N-Peace Radio Campaign ‘Women in Solidarity for Peace’ aired in Sri Lanka
Women in Solidarity for Peace: A radio campaign by N-Peace Sri Lanka gives hope for peace.
“Peace in the family is very important, because it can be shared with the community by the children and relatives of that family. This is an act spearheaded by women, a vital contribution of women to sustain peace in a society.”
“We need to create a society exempt from violence. Women have the strength to achieve such a status. Because they are capable, women need to come together and draw strength from being united to achieve this goal. ”
“If we want peace, we need to bring a shift in thinking and in the attitude of the people.”
These are the voices of women, women who wish for peace in Sri Lanka. They see numerous vital ways of building peace and transforming conflicts in Sri Lanka that Sri Lankan women can contribute to this long process. For a long time, their voices went unheard, lacking a space and acknowledgement.
The ‘Women in Solidarity for Peace’ radio campaign gave them the platform to express and advocate for their cause: sustainable peace in Sri Lanka.
The radio campaign commenced airing on April 23rd for five days, three times each day on two national radio channels in Sri Lanka. The radio campaign is an initiative of the N-Peace Network and SFCG Sri Lanka to help make voices of women, mainly from war-affected areas of Sri Lanka, be heard across the country on what they think about peace on a personal and community level.
Women in northern Sri Lanka highlight the need for serious reconciliation. (OMI, 2012)
The radio campaign is aired in both Sinhala and Tamil languages by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation. About forty women representing different ethnic and age groups were interviewed in five selected districts in the North, East and North-Western Provinces of Sri Lanka. Their voices recounted a myriad of ways they experienced peace, violence, war and life in general as women who wish for long-term peace in Sri Lanka.
As ‘peace’ has different connotations for different people, communities and segments of society, airing Sri Lanka women’s opinion on peace, especially from all ethnic groups, is of great importance to give validity to their needs in the absence of war. The N-Peace radio campaign allows these opinions, needs and thoughts of Sri Lankan women to reach the highest levels of society. It also advocates alternative thinking around the idea of peace and the importance of women’s effective participation in the peace process at all levels.
These women’s voices inspire collective action to bring sustainable peace to Sri Lanka and make women a key agent in the process.
