TV Times

TV Times

USAID on road to peace
“Take This Road” (Me Paren Enna) is a 13 episode television series highlighting the toll of conflict on community relationships. It is the story of three Sri Lankan families one Tamil, one Sinhalese and one Muslim -coping with the effects of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. The three families, each with their own experience and perspective on the conflict, cross paths on a visit to Jaffna after the opening of theA-9 highway connecting Jaffna and Kandy.

Jeffrey Lunstead, Ambassador to Sri Lanka for the United States of America attended the launch of “Take This Road” that promotes mutual understanding, tolerance, and cooperation among all communities in Sri Lanka.

At the event, Ambassador Lunstead noted, “One of the most important aspects of “Take This Road”is that it brings the perspectives of different groups of Sri Lankans - Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala - to a wide, diverse audience. This tele-drama helps people all over Sri Lanka to understand each other in a dynamic and accessible way - through the stories of their daily lives.

Directed by Asoka Handagama writers from all three communities collaborated to develop the script for “Take This Road.” Handagama together with the team of writers visited the North and East to speak to people who live in these war-torn areas. The teledrama itself was shot entirely on location in Jaffna. Both Tamil and Sinhalese languages are used in the program; when one language is spoken, the other is provided in subtitle.

“Take This Road” may be viewed on Rupavahini and Channel Eye. Initial viewing figures show that the program has reached 25% of rural viewers and 41% of urban viewers; a total of 4.1 million people in Sri Lanka have already viewed the program. In addition, television stations targeting the Sri Lankan diaspora in Europe have requested permission to broadcast the series.

“Take This Road” was funded by the US Agency for International Development, (USAID), and implemented by the Academy of Educational Development, a US based non-governmental organization. Young Asia Television produced the tele-drama.

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