NGO Publications

'How lucky we are to have had Mala — taking on the big concerns of our time examining them with love and care. She concludes her essay on the Sigiriya frescoes by conjuring the uncontainable power of these painted women - their "smile lingers' , as she says. We hope the reader of these essays will see- as we do- that Mala's vast humanity and Mala's irrepressible smile, lingers."

'Her Smile Lingers’ : a collection of selected essays by Malathi de Alwis, edited by Kanchana N Ruwanpura, Caryll Tozer, Chulani Kodikara, Sonali Deraniyagala and Vraie Cally Balthazar

Nadine Vanniasinkam is a Researcher at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo

This article draws from personal interviews with individuals from the Muslim community and secondary sources and outlines the devotional, cultural, and popular music and song traditions of the Muslims of Sri Lanka. It discusses local, regional, and international influences on Muslim music trends and reasons for the decline in musical engagement around the turn of the century. The article calls for wider discussion on and cross-sharing of the different music traditions of the Muslims of Sri Lanka.

This study is based on an analysis of people's perceptions of the 'religious other'. The data was collected at the end of 2019 by interviewing 1,000 respondents in four multi-religious districts: Ampara, Colombo, Galle and Mannar. The sample consisted of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Roman Catholics in equal proportions.

The study generates some preliminary findings on how different communities perceive religious tolerance and coexistence. By presenting different life scenarios and talking to 1,000 men and women of different age groups from four areas reflecting the diverse religious composition in Sri Lanka, the study seeks to enhance our understanding of inter-group and intra-group relations in Sri Lanka, as the country struggles to build social harmony and religious cohesion. The study seeks to influence law, policy and social interventions, that can eliminate or least reduce, religiously motivated violence, and promote respect for and tolerance of `the other'.

The revival of economic activity in those areas most affected by the civil conflict were given priority after the war ended in 2009. The development of infrastructure, the resettlement of communities and rebuilding livelihoods were key areas of focus for the state, humanitarian actors, the diaspora and the private sector.

This research sets out to understand how these initiatives have changed the economic landscape for women in the North of Sri Lanka. More specifically, it explores the economic opportunities that have been created for women's advancement and empowerment in the North since the end of the war. By employing a multi-disciplinary approach, the different studies in this book have been able to uncover not just economic factors, but also cultural, social and psycho-social reasons associated with women's decisions to work, their livelihood outcomes and their state of economic empowerment.

The research shows that while the conflict has unquestionably created a strong regressive impact on the overall well-being of women, long-term structural challenges stemming from deep-rooted gender norms, and flaws in post-conflict livelihood intervention initiatives also stand in the way of women's economic empowerment in the North.

The research is based on field work undertaken in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka during 2015 and 2016.