Wednesday 19 August 2015

Identity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka:by Sisira Pinnawala



tity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka

The book, Identity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka, Understanding Ethno-nationalist Mobilization in a Postcolonial State in Transiti, wiill be launched tomorrow at the Peradeniya University from 4.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. at the Faculty Seminar Room.
In 2011 the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) of Columbia University initiated a joint project entitled, “Historical Memory as a Tool for Conflict Resolution” with the objective of engaging scholarly and intellectual participation in the country’s post conflict peace building and reconciliation effort.
The specific task identified by the project was to get the scholars and intellectuals with different perspectives to work together in collaborative work to produce, through research, public debate and discussion, shared narratives of the conflict which would provide a strong and dependable basis for mutual understanding between the two main protagonists leading to sustainable peace and reconciliation.
It was decided to conduct a collaborative research project and produce a scholarly volume on the Sri Lanka state as focusing on identities and State-Building with particular attention to the post-colonial state. This collaborative research project resulted in studies independently prepared by the scholars commissioned to do the work. These studies were undertaken by a group of well-known Sri Lankan academics with backgrounds in History, Economics and Sociology most of them currently holding senior academic positions in one of the Sri Lankan Universities. They are Dr. Gamini Keerawella, Dr. Sisira Pinnawala, Dr. P. V. B. Karunatillaka, Dr. Janaki Jayawardena, Dr. O. G. Dayaratna-Banda, Dr. Sathiaseelan and Ms. S. A. C. Feroziya.
The launch will be attended by academic staff as well as students of the University and other civil society stake holders from the suburbs. 
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/identity-politics-and-state-building-sri-lanka#sthash.ryyFHXOh.dpuf

Identity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka

The book, Identity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka, Understanding Ethno-nationalist Mobilization in a Postcolonial State in Transiti, wiill be launched tomorrow at the Peradeniya University from 4.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. at the Faculty Seminar Room.
In 2011 the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) of Columbia University initiated a joint project entitled, “Historical Memory as a Tool for Conflict Resolution” with the objective of engaging scholarly and intellectual participation in the country’s post conflict peace building and reconciliation effort.
The specific task identified by the project was to get the scholars and intellectuals with different perspectives to work together in collaborative work to produce, through research, public debate and discussion, shared narratives of the conflict which would provide a strong and dependable basis for mutual understanding between the two main protagonists leading to sustainable peace and reconciliation.
It was decided to conduct a collaborative research project and produce a scholarly volume on the Sri Lanka state as focusing on identities and State-Building with particular attention to the post-colonial state. This collaborative research project resulted in studies independently prepared by the scholars commissioned to do the work. These studies were undertaken by a group of well-known Sri Lankan academics with backgrounds in History, Economics and Sociology most of them currently holding senior academic positions in one of the Sri Lankan Universities. They are Dr. Gamini Keerawella, Dr. Sisira Pinnawala, Dr. P. V. B. Karunatillaka, Dr. Janaki Jayawardena, Dr. O. G. Dayaratna-Banda, Dr. Sathiaseelan and Ms. S. A. C. Feroziya.
The launch will be attended by academic staff as well as students of the University and other civil society stake holders from the suburbs. 
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/identity-politics-and-state-building-sri-lanka#sthash.ryyFHXOh.dpuf
In 2011 the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) of Columbia University initiated a joint Project entitled “Historical Memory as a Tool for Conflict Resolution” with the objective of engaging scholarly and intellectual participation in the country’s post conflict peace building and reconciliation effort. The specific task identified by the Project was to get the scholars and intellectuals with different perspectives to work together in collaborative work to produce, through research, public debate and discussion, shared narratives of the conflict which would provide a strong and dependable basis for mutual understanding between the two main protagonists leading to sustainable peace and reconciliation. The formal work of the Project commenced with a workshop jointly organized by the PF and ISHR in Colombo in July 2011, facilitated by Dr. Elazar Barkan, Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and Director of Columbia’s ISHR. The participants of the civil society representing academics and researchers from the Universities and other stakeholder groups, were invited to this workshop. A consensus that emerged from the workshop was that the lack of agreement on the nature of the postcolonial Sri Lanka state was one of the root causes of the conflict. Therefore it was decided to conduct a collaborative research project and produce a scholarly volume on the Sri Lanka state as focusing on Identities and State-Building with particular attention to the postcolonial state.  A Working Group (WG) consisting of university academics/ researchers and civil society intellectuals was formed to carry out the above activity. The Working Group (WG) on State-Building

Identity Politics and State-Building in Sri Lanka

was launched in October 2011 and identified the following three thematic concentrations for study. 1. The nature of the pre-colonial state focusing on state and collective identity formation 2. Identity and Political Mobilization in the Colonial Sri Lanka 3. Postcolonial State and nation building in Sri Lanka since 1948: Approaches, Attempts and Challenges Each contributor was asked to develop a research paper that was subjected to peer review and open and critical stakeholder dialogue. Three stakeholder dialogues were conducted, two at the University of Colombo and one at the University of Jaffna. The papers were revised incorporating the comments and the work was completed in August 2013. This volume presents the outcome of their intellectual engagement in the form of six scholarly papers. The papers trace the different stages in state formation in Sri Lanka from the pre-state chiefdoms and early state formations to its present form, the Postcolonial state. Particular emphasis of the authors is on understanding different approaches and attempts towards Postcolonial state-building by various stakeholders. There is also an examination of the reconstitution of ethnic identities within Sri Lanka, especially during the British period, and the consequences of this for state formation in Sri Lanka. Two other areas of focus are post independence ethnicization of the economic function of the state and the role of the minorities in a state which is characterized by a citizenry deeply divided on the basis of a whole range of deep-rooted identities with differential interests in managing the state. The Muslim factor which constitutes the third key dimension of the discourse has also been given attention in this volume with a detailed analysis of the dynamics associated with the politicization of the Muslim collective identity and its specific manifestations.

The above studies were independently prepared by the scholars commissioned to do the work with no influence on their values or judgments by the Pathfinder Foundation or any other parties associated with this project. The views expressed in the papers are those of the authors. The Parthfinder Foundation is grateful to Dr. David Phillips, Director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights for his support at various stages of the project cycle. We would also like to record our gratitude to Danielle Goldberg, Program Coordinator, Peacebuilding and Rights Program of Columbia University. We are also thankful to Dr. Gamini Keerawella, Professor in History of the University of Peradeniya who coordinated this Project component. His contribution in conceptualizing the research theme on the Postcolonial State and leadership and input at the workshops and discussions were invaluable to the successful completion of the work and in bringing out this volume. I wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Milinda Moragoda Institute for People’s Empowerment (MMIPE) for funding and other assistance received from the inception of the PF that ensures continuation of work of this nature. The Parthfinder Foundation believes that this volume of well researched papers by Sri Lanka’s prominent academics and researchers in their respective fields, in addition to being a useful contribution to post war peace building and reconciliation effort which is its main objective, will be of value to scholars and students interested in history, sociology, ethnic studies, political science and conflict resolution. Luxman Siriwardena Executive Director The Pathfinder Foundation 01st of September 2014. 

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