International conference on harmony and reconciliation in Vavuniya
View(s):The University of Vavuniya Harmony Centre will host the 2nd International Conference on Harmony and Reconciliation (ICHR2026) at the campus premises on May 20-21, on the theme ‘Fostering Unity for Social Cohesion through Adaptive Digital Landscape’.
This conference will gather academics, researchers, policymakers, developmental practitioners, social activists and students from across Sri Lanka and abroad to engage in meaningful dialogue on harmony, reconciliation, social cohesion, peace building and inclusive development, according to Conference Chair Prof Ananthini Nanthakumaran and Vavuniya Harmony Centre Director Gnanapragasam Naveendakumar.
University members from India, Bangladesh, Russia, Australia and the Philippines are set to attend the conference, while another two will join online from the US.
The purpose of the conference is to translate academic research into action-oriented policy recommendations through a dedicated ‘Paper to Policy’ framework.
Prof Nanthakumaran said they hoped to submit a white paper of the research findings to the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation.
It is hoped that the white paper would eventually be produced before parliament, Mr Naveendakumar added.
In terms of stakeholder consultations, the Harmony Centre spent 8-9 moths on consulting stakeholders for the conference that included members of the UGC, experts, students and the UN, Prof Nanthakumaran said.
She added that anyone can submit their research findings to the conference wherein the research documents will be reviewed by ‘blind’ reviewers – where experts will review the documents without knowing who authored them.
The documents will first be submitted to a public committee appointed by the university. The committee would consist of an editor-in-chief, assistant editor and editorial board. After their initial review, the research documents would be sent to 2 reviewers.
The conference would have undergraduate and postgraduate presentations and the best of these papers would be selected for award after the ceremony in the categories of UG and PG.
The research that is sent to the conference should by confined to 9 sub tracks, Prof Nanthakumaran said.
Mr Naveendakumar said that 61% of the research papers were accepted and others were rejected for lack of quality and on the sensitivity of the topics.
He said 90% of the academic work required major corrections and that a lot of the papers had too much AI, or irresponsible use of AI, and plagiarism.
Most of the papers consisted of primary data, he said, but some had secondary data like from the central bank, government gazettes, journal articles, research writings and newspaper articles. The primary data gatherings consisted of focus groups, data analysis and general observation. (PW)
HitAd.lk is the best and biggest mobile phone market in Sri Lanka, and we guarantee you will find what you need here from our extensive listing of mobile phones for sale in Sri Lanka. Whether it’s a budget-priced smartphone for communication, or higher end features with advanced connectivity, there are many different options from which to choose from on our site!