The Peace Resource Centre in the city of Trincomalee contributes to the efforts of reconciliation between all the communities and to cope with the tsunami disaster and its aftermaths. The overall purpose is to empower the local communities for sustainable development that will endure long past the construction of new buildings and the signing of agreements.

The Centre provides facilities for a uniquely integrated approach to addressing deep-seated causes for trauma and unrest. It will serve as a hub of interdependent activities designed to overcome ethnic, cultural and religious barriers to peace and co-existence.

More specific goals are:

• To provide a safe and inviting physical location for the general public to share their experiences with the tsunami disaster, their views on the ongoing peace process as well as community empowerment;
• To serve as a resource centre for disaster management, legal advice, trauma healing, peace building, with publications, audiovisual materials and information technology easily available to the public;
• To serve as a training centre for language learning (Oral Tamil for Sinhala speakers, Sinhala for Tamil speakers and English) that can open new channels for cooperation and understanding;
• To provide vocational instruction for youth;
• To provide shelter for individual and collective reconciliation and thus expand the consciousness of co-existence. Programmes will include training on conflict transformation and alternatives to the violent expression of power on the individual, group and national levels;
• To provide a meeting place for interfaith dialogues and activities;
• To provide expanded, updated facilities for social empowerment activities, economic enterprise development, early childhood education, environmental education and legal and technical services;
• To enhance the revenue-producing opportunities for sustained program support.  

The Peace Resource Centre consists of:

• Residential and dining facilities capable of hosting 50 trainees, instructors and District Centre staff;
• Education and lecture hall facilities capable of serving at least 60 concurrently;
• Meditation hall and spiritual centre;
• Day care facilities for 50 children;
• Resource library;
• Vocational training facilities with adequate equipment and supplies for 60-90 students;
• Information Technology (IT) facilities;
• In addition, the new Centre will feature administrative offices and commercial space for income generation (eco-tourism).