Project name: Promoting people’s ownership and the full implementation of the new Constitution in Sri Lanka
Location(s): All 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka
Award number: 81049354
Point of contact: Nishantha Prithiraj, National Organizer, Deshodaya, [email protected], +94773430155
Amount: $USD 98,215
Start Date & End Date: 01 March 2017- 28 February 2018
Brief program overview:
This aims to create awareness and education needed to enhance the constitution literacy among the people. And the goal of the proposed project is to create awareness and education needed to enhance the constitution literacy among the people in both North and the South of Sri Lanka, so that the people fully understand the constitutional reform process, and are supportive of its adoption and implementation in the aftermath to create an inclusive Sri Lankan identity.
Project highlights/results:
– Public awareness raised and education provided on the constitutional reform process at the district and grassroots level
– District and local level community and religious leaders empowered to stand for their views on the new constitution
– Community-religious leaders connected with the parliamentarians and mutual dialogue promoted
– Compassionate listening promoted between the North and South in the form of storytelling
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Project name : Establishing awareness and ownership of RTI among the public in 5 districts of Sri Lanka (in partnership with Transparency International Sri Lanka )
Location(s): Colombo, Kalutara, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Kandy, Matara, Rathnapura, Anuradhapura (Padaviya area), Monaragala, Puttalam
Award number: We are not the prime applicant
Point of contact: Nishantha Prithiraj, National Organizer, Deshodaya, [email protected], +94773430155
Amount: $USD 111,000
Start Date & End Date: 01 October 2016 – 30 September 2017
Brief program overview:
Addressing significant gaps in knowledge and understanding on the significance of Right To Information (RTI) act which was adopted by Sri Lankan Government in August 2016, among the public
Project highlights/results:
– Raised the public awareness and outreach in terms of RTI
– Provided RTI request assistance
– Developed information materials for public distribution
– Developed RTI information video
– Conducted RTI public campaign
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Project name: MSI-SPICE – Phase 3Â Realizing democratic change by connecting Deshodaya district Community Monitoring Teams with the newly established democratic institutions and processes of Independent Commissions and Transitional Justice in Sri LankaÂ
Location(s): Kandy, Anuradhapura (Padaviya), Pollonnaruwa, Kegale, Badulla, Moneragala, Ampara ,Trincomalee, Galle, Matara, Kurunegala, Kalutara districts
Award number: 605100.05.01..15.086 SIG-SARVODAYA
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, Executive Director, [email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 70,000 USD
Start Date & End Date: 20 April 2016 – 31 January 2017
Brief program overview:
Realizing the democratic changes by connecting the trained community monitoring teams with the newly established democratic institutions, processes of Independent Commissions and Transitional Justice (TJ) in Sri Lanka
Project highlights/results:
– Increased the awareness on Independent Commissions in 7 districts
– Increased the awareness on right-based approaches to effectively advocate for local good governance in 2 districts
– Conducted 7 Issue consolidation workshops
– Increased the awareness on Transitional Justice to 480 Deshodaya members in 7 districts
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Project name: Improve maternal and child health through community mobilization with special emphasis on nutrition in selected 16 MOHs divisions in Batticaloa, Ampara and Moneragala.
Donor/ Partner: EU-SDDP via UNICEF
Total budget:Â 42,995,100 LKR
Project Duration:Â From January 2015 to June 2017
Project Area: Batticaloa, Ampara and Moneragala
Expected project beneficiaries:Â Member of 400 Community Support Groups
Progress Summary:
The project mainly focuses to  improve the maternal and child health through the mobilisation of the community and to improve the capacity & service provision of maternal and child health in the targeted areas. The project will form 400 Community Support Groups (CSG). These CSGs will help to create awareness on health and nutrition issues and good practices among their own communities. The project will also support to improve Health Information Systems and to arrange trainings for the government health staffs.
The project expects to achieve the following objectives.
- Improved capacity & service provision of maternal and child health in the targeted areas
- Mobilized and organized communities enable to assess and take action on key health & nutrition issues
- Monitoring and evaluation, reviews and coordination.
In the last 24 months of project implementation the project has formed 320 Community Support Groups and have strengthen the capacity of the community members on maternal and child health.  The project has also extended its support to 4 Region Directors of Health Services (RDHSs) in the three districts for their capacity building and reviews.
