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Amidst a deteriorating humanitarian situation for the civilians trapped in the Mullaitivu district, Sarvodaya continues to engage in providing what ever the assistance it could to help those who are fleeing the fighting zone. Since the escalation of recent confrontations, around 4000 (IDPs) have arrived in Vavuniya who are settled in 2 government controlled camps.

Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement celebrated its 50 years of Service to the nation on 7th December, 2008 at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Colombo with participation of more than 8,000 local and foreign guests. Started in one rural village, Kanatholuwa in Kurunegala District in 1958, Sarvodaya today serves 15,000 villages across the country.

A Religious Leaders Conference which marks the culmination of a series of inter-religious peace programmes carried out by the Sarvodaya Shanthisena. The event will be held at the BMICH, Colombo, on the 25th of November 2008. Key religious leaders representing all religions practiced in Sri Lanka will be participating in the event who and 600 distinguished other religious and lay invitees will be attending this occasion.

The Government of Japan has provided US$ 87,651 through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), to Sarvodaya to ensure food security to the resettled Internally Displaced (IDP) families in the Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province. The Batticaloa project will also provide help to IDP families to enhance income sources in Manmunai South West to get back to normalcy. The project will construct two irrigation channels and 16 Agro wells to benefit around 1300 families in total.

The fully equipped computer laboratory of Horana, Aluthgama Junior School was declared open by Mr. Krishan Fernando from HP Sri Lanka (Pte) Ltd, and Mr.Philip Lee from HP Singapore (Pte) Ltd, Mr. Henry Surapong from Open Knowledge (Pte) Ltd, and Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, the Executive Director of Sarvodaya Sharamadana Movement on 19th June, 2008.

Fusion has successfully concluded another responsibility as the Regional Coordinator of GKP- South Asia. GKP (Global Knowledge Partnership http://www.globalknowledge.org/) is the biggest ICT4d and K4D alliance in the world. Regional Coordinator is elected for 2 year terms, by the regional membership, to coordinate the overall South Asia region.

Sarvodaya Nilwala Vishva Dharma Kendra, a development education center, was opened by Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Sarvodaya Founder, opened amidst a special function in Matara on February 13th. This new educational facility in Matara will be one of the most modern and well-equipped development education training centres in the Southern Province providing facilities to serve over 200 trainees at a given time and with a multitude of other services.

The leader of an influential Sri Lankan Buddhist movement discusses war, religion and why monks shouldn’t get involved in politics.
By Christian Caryl | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Initiated in 1958, as a shramadana programme in Kanatholuwa, an underdeveloped village, Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya has implemented an avalanche of physical, social, economical, cultural and spiritual programmes for people living in every nook and corner of Sri Lanka covering 15,000 villages. The Women’s Movement in conjunction with the International Women’s Day has organized a Convention on 7th March, 2008 from 2 p.m. onwards at the Moratuwa Sarvodaya Headquarters to celebrate this event.

Buddhist Council of the Midwest is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 Women and Engaged Buddhism Award are Sensei Joan Hoeberichts of the Heart Circle Sangha, Ridgewood, NJ, and Charika Marasinghe, PhD, of Sarvodaya, (http://www.sarvodaya.org/) Sri Lanka, for their initiative in partnering to create the Psycho-Spiritual Healing Project to train Sri Lankan counselors to provide psychological support for tsunami survivors and others needing such aide.