Celebration of the Sri Lankan residential training
Hi everybody,
Sri Lankan NVC residential workshop
We’ve just finished a ten-day residential training here in Sri Lanka. We trained a group of fifty Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims from all parts of the country. I’m still feeling uplifted. As far as I know, everybody’s expectations were exceeded in terms of the depth of mutual understanding and community that we felt.
Initially we were worried that people wouldn’t talk. We needn’t have done – the group participated and gave us feedback from the first session. I felt honoured to do a three-day introduction for the majority of the group, and enjoyed the deep connections that formed.
Jumping for joy!
I enjoyed hearing about sessions of transforming enemy images, understanding the fears of ‘the other side’, and doing a session on social change: I asked people to imagine the kind of country and world that they would like to live in. I heard some wonderful dreams of mutual respect and unity in Sri Lanka.
Here’s a poem written and read by one of the participants that reflects the kind of country she would like to live in. She read it out one evening and we asked her to record it, with a commentary on why and how she came to write it. I found it very moving.
I loved the party and the ‘No Need for Talent Show’ on the last night. I was amazed to see how both Tamils and Sinhalese come out of themselves when they are performing: songs, comedy, more songs, a mock-fashion show (which I participated in), etc. etc.
I’d like to appreciate the effort and enthusiasm of:
- the training team: Liv Larsson, Kay Rung, Jeyanthy Siva and myself, assisted by Sejal Chad and Claudia Schraewer.
- our team of Sinhala and Tamil translators.
- the Sandhi team for organising the whole event: Jeyanthy, Chamila, Gayathri and Harsha
- Sewalanka for providing the venue and accommodation
- everybody who contributed financially to making this happen.
If you’re on Facebook, I’ve posted a few photos, with comments: www.facebook.com/shantigarbha
Love and life, Shantigarbha
The birds do their evening harvesting
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