The project team also involve in convergent activities with other implementation partners who work for different sectors in the target area.
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Project name: Creating Ownership and Inspiring Action (COIA-2)
Location(s): Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Killinochchi, and Mulathivu districts in the Northern Province and Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara districts in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka
Award number: CFLI-2012- CLMBO-0002
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, [email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 50,000
Start Date & End Date: 01 December 2014 – 31 March 2015
Brief program overview:
This was to enhancing knowledge and promoting community dialogues on LLRC report and recommendations of the Government of Sri Lanka. Creating Ownership and Inspiring Action was designed to address the absence of meaningful citizen engagement and voice within the proposed activities of the Government of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations and the Plan of Action prepared by the Government of Sri Lanka by constructively contributing to a revitalization of citizen
engagement and voice by:
– Engaging and activating citizens around the benefits of implementation of the LLRC recommendations and,
– Enhancing the capacity of pre-existing Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the form of Divisional Deshodaya Forums (DDFs) to participate in governance, and engage in advocacy and lobbying activities supportive of national reconciliation and sustainable peace.
Project highlights/results:
Strengthened the capacities of existing Community-Based Organizations (in the form of Divisional Deshodaya Forums) in the war-torn Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka in lobbying and advocacy for participatory governance and to promote reconciliation
– Trained of at least 40 direct participants / community leaders in series of training workshops
– Disseminated of knowledge and information in the form of bi-lingual learning materials
– Established community groups creating relationships with Local Government Authorities, lobbying, planning and implementing collaborative projects to achieve LLRC recommendations
– Conducted island-wide Art Competition to promote reconciliation and documentary film of the experience
– Enhanced satisfactory gender representation, conflict and war-affected participation, genuine discussions and communities’ long tern relationships with the administrative /political authorities
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Project name: MSI-SPICE – Phase 2 – Practicing active citizenry with the trained Community Monitoring Teams (CMTs) to strengthen grassroots’ active engagement in participatory democracy
Location(s): All administrative districts of Sri Lanka
Award number: 605100.05.01/02.13.047.SIG-SARVODAYA
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, [email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 100,000
Start Date & End Date: 01 December 2014 – 31 March 2015
Brief program overview:
Practicing active citizenry with the trained Community Monitoring Teams to strengthen grassroots’ active engagement in peaceful Sri Lankan democracy.
Based on the learning from the previous initiatives, Sarvodaya proposes the project “Practicing Active Citizenry with Trained Community Monitoring Teams (CMTs) to Strengthen the Grassroots and to Promote Active Engagement and Participatory Democracy.â€.The initiative will help enhance the citizens’ engagement in local governance and decision-making processes. The community monitoring exercise will allow them to engage with local-level government officials and participate in local governance through the demand for space and justice and thus contribute to good governance systems in Sri Lanka. The collaborative efforts of the trained and organized right-based citizens’ pressure groups, Community Monitoring Teams (CMTs) with their respective power structures (including the local government authorities and other state and non-state stakeholders), will lead to better participation, better decision-making, and enhanced public confidence through civil activism, civil action and public litigation.
