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“for such a time as this" 4th - 29th September 2008
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This year Sri Lanka commemorated 25 years of the sad
incidents of ‘Black July’. In
July 1983, the country literally burst into flames as angry mobs went on a
rampage burning, looting and terrorising the occupants of Tamil homes. The then
Government claimed, that the attack on Tamil civilians was a spontaneous
backlash by ordinary Sinhalese. This is an incredible statement, as on the
contrary, many ordinary Sinhalese risked their lives to save Tamil neighbours
and friends from the marauding mobs.
Independent
studies carried out by the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School,
indicates that at least 215,000 people, both Sinhalese & Tamils, were
killed in Sri Lanka, from that time until 2002. The study further states that the
estimated number of killings may be as high as 338,000, and that many factors
could have led to under-reporting. It
is not only the Tamils who suffered the consequences of this war. In fact both
the Tamils & Sinhalese have encountered killings in border villages, bomb
blasts, aerial bombings in civilian areas and suicide attacks which have caused
lives and injuries to the civilian population. This war has further increased
the number of widows on both sides, children loosing their fathers in the
battle front and have also rendered thousands of civilians homeless, destitute
and internally displaced. The
reports further state that, since 1983, the war caused more than one million
Internally Displaced People (IDPs), more than 500,000 war affected children,
over 50,000 war widows and 14,000 child soldiers. The pain and trauma of these
people are endless.
Considering the impact & effects caused by this
civil war, it is necessary for the Christian community to re visit the
incidents which have taken place since 1983, and reflect upon the role of the Church
and the Christian community in Sri Lanka, in relation to the ethnic conflict. It
is necessary for the younger generation too to understand the root causes to
this conflict and restore justice and reconciliation among the divided
communities. As the Church personifies the bridge connecting both communities
together, and it also represents both communities in Sri Lanka, it is the
responsibility of the Church to engage its congregations in peace building
efforts. Hence, the National Christian
Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) is in the process of bringing all
the Pastors and Christian leaders together to work towards a national reconciliation.
GOAL OBJECTIVES:
·
Encourage
the Church to be actively involved in Peace and Reconciliation activities in
the country
·
Bring
awareness amongst the Churches and its younger generations on what took place
in 1983 and its effects on the Churches.
·
Build
up a National Christian consensus on the ethnic conflict in the country and
design a plan of action
· Encourage the Churches to intercede and pray for the country Due to the current volatile
situation in the country and the travel restrictions, conferences are been
organised for two days in 16 districts. The district conferences will maximize
the participation of the local Church & the leaders in the peace building process.
It will also encourage grass root participation as they are invited to
deliberate on the Christian responsibility and response to the burning issues
and needs of the people caught in this conflicting war.
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A resource pack was prepared and given to all the district coordinators/facilitators who organized the conference. The resource pack contained a facilitator’s guide, video presentation & a movie titled ‘Amazing Grace’. The facilitator’s guide explained the general information with regard to the conference, the sermon outline, prayer points, group topics, panel presentation and movie discussion. This guide is linked to a variety of other activities interconnected with each other to achieve the desired outcomes.
