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Our work in 2008
PCA has continued work to maintain
close links with donors, but new
funding to expand work to other
areas of the island, or to resume
work in Batticaloa and Trincomalee
has been difficult to find. It
appears that donors are leaving the
island, or shifting their focus away
from community reconciliation and
peace building projects.
Ampara –“Islamabad: A Good Place to
Grow In”
funded by Malteser International
–
PCA have started a project funded by
Malteser International in December
2008 to establish an active and well
functioning community in the new
school built by Malteser
International in Islamabad village,
Kalmunai, Ampara. The 21 months
project will encourage and support
children, teachers and parents to
use non violence so that, together,
they can develop a peaceful school
environment for children to grow in.
Matara – Problem Solving Forum in
Arahena
funded by CAFOD.
 After the success of the Kirihendeniya Projec, PCA are
cooperating with CAFOD on a further,
12 months programme called “Creating
a Space & Practicing Non Violent
Dialogues for Better Interaction” in
Arahena village. Arahena has had
similar problems as the community in
Kirihandeniya (see below) in terms
of infrastructure and relationship
between the resettled tsunami
affected population and the host
community. This project has been
running since April 2008 and it has
already marked significant changes
in the village population’s attitude
and behaviour towards more honest
and peaceful relationships and more
active approach towards solving the
problems of their village.
Ampara –“Strength for Peace”
funded by Helvetas.
We are working with Helvetas in
Ampara to develop the capacity of
communities to integrate
non-violent, conflict sensitive
approaches into their development
work. In Irrakamam and Central Camp,
participants have used what they
have learned about communication,
relationship building and taking
responsibility to set up and
implement local initiatives, as well
as holding regular meetings and
conducting voluntary activities
together.
Puttalam –“Together for Peace“
funded by FLICT
 PCA
has worked for two years on this
FLICT funded project as a leading
implementing partner of the Puttalam
Peace Alliance (PPA), in partnership
with Vanni Cultural Foundation (VCF)
and Islamic Relief Committee (ISRC).
This project running from November
2006 until November 2008 encouraged
people from Sinhalese, Tamil and
Muslim communities to change their
attitudes, behaviours and ways of
thinking about the people from other
ethnic, cultural or religious groups
who they have traditionally viewed
with hostility and suspicion. The
participants no longer see
themselves as ‘victims’ of the
‘other’. They understand that they
and the members from different
communities have equal needs, and
are able to work together to meet
them.
Colombo – “Peace Education Programme”
funded by QPSW and Commonwealth
Foundation.
As
PCA
is a member of South Asian Peace
Alliance (SAPA), in June 2008 we
have run peace education programme
for peace activists from the whole
South Asia. Since then they have
been using some of our methodologies
in their own work with communities
in their own countries.
Matara –
“Matara Problem Solvi ng Forum
– Kirihandenyia” funded by
CAFOD -
PCA completed this
project in April 2008. It helped
people resettled after the tsunami
to take responsibility for finding
solutions to their own problems.
Participants in Kirihendeniya
village were trained and supported
to develop communication and non
violence skills and to work together
on problems solving. As the
external evaluator’s report shows,
the programme resulted in a
significant attitudinal shift from
violent to more peaceful
interactions in the whole community,
not just amongst participants. Forum
members and local government staff
have built good working
relationships, and, together, have
peacefully resolved contentious
problems including water supply ,
access roads and land rights, as
well as more personal issues such as
drink and drug related violence
within the village. They have also
influenced the constructors to
improve the quality and suitability
of the housing which was still being
built, and have used their new
skills to develop positive
relationships with new residents and
the host community.
Ampara– Psychosocial
Support Team (PST) funded by UNICEF.
 PCA used staff trained and
experienced in psychosocial work to
provide psychosocial support and
guidance for a number of conflict
affected children and their
families. The team supported 33
children who were released from
Armed Groups and their families, as
well as 429 children who had been
subjected to mental distress due to
war, tsunami, poverty and family
burden, to help them take stock of
their position, so that they could
move on and make plans for their
future. As a result they have been
reintegrated back into their
communities and societies: some took
up livelihood activities, while
others joined schools.
Ampara – Child Protection Network
funded by UNICEF.
 PCA
is just beginning further work for
UNICEF aimed at increasing the
willingness and ability of
communities to improving the lives
of children, by using, developing
and coordinating Child Protection
Committee Networks. It will also
continue to work directly on child
protection, especially of ex-child
soldiers, following up the work of
the earlier programme
Jaffna and Ampara – “Non-violent
Interaction in Jaffna and Pottuvil”
funded by GTZ.
 In February 2008 PCA
concluded the Non Violent
Interaction programme, for GTZ in
Jaffna and in Pottuvil. All
participants were working with or
had links to the GTZ REPSI projects
and the aim was to enable them to
interact more meaningfully with each
other and with other key decision
makers for their communities. We
wanted to enable participants to
be more open and appreciative of the
communities they serve; to improve
their communication skills and their
awareness of the needs and feelings
of others. .Beneficiaries ranged
from senior government officers at
District and Divisional level to
Grama Niladharis, local NGO/ CBO
leaders and leaders of cooperative
societies. In all, the project
trained 28 senior government
officers and 39 Community/ NGO/
lower level government officials
Ampara
– Network of Psychosocial
Organisations (NAPO) funded by
UNICEF. In January 2008
we completed this project to improve
the quality of psychosocial work
carried out in Ampara by local
organisations. Its objective was to
create a sustainable network among
18 organisations and to increase the
skills, knowledge and capacity of
their staff. PCA coaches met all
the NAPO members twice each month
for half a day coaching and support.
At the monthly meeting of NAPO, the
representatives discussed the
problems and constraints they faced
in the field, sharing their
experience and it operated as a
forum for them to obtain guidance,
assistance and support as well as to
solve problems. All issues which
arose were documented and a strong
Network and Referral System
developed through which the problems
faced by children and women can be
solved. At the end of the project,
NAPO representatives said that the
project had given them the skills to
handle more easily the problems they
faced in their community work and a
member organisation of the NAPO
Network came forward to take
responsibility for continuing to
manage it, so the sustainability of
NAPO is ensured.
Colombo – “Strategic Planning”
funded by Non-violent Peace Force
(NP)
PCA have facilitated strategy
development workshop for NP. In the
past we have
also
conducted
management consultancy for them on
the effectiveness of their
management and support services.
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Project
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