Financial Times

CCC, Tiruchelvam Trust in peace-for-development pact
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust (NTT), recognizing the importance of peace for economic development, have joined hands to promote peace in Sri Lanka.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed recently between the two parties taking into account the common aspirations of the business circles and civil society organizations in developing mutually beneficial relations to promote sustainable peace in Sri Lanka, the CCC said in a statement.

Through the MOU signed, the parties have agreed to establish “The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Fund for Peace; and mobilize resources to promote initiatives aimed at sensitizing civil society and businesses about the cost of war and dividends of peace. The CSR Fund will be used to sponsor initiatives that promote peace, whilst mobilizing resources would include forging strategic partnerships with business groupings from South Africa, Northern Ireland etc, where the private sector played a pivotal role in promoting peace.

The Trust invited one such business group, namely the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce from Northern Ireland to interact with members of the CCC.
The CCC facilitated a breakfast meeting through the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), on October 12th, 2005. The CEO of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Janice Tracey spoke on Peace and Economic Development, two sides of the same coin.

The idea of the private sector promoting peace is not a new one, G8 leaders in July 2001 recognized that ‘The private sector through good citizenship can play an important and positive role in conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction’.

Therefore, the CCC based on its history, credibility and its talent base is in a unique position to work in partnership with the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust, an indigenous grant making organization, to promote peace in Sri Lanka, the statement said.

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