Ethnic cohesion team
Prof. Premakumara De Silva – Deputy Coordinator Ethnic Cohesion
Ms. Janaki Jayawardena/Mr.R. Srikanthan /: Arts
Dr. Lakshman Weddikkarage: Education
Ms. Jeeva Niriella/Dr. Anusha Perera: Law
Mr.M.A.Y.D. Madurapperuma/Mr. Chandana Wijekoon: Management & Finance
Prof. Wasantha Gunathunge: Medicine
Prof.T.L.S. Tirimanne: Science
Mr. Thumindu Dodantenna/Ms. Chaturika Nimalachandra : Sri Palee
A multicultural Centre was newly established in the university through the UDG support for civill works, procurement of equipment, furniture and books for the Centre. The center is to be used by students of all ethnicities. Efforts will be made to procure books of cultural aspects since the awarded bid through the UDG project was not successful and the supplier delivered only a few books in the list.
Translation of creative literature, on ethnic cohesion, from Tamil to Sinhala and vice versa was completed through consultancies.
- Tamil to Sinhala translation of “Vidattavan” (The Homeless) by author C V Veluppillai
- Sinhala to Tamil translation of “Sinnadorege Punchi Lokaya” (Sinnadore’s small world), by author Gunasiri Jayawardhana
These books were printed with UDG funding and is made available through the multicultural centre.
Since there is a mixture of different ethnicities in all faculties there is a demand for Sinhala and Tamil language learning also. Therefore in addition to English, Tamil and Sinhala classes were also conducted for needy students through language instructors recruited through Department of Official Languages. These classes were conducted for the students of the Faculties of Arts and Law and was supported by the UDG project. In the future the language laboratories will be strengthened to provide these facilities and till then it will be considered to continue this through sponsorships.
Study tours were conducted to multicultural areas to conduct research studies by some faculties, reports of which will be made available in multicultural centre. Faculty of Education was instrumental in exposing the Bachelor of Education students to multicultural environments in 2013 and 2014. In 2013 a field excursion was done to the Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Batticaloa. The main objective of this project was to make an effort to understand some of the key reasons which hold back students’ studying at the Eastern University in blending with student’ from other communities.
In-depth interviews of individuals from multi-ethnic communities
Further in 2014, a multicultural study at “Suhada gama”, Oluvil, Ampara district on extent of post war ethnic reconciliation was conducted by the same Faculty. Summer huts were constructed in the Sripalee campus for students to organize their team and group work and have discussions and spend leisure time. Some of the activities approved in the proposal were discouraged later therefore only a very limited activities were carried out under improving ethnic cohesion.
The photos taken at the multicultural study at “Suhada gama”, Oluvil, Ampara district on extent of post war ethnic reconciliation which was conducted by the Faculty of Education