Supporting Civil Society Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a post-war society, but as many observers note, the underlying sources of conflict remain. Sri Lanka has a large and organized civil society represented by organizations of all types. Given this, the post-war environment should present opportunities for political change and economic development. However, the Sri Lankan government has created a challenging and restrictive environment for civil society organizations operating in the former war zones of the north and the east of the country. Therefore, this study examines strategies used by civil society actors to conduct humanitarian, human-rights and peace-building interventions amid the political sensitivities and burdensome regulations of post-war Sri Lanka.