Linguistic barrier the main reason:

Media can bridge gap between communities - Prof. Ariyarathne Athugala

By Naalir Jamaldeen

The media plays a dynamic role to bridge the gap between diverse communities, Director General of the Government Information Department Prof. Ariyarathne Athugala said.

A fish vendor at work

"The Media should not leave room for those who want to fish in troubled water. Unity is the need of the hour and peace must be the harvest. At one time Sri Lanka was praised for its hospitality and compassion. The emergence of terrorism destroyed all of this" Prof. Athugala said.

While addressing a workshop organised by the Government Information Department for provincial journalists in the Jaffna district at the Public Library auditorium Jaffna, Prof. Athugala said linguistic skills were the main barrier which separated communities.

"Media personnel have the social responsibility to strengthen ties between different social and ethnic groups who follow different religions and cultures", Prof. Athugala said.

"The role of the media is excellent. It is not bound by a particular caste or ethnic group or a faction of people. There are 110 provincial journalists. The advent of modern technology has deleted the word 'provincial' from the media world, Prof. Athugala said. You are journalists wherever you work. You have the social responsibility to carry on your duties. It is a feature of a priest, teacher and good people in society", he said.

A large number of provincial journalists and journalists from Colombo representing various electronic and print media attended the workshop.

The Government has implemented various self-employment projects to improve the livelihood and economic standards of conflict-affected people in the Jaffna district. The National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering which functions under the Ocean University of Sri Lanka will be a boon to improve the fisheries industry while producing qualified professionals in the sector.

Students are taught while providing technical training. The Institute is equipped with requirements for the fisheries industry. Training students is not a difficult task, Assistant Director, K. Anandakumara said.

Students who complete their studies can find a good job or start their own business in the industry, he said.

The original Institute was damaged during the conflict in the early 1990s and educational activities were being conducted in a privately-owned building in close proximity amidst hardship, the Assistant Director said. It experienced a severe shortage of equipment earlier. The Institute functions in a two storeyed building with all facilities including a workshop. A lecture hall is now available. A food processing unit, multi purpose room, computer room, library, storerooms and sanitation facilities are also now available at the new institute, he said.

Fishing vessels at the Gurunagar jetty

He said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has granted 70 items required for training students including fishing material, tools, training equipment, navigation equipment and education materials.The Assistant Director expressed confidence that the reconstructed Institute will help to reactivate and improve training courses, benefiting the local population including the resettled people, women headed households and ease unemployment among youth who are looking to develop the capacity in the fishery sector.

Besides the Assistant Director said that three types of training courses such as Diploma in Deck officers, OBM engine repairing and maintenance and Marine chart reading and communication (GPS) are now available in the Institute. Nearly 300 students have passed out and were engaged various jobs in the industry. Some of them have obtained teaching appointments while some were running own businesses in the industry. Anandakumara said that the students who completed the NVQ 4 are eligible to continue their Degree studies at the Ocean University of Sri Lanka.

Trainings courses are conducted based on self-employment and to address the unemployment problems in the region. Visiting lecturers from the Jaffna university lecture at the Institute, he said. Earlier this institute received assistance from the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry, now it functions under the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry, he said.

We conduct GPS free of Charge. With funding from the UNDP, we conducted a mobile program in Karainagar. Uneducated fishermen will be trained through mobile programs.A mobile program was conducted in Karainagar recently, the Assistant Director said.

The focus of the Institute is to promote self-employment in the region, he said. "Students from various parts of the country including Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Bogawantalawa attended the Institute. We also conduct awareness campaigns for fishermen in the region.

Meanwhile, media spokesman of the Fisheries Ministry, Narendra Rajapaksa said that the Government has spent around Rs. 50 million with assistance from the Post-Tsunami Coastal Rehabilitation and The Resource Management Program under the purview of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to provide fishing vessels, equipment and loans to the fishery community in Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi districts to improve the industry and livelihood of a large number of fishermen who live in these districts.

Australian High Commissioner, Robyn Mudie commissioned the Passaiyoor anchorage which was renovated with assistance from the Australian Government . This anchorage will help to boost the economy of conflict-affected fishermen in the region, a spokesman from the Australian High Commission told the Sunday Observer.