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by Vimukthi Fernando

Senior citizens, technical officers and representatives of non-governmental organisations have responded well to the call by the Commission of Triple-R (Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation) for civil society participation to plan a strategy for the National Reconciliation Programme. More than 250 Civil society representatives participated at a recent seminar and workshop session to decide on a strategy and plan of activities of the Programme, said a spokesman from the office of the Commissioner General of Triple-R. The participants worked under four key themes, namely, new national vision, constitutional provisions for reconciliation, inter community trust building and facing emerging challenges to harmony. The outcome contained long term and short term strategies and plans which would be finalised at yet another meeting, within a period of one month. However, short term activities promoting reconciliation are already being implemented at the line ministries. These include making all government forms, documents and publications available in all three languages - Sinhala, Tamil and English, employing trilingual personnel at reception desks of all government offices and replying letters/inquiries in the same language the letter/inquiry is made. Bradman Weerakoon, secretary to the Prime Minister heads the Triple-R division as its Commissioner General. The office works under three divisions, viz; Strategic Planning and Mobilisation of Resources; Implementation, Coordination and Capacity Building; and Reconciliation and Communication. Each section is headed by a commissioner. While the first two sections mostly cover areas of activities in the public sector, the Reconciliation sector brings together the civil society groups, international and national NGOs and Government organisations. The office has the sole responsibility of co-ordinating activities and funding in the relief, rehabilitation and reconciliation sectors.

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