News

The National Peace Council wishes to express its gratitude to the donors who have contributed generously to our Flood Relief Fund. The amount collected so far is Rs 3,482,204 (approx. USD 11,250) from 16 donors. We appreciate very much your affection and commitment to Sri Lanka and its people in the context of competing demands for your philanthropy.

Eight actualisation activities were conducted across the country under NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation and Social Justice (PAIRS) project, funded by Misereor and co-funded by CAFOD. In addition, 15 local and provincial level dialogues with religious leaders and government officials have been held by District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs) to advocate locally and nationally for social justice and inclusive reconciliation.

NPC, through its ongoing Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project, implemented a two day national level campaign in Kandy, bringing together 120 women leaders representing the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, marking a significant milestone in advancing women’s political participation, leadership and social equity.

NPC’s Executive Director Dr Jehan Perera took part in the first structured dialogue between civil society groups and the NPP government at a meeting to review the national response to Cyclone Ditwah. A small delegation from the CSO-NGO Collective was invited to the Presidential Secretariat together with senior members of the government team handling the crisis. The invitation itself signalled a willingness to draw on the experience and reach of civil society at a moment when the country faces an unprecedented humanitarian and reconstruction challenge.

In the face of severe flooding that has displaced thousands across Sri Lanka, the power of local peacebuilding networks has come through. District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs), NPC’s community-based formations, swiftly mobilised to provide critical relief to over 1,500 cyclone-affected people in seven districts.

Eight actualisation activities were conducted across the country under NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation and Social Justice (PAIRS) project, funded by Misereor and co-funded by CAFOD. In addition, 15 local and provincial level dialogues with religious leaders and government officials have been held by District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs) to advocate locally and nationally for social justice and inclusive reconciliation.
NPC gathered its grassroots network for a progress review meeting of PAIRS project, bringing together 48 leaders including heads of partner organisations, DIRC coordinators and members from 16 districts. The meeting fostered a dynamic exchange of experiences and strategies.

NPC, through its ongoing Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project, implemented a two day national level campaign in Kandy, bringing together 120 women leaders representing the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, marking a significant milestone in advancing women’s political participation, leadership and social equity.

NPC’s Executive Director Dr Jehan Perera took part in the first structured dialogue between civil society groups and the NPP government at a meeting to review the national response to Cyclone Ditwah. A small delegation from the CSO-NGO Collective was invited to the Presidential Secretariat together with senior members of the government team handling the crisis. The invitation itself signalled a willingness to draw on the experience and reach of civil society at a moment when the country faces an unprecedented humanitarian and reconstruction challenge.

In the face of severe flooding that has displaced thousands across Sri Lanka, the power of local peacebuilding networks has come through. District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs), NPC’s community-based formations, swiftly mobilised to provide critical relief to over 1,500 cyclone-affected people in seven districts.

As part of the ongoing initiatives under NPC’s Active Citizens for Elections and Democracy (ACED) project, funded by the European Union (EU), a team of project partners led by Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of PAFFREL, engaged in a series of discussions with several political parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Social Justice Party.

NPC’s Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project carried out a series of intervention programmes addressing locally identified community issues. These activities, implemented across multiple districts, aimed to empower communities, improve livelihoods and promote awareness of critical social issues.

Sixteen actualisation activities were held across the country under NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation, and Social Justice (PAIRS) project, funded by Misereor and co-funded by CAFOD. Driven by District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs), youth leaders and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), these initiatives engaged over 6,828 (1,707 direct and 5,121 indirect) beneficiaries, transforming identified issues into tangible solutions for peace and inclusion.

A series of intervention programmes for conflict resolution were organized under NPC’s Women Organized for Inclusion through Community Engagement (WOICE) project funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Through this initiative, conducted in the Kandy, Matara, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle and Monaragala districts, groups identified key conflicts within their localities and worked collaboratively to empower women to take strong, solution oriented leadership in addressing them.

As part of the Active Citizens for Elections and Democracy (ACED) project, funded by the European Union, two meetings were held in Kandy and Batticaloa to raise awareness about the significance of timely elections, bringing together 80 participants including representatives from civil society, election monitoring members, youth leaders and women leaders.

NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation and Social Justice (PAIRS) project, funded by Misereor and co- funded by CAFOD, is transforming community dialogue into tangible action by bridging long standing gaps in justice, services and inclusion. Through a series of targeted actualisation activities and strategic facilitation meetings citizens, civil society and state officials are collaborating to implement concrete solutions for the most pressing local issues, turning advocacy into dignity and promises into progress. In September, 1,026 target group members were directly reached, reflecting the project’s growing impact and reach at the grassroots level.

NPC’s Plural Action for Inclusion, Reconciliation, and Social Justice (PAIRS) project, funded by Misereor and co-funded by CAFOD, implemented in collaboration with its partner organizations, marked a transition from community dialogue to tangible action.

Under the project NPC together with the Kurunegala District Inter Religious Committee (DIRC), the Kurunegala Human Rights Organization, the Road Passenger Transport Authority and the Kurunegala District Secretariat office launched an initiative to promote equality and respect for all faiths on public buses.