, director of education of UPF-South Asia, and Dr. Chula Senaratne, secretary general of UPF-Sri Lanka.