Project highlights/results:
– Increased capacity in Community Monitoring Teams (CMTs) to engage with stakeholders to advocate for participatory democracy
– The Community Monitoring Teams (CMTs) effectively engaged with Local Authorities (LAs) and other State and non-State actors to resolve local issues
– Networking and experience sharing among the network and relevant stakeholders through Central Communication Hub (CCH)
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Project name: MSI-SPICE – Phase 1 – Strengthening grassroots engagement in reconciliation and democracy through implementation of LLRC recommendations and formation of Community Monitoring Teams
Location(s): All administrative districts of Sri Lanka
Award number: 6051000.05.01/02.13.010.SIG-SARVODAYA
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, [email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 100,000
Start Date & End Date: 01 June 2013 – 31 August 2014
Brief program overview:
Promoting community engagement with the Government of Sri Lanka’s LLRC recommendations and action plan and formation of Community Monitoring Teams
Project highlights/results:
– Improved protection of citizens’ rights by Sri Lankan organizations
– Strengthened contribution by Sri Lankan organizations to national dialogue and advocacy in support of pluralism, reconciliation and inclusion
– Enhanced management and technical capacity of Sri Lankan organizations supporting civic participation and inclusive development
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Project name: Creation Ownership and Inspiring Action (COIA-1)
Promoting Community Engagement with the Government of Sri Lanka and LLRC Recommendations and Action Plan
Location(s): Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Killinochchi, and Mulathivu districts in the Northern Province and Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara districts in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka
Award number: CFLI-2012- CLMBO-0002
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, Executive Director
[email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 50,000
Start Date & End Date: 01 January 2013 – 31 December 2013
Brief program overview:
This was to enhancing knowledge and promoting community dialogues on LLRC report and recommendations of the Government of Sri Lanka. Creating Ownership and Inspiring Action was designed to address the absence of meaningful citizen engagement and voice within the proposed activities of the Government of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations and the Plan of Action prepared by the Government of Sri Lanka by constructively contributing to a revitalization of citizen engagement and voice by:
– Engaging and activating citizens around the benefits of implementation of the LLRC recommendations and,
– Enhancing the capacity of pre-existing Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the form of Divisional Deshodaya Forums (DDFs) to participate in governance, and engage in advocacy and lobbying activities supportive of national reconciliation and sustainable peace
Project highlights/results:
Strengthened the capacities of existing Community-Based Organizations (in the form of Divisional Deshodaya Forums) in the war-torn Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka in lobbying and advocacy for participatory governance and to promote reconciliation
– Trained of at least 40 direct participants / community leaders in series of training workshops
– Disseminated of knowledge and information in the form of bi-lingual learning materials
– Established community groups creating relationships with Local Government Authorities, lobbying, planning and implementing collaborative projects to achieve LLRC recommendations
– Conducted island-wide Art Competition to promote reconciliation and documentary film of the experience
– Enhanced satisfactory gender representation, conflict and war-affected participation, genuine discussions and communities’ long tern relationships with the administrative /political authorities
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Project name: Reconciliation among religions (in partnership with Karuna Center, USA) – Inter-religious Cooperation for Community Reconstruction and Empowerment in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Padaviya Districts
Location(s): Inter-religious Cooperation for Community Reconstruction and Empowerment in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Padaviya Districts
Award number: M/OAA/DCHA/DOFDA- 09-857
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, Executive Director, [email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 200,000
Start Date & End Date: August 2011 – April 2013
Brief program overview:
The Inter-religious Cooperation for Community Reconstruction and Empowerment program attempted to mitigate conflict by establishing strong cooperative relationships between Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian religious leaders who influence their peers and followers towards inter-communal tolerance. Over the course of the project, these leaders came together to implemented joint reconstruction projects, community dialogues, shared religious festivals, and youth-run peace committees. These activities encouraged community reconciliation in broader regions of the district, decreasing the likelihood of a return to inter- communal violence and encouraging wider post-conflict social healing.
Project highlights/results:
– Empowered religious leaders became social change agents for community reconciliation through conflict transformation skills development and the implementation of community reconstruction projects
– Promoted and strengthened opportunities for inter-religious/inter- ethnic dialogue in the community to increase understanding and restore trust
– Engaged religious leaders with youth to develop early-response mechanisms to identify and respond preemptively to emerging conflicts
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Project name: Finding A Solution Together – Promoting Citizens Engagement in Governance and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka (FAST)
Location(s):Â Â All 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka
Award number: LKA 3125,10/0003
Point of contact: Chamindha Rajakaruna, Executive Director, [email protected], +94777710205
Amount: $USD 1,500,000
Start Date & End Date: 01 April 2011 – 31 May 2014
Brief program overview:
This was conducted promote citizens engagement in Good Governance and Post-War Reconciliation in Sri Lanka. The main aim of the FAST project was to ensure that the citizens engage positively with each other and with the Government to further stabilize the peaceful Sri Lankan democracy through 3 main result areas, namely,
- Barriers to political participation is reduced for all groups including minorities, women and youth
- Opportunities for involvement in governance at all levels are increased, and
- Reconciliation between ethnic and social groups is advanced
Project highlights/results:
– Â Barriers to political participation reduced for all groups, including minorities, youth and women
– Enhanced the opportunities for involvement in Government at all levels increased
– Fostered reconciliation between Ethnic and Social Groups Advanced