The Project

The project consists of 4 independent sub-projects. It is based on the idea that various donors can choose and independently fund one of the sub-projects, so that at on one hand the visibility of the donor is granted, and on the other hand, the donors' involvement is linked to the broader approach of conflict-sensitive reconstruction.

The sub-projects are:

• The reconstruction of the Sinhalese village of Dam Niyamgama in the Southern district of Kalutara;
• The reconstruction of the Muslim village Addapalam in the Eastern district of Ampara;
• The reconstruction of the Tamil village Vaddavan in the Eastern district of Batticaloa;

The fourth subproject is:

• The construction of an inter-communal resource centre in the town of Trincomalee with the aim to initiate sustainable programs towards confidence-building and reconciliation between the communities in Sri Lanka

Of the 25 administrative districts in Sri Lanka, 14 have been affected by the Tsunami disaster. Out of these 14, the three Eastern districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara were the most severely affected. Almost 60% of the displaced persons are found in these three districts, and therefore the project is focusing on these Eastern districts.

However, the Eastern districts have been particularly shaken by political tensions. All three conflicting communities- the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslim, inhabit the districts. Most parts of the districts are militarily controlled by the Sri Lankan army, but there are also areas which are militarily controlled by the LTTE. In all three eastern districts the political control of the LTTE is very strong. Therefore, with regard to rebuilding the East, it is necessary for the government and the LTTE to develop a working relationship with each other. Otherwise, the prospects for the region will be poor.

It is therefore especially important that a conflict sensitive approach is taken and that non-governmental actors, which are trusted by the government as well as by the LTTE, be actively engaged.

In addition, special attention has been given to the strengthening of civil society. The four village communities will go through a five stage program based on the three principles of self-reliance, community participation and planned action, in order to become ultimately self-reliant and able to help other village communities.