Who is who in Sri Lanka?

An international gathering of scholars, researchers and those associated with policy planning and implementation along with community representatives will gather in Canberra, Australia shortly to reflect on the deeper aspects of human existence in a complex world.

While drawing from various academic disciplines and research findings, those who gather will reflect upon issues such as:

* The nature and direction of Sri Lanka's regional relationships in economic, political and cultural terms.

* Various aspects of Sri Lankan society, culture, economy, people and identity etc.

* The nature of the Sri Lankan communities which have been established in other countries such as Australia, England, Canada, USA, the Middle East etc.

Human beings, while constrained by their environment and what it can give for their sustenance, operate in a world of meanings. They live out various 'meaning' categories which have been passed down through generations.

At the same time, they re-construct and re-define these categories to suit their existence. In the process, various contentions, debates, and conflicts arise.

Contradictions and conflicts are a part of human existence. However, minimizing the adverse effects of conflicts necessary for a decent life. Ideally the literati supported by the groups which process power usually provide avenues for the amelioration of conflicts which impact on society. How far is this true for Sri Lanka?

Sri Lankanness has become a complex identity category which carries diverse meanings to different groups of people. Those who live in the Kandyan areas view themselves as different to those from the low country. Those in the tea plantations view themselves as different to those from the north of the country. Colombo-based Sri Lankans, especially those in the well-to-do strata of society tend to think about themselves as an exclusive category compared to those from Anuradhapura or Hambantota.

Sinhalaness, Tamilness, Muslimness and Burgherness are some other demarcating categories of Sri Lankan identity. These categories are not monolithic categories as some like to think. Their historical and parochial social constructions of meaning have evaporated to bring in new elements of meaning in the face of successive stages of globalisation.

For example, Sinhala people used to say that one can find Sinhalese only in Sri Lanka. Therefore, in regional and world terms they are a minority. But this situation has changed dramatically with the settlement of Sinhalese in other countries and establishment of continuing communities with hyphenated identities. What similarities and differences are there between these expatriate Sri Lankans and those who live in Sri Lanka itself?

Is one, more authentic than the other? Have these new shifts in time and location - therefore meaning categories-created new conflicts and contradictions among Sri Lankans?

Is it possible to forge a unified Sri Lankan identity which encompasses a variety of sub-identities? What efforts are being made to this end? Do people from these sub-identity groups feel comfortable in this unified category, both in symbolic and material terms? If not, what extra steps are needed? Do the young Australian-Sri Lankan youths face the same challenges in life as those in Sri Lanka itself? Have those who emigrated made their life successful materially and spiritually?

How have Western and Eastern thought, traditions and practices made life in Sri Lanka miserable or comfortable? Has there been a favourable symbiosis or a very canny co-existence of meaning categories which have been combined mechanically to make the life of Sri Lankans more intolerable? For example, is our legal system, political system, higher education system, schooling system, value system what we want it to be or are they systems imposed upon us by the sheer weight of history and hierarchical enforcement?

Are our lives still governed by outside influences more than internal community - driven ones? Have we lost our indigenous soul and enthusiasm for creativity as a result of centuries of external control? Are we looking at links with our neighbours such as India, Pakistan, Nepal with new lenses due to sheer economic necessity? Or are there other instinctive inclinations which encompass this new look at neighbours?

These are some of the issues the participants of this conference will focus their discussions on. This is the seventh in a series of such conferences.

The last one was held in Kandy in 1997, and the previous one was held in New Hampshire, USA in 1995. The first few conferences were held in such places as Paris, Amsterdam, Sussex and Colombo. While there is no specific organization behind this series of conferences, those who study Sri Lanka from their respective disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives from around the world gather in a collectively chosen location every two years to deliberate upon Sri Lanka issues/studies.

The conference in Australia has been expanded to encompass Sri Lankan community members as they can bring in different perspectives. In addition to concurrent sessions, a one day workshop is planned to discuss the ethnic conflict and possible solutions.

The occasion will provide a critical interface between Australian and Sri Lankan concerns in every field ranging from technology transfer to identity forging.

Already more than hundred paper proposals have been received. The speakers include Laksiri Jayasuriya, David Kalupahana, Kitsiri Malalgoda, V. Nithiyanandan, Karori Singh, C. M. Madduma Bandara, M. D. C. Abhayaratne, Sisira Jayasuriya, Suvendrini Perera, Rajiva Wijesinha, A. Sivarajah, Nirmala Singh, Howard Brasted, Darshani de Zoysa, Mario Gomez, Hema Wijewardena, Jo La Bianco, Cynthia Vanden Driesen, Manfred Domros, Siri Hettige, W. D. Lakshman, Yasmine Gooneratne, Kitsiri Malalgoda, Sunithi Bandaranaike and many others.

Interested Sri Lankans should contact G. Tantrigama, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Business Administration, University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Nugegoda. (Tel: 844505/841295)Email: tantri@eureka.lk), or Pof. Siri Hettige, Dept. of Sociology, University of Colombo (Tel: 500452) for more details. In Australia the main co-ordinator is Dr. Siri Gamage, Senior Lecturer in Multicultural Studies, School of Education Studies, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351. His contact is Tele: 61-2-67733836, Fax: 61-2-67727673 Email: sgamag2@ metz.une.edu.au

The organisers invite interested Sri Lankans and others to contact them as soon as possible. The space is limited to 300 delegates.

Aims

The broad aim is to promote mutual understanding and appreciation of Sri Lankan development issues in the context of globalisation and South Asian regionalism eg. reduction of inequality and poverty; creation of social justice and better governance; sharing of theoretical and practical knowledge, research finding, and policy models for participatory economic and social development; educational reforms etc.

The specific aims are:

* To examine critically Sri Lanka's communal, national and diasporic dynamics, cleavages, and understandings including Australia's Sri Lankan community;

* To assess and evaluate Sri Lanka's new approaches to regional relations, in particular SAARC and APEC with expertise and representation especially from the South Asian region and Australia.

* To examine Sri Lanka's development policy record in combating social and economic inequality and poverty reduction, quality of life as they affect various levels of the population;

* To assess the effectiveness of policy models, development approaches and programmes in Sri Lanka particularly in relation to other developing countries of South Asia;

* To seek viable, effective policy frameworks within a democratic model of governance for inter-ethnic relations in Sri Lanka with the aid of comparative perspectives;

* To establish and strengthen co-ordinating networks and linkages between professionals in Australia and South Asia with an emphasis on Sri Lanka; and

* To review future directions of research and study in relation to the themes of the conference.

More Plus

Return to Plus Contents