Pathways to Peace aims to strengthen peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka among and within religious, ethnic and linguistic communities, particularly for women and girls. This goal will be achieved by supporting the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver inclusive, equitable and accountable public services, and to implement the country’s first Women, Peace and Security (WPS) National Action Plan. Pathways will also support women’s rights organisations and civil society organizations to promote and advocate for the WPS agenda, inclusive governance and social cohesion.
Pathways to Peace is a five-year (2024-2029) project funded by Global Affairs Canada
(GAC) and implemented by Alinea International which support the national priorities of the
Government of Sri Lanka outlined in the Official Languages Policy , the National Gender
Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Policy and the National Action Plan on
Women, Peace and Security. Aligned with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and
Implementation Plan for Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
Pathways to Peace will support peacebuilding in Sri Lanka by addressing the
underlying societal drivers of conflict and encouraging leadership and participation of women in addressing conflict, fragility and insecurity in their communities.
Pathways to Peace will support peacebuilding in Sri Lanka by addressing the underlying societal drivers of conflict and encouraging leadership and participation of women in addressing conflict, fragility and insecurity in their communities. Partner Institutions of Pathways to Peace
Partner Institutions of Pathways to Peace
Sri Lankan Partner Institutions
Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government
Exclusion from equal access to services and opportunities inhibit efforts to promote peace and reconciliation. Promoting awareness of, and commitment to, inclusive governance amongst duty bearers is pivotal to building social cohesion. Therefore, Pathways to Peace in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government will work with frontline officials in 15 sub-national government institutions and communities in 7 districts and 5 provinces to make public services work for everyone. These communities have been chosen because they have diverse demographics and a history of ethnic tensions. Pathways to Peace will support the targeted institutions to improve the delivery of gender-responsive, inclusive, and accountable public services for women girls, men and boys from diverse communities, including LGBTQI+ persons, REL minorities, and persons with disabilities.
Ministry of Women and Child Affairs
Governance is inclusive when it “effectively serves and engages all people; considers
gender and other facets of personal identity; and when institutions, policies, processes, and
services are accessible, accountable and responsive to all members of society” (FIAP, 2017).
Ministry of Women and Child Affairs
The mission of Ministry of Women and Child Affairs is ‘to formulate and execute programmes for providing and enhancing legal, institutional and human resource services for the economic empowerment, social protection of women, children, vulnerable and disadvantaged people considering national priorities and requirements along with international standards.’ Priorities that coincide perfectly with the United Nation’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP). Pathways to Peace will leverage these synergies by supporting the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to implement the country’s WPS National Action Plan in the areas of language rights, gender-responsive services, and social cohesion.
Ministry of Women and Child Affairs
ONUR is an entity under the Ministry of Justice and National Integration with the goal of promoting and catalyzing multi-stakeholder efforts to “create a society that respects fundamental rights, freedom, and rule of law, social obligations, mutual respect, non- discrimination, equity and diversity Pathways to Peace will provide advisory support for new village level initiatives by ONUR to build unity and reconciliation among communities and engage local National Integration Officers in the project’s targeted communities. ONUR will also be supported to develop leadership training for women leaders at the Grama Niladhari Division levels on peacebuilding and negotiation/mediation skills.
Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR)
Established by the Official Languages Commission Act No. 18 of 1991, the key task of the Commission is to regulate and supervise provisions to uphold the language rights contained in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Pathways to Peace will work with the Official Languages Commission of Sri Lanka to strengthen accountability mechanisms for the implementation of Sri Lanka’s Official Languages Policy (OLP).
Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR)
