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| Sunday, 2 February 2003 |
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Critical anti-violence dialogue - the way forward Independence Day Message from the Rt. Revd. Duleep de Chickera Bishop of Colombo. The regaining of the legitimate right of a people to govern themselves must be an occasion for celebration. This therefore is an occasion to give thanks to the God of History and Liberation for the endeavour of all those who secured our Independence, and to thank the God of Creation for our diverse cultures. It is not by accident that our destinies have merged on this beautiful and resourceful island. Our common pilgrimage of manifesting our Sri Lankan-ness depends on our ability to be and offer the best that our respective cultures require of us and to celebrate the presence and dignity and rights of the other. May God, full of patience and mercy, so help us on this pilgrimage. Independence, as we have painfully learnt is not freedom. It is the beginning of a quest for an ever-changing understanding of freedom. The early struggles for political autonomy soon led to the continuing struggle for economic freedom. Freedom today includes human rights, minority rights, refugee rights and workers rights, political and cultural pluralism, safeguards for women and children from abuse and suspects and prisoners from torture, basic human facilities and living conditions for the poor, dignity and legitimate space for the differently abled, care and support with dignity for senior citizens and so on. The way forward is as many agree, through critical anti-violence dialogue. But since all our cultures and groups have life-affirming and life-denying forces, this dialogue must be undertaken, as Jesus did and taught,across our cultures as well as within our respective cultures. The former alone is inadequate. The dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE requires our cautious, critical co-operation. I urge them to engage more and more in critical, anti-violence cross cultural and intra cultural dialogue. I urge them and all our other leaders and cultures and groups to believe in the resilence and spirituality of our cultures and to strive for the fullest freedom our yet weary and still trusting people deserve and long for. May God bless and make Sri Lanka the home of a humble, integrated, resourceful, just, content, caring, courageous, and hospitable people. "For this, our hope is in the ways of God and the diligent co-operation of people." |
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