lines editors worked in coalition with other activists
to help catalyze and plan a two-day meeting of the Sri
Lanka Democracy Forum (SLDF) in London in June of this
year. The event sought to bring together a multi-ethnic group
of Sri Lankans in the expatriate community to address how they
may engage with current developments in Sri Lanka – in particular,
to look at how best they may support and encourage progressive
civil society efforts in Sri Lanka and the expatriate community
to work for peace with justice. The meeting was a mix of papers,
theater, music and robust discussion on the politics of Sri Lanka
and the diaspora. The two submissions to lines published below
convey the rich diversity of interventions at the workshop. The
article by Kader focuses on Hill country Tamils,
or Malayaha Tamils, and offers a compelling analysis of the concerted
policy to suppress their political voice through the gerrymandering
of electoral districts. The script, Twisted Things,
engages with the politics of violence and democracy and is authored
by the actor/playwright Ridley Silva; Ridley
performed this play at the workshop – it was a powerful performance
that was simultaneously sparse and intense.
For those unfamiliar with the SLDF, it is an international coalition
of expatriate Sri Lankans. SLDF members sought to make a contribution
in solidarity with civil society efforts within Sri Lanka that
are working towards ending the conflict, and building a culture
of human rights and democracy that will prevent the recurrence
of conflict. The attached mission statement that was developed
at a 2002 meeting of SLDF in Canada conveys their mission – lines
is in solidarity with the basic aims of SLDF and welcomed the
opportunity to plan and attend the London conference, and are
now happy to publish two of the interventions made at that meeting.
Sri Lanka Democracy Forum: Mission Statement
We are a community that shares a commitment to a democratic and
pluralistic vision of Sri Lanka. We recognize that in addition
to the loss of lives, the costs of war also entailed the erosion
of democracy, the demobilization of pluralistic and independent
social movements, and the further victimization of marginalized
communities. In that context, we believe that movement towards
a just and sustainable peace must be accompanied by the reconstruction
of a democratic community that protects and promotes social justice,
and the individual and collective rights and freedoms of all communities
in Sri Lanka. We are in solidarity with, and have a commitment
to support the efforts of marginalized communities to address
past injustices, whether such injustice was based on the suppression
of dissent, economic disempowerment, and/or on ethnic, gender
or caste discrimination at the national or regional level. Among
other efforts, we seek to proactively support grass roots movements
that seek to expand and revitalize conditions for a vibrant, pluralistic
and independent civil society that nurtures freedom of conscious,
diverse political affiliations and an independent media. Thus,
we believe that the terrain for engagement is not merely macro-political
policy, but also economic decision-making, cultural production,
and diverse local struggles furthering democratization in all
spheres of life.
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