SiThEn – We are one

As per my usual role, I would start off this blog with a hats off to the British Council and it’s staff, whose unyielding support motivated us to get this project off the drawing boards and into reality. And I would also like to thank the participants from universities all over Sri Lanka. We were so proud and hopeful for the future because of the potential that we could see in you.

As the core group members, our responsibilities went well beyond holding the program. Along with a lot of support from the British Council staff, we were able to successfully coordinate logistics and program details as well as choosing the best participants that the Sri lankan university system could offer.  The searing heat of the sun scorched Polonnaruwa was not the foremost in our mind, as we were having such fun preparing the stage for what was to come.

After settling into our rooms, the first order of the day was to get to know the participants using Ice breakers. The participants were so enthusiastic about the ice breakers that we were forced to extend the timing so that we could get everyones participation. After the ice breakers, the “Shakthi” forum theater group from Batticaloa did a forum theater performance focusing on strength of unity and other social issues. The participants expressed their fascination at this form of theater which they had never experienced before. Another point worth noting is that eventhough the performance was done in Tamil language, the Sinhalese participants were also very vocal in doing interventions and adding to the overall ambience. I think that it may have helped Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims in the crowd to intermingle and get a better understanding about each other. We wound off the day’s events with a satisfaction that comes only from knowing that you have initiated something much bigger than yourself.