National Integration

The National Integration Division has identified a fourfold role. They are the,

•   Planning role - devise plans to manage ethnic relations to achieve peace and harmony among   ethnic groups and to promote national integration.

•   Implementation role - implement approved programmes institutions which come under the control   of the National Integration Programme Unit.

•   Advisory role - where approved policies are implemented by other agencies, interfaces with them   in an advisory capacity.

•   Catalytic role - present policy framework, coordinate and promote other Ministries to initiate   action  in matters pertaining to ethnic relations and national integration.

As far as the national integration functions are concerned the National Integration Programme Unit (NIPU), which is a Programme funded by the Norwegian Government has also been assigned to the Ministry whereby it has enabled the Ministry and the NIPU to act together.

Accordingly the Ministry is mandated to plan, implement, co-ordinate and monitor programmes necessary to achieve the objective of the harmonious and stable multi-ethnic policy by:

• Building the confidence of all ethnic groups and winning over their trust.

• Cultivating mutual interaction and understanding among ethnic groups.

• Promoting appreciation of positive aspects of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural heritages.

• Checking and countering the ethnic and language-based discrimination and the advocacy of ethnic hatred.

• Developing mechanism to address ethnic - based grievances.

• Promoting the culture of peace, human rights, equal opportunity and equality of treatment.

• Preparing the public service through training programmes to effectively implement national integration policy.

• Facilitating the restructuring of institutions of power and governance to give expression to a new idea of the state and a new vision of nationhood.
  
  

The National Integration Programme Unit (NIPU) was established to promote national integration by:

• Creating necessary platforms for building inter-racial and inter religious movements promoting greater mutual understanding and tolerance.

• Helping the people to change their mindset, attitudes and behavior to conform to the new ethos of peace - building and reconstruction.

• Sharpening people's understanding of what peace and integration means to the nation.

In 2004 NIPU identified three programme interventions. These were proposed with the assumption that they will invariably become an integral part of any long-term programme formulation for national integration.

The three interventions are,

• Bilingual Competency and Facilitation Skills for Public Servants (BCFS)

• Bilingual Competency and Peace Building Skills for Mindful Mediators (BSPS)

• English as a supplementary link language (ESLL)

In addition NIPU has also identified the following three activities for the future:

• Planning, monitoring & reviewing of NIPU programme.

• Preparing the proposal for the next five-year period through stakeholder consultations and research.

• Taking initiatives to mobilize the stakeholders and civil society in support of National Integration.

• Under the BCFS Project 1350 Public servants registered for the Programme but 798 completed the Residential Language Courses (Basic and Intermediate); one day seminars, and special Tamil courses were also conducted. 12 Under the BCFS Project 1350 Public servants registered for the Programme but 798 completed the Residential Language Courses (Basic and Intermediate); one day seminars, and special Tamil courses were also conducted. 12 “Thibus”

• Under the BCPS Project 5862 Mindful Mediators followed the Basic and Advance courses. Six modules prepared in (Sinhala) were translated into Tamil and distributed among the students. 453 teachers have also been trained in the 292 centers.

• Under the ESLL Project 263 senior students and school leavers followed these courses. Two modules have been prepared. Eight classes have been started in identified multi-ethnic areas.

• In the future it is expected to implement the three current projects removing the bottlenecks and using new strategies, which are more practicable. New partners and target groups will be introduced in addition to the existing target groups and partners.

• Examination for those who completed the Mindful Mediators courses will be conducted with the help of the Pirivena branch of Ministry of Education or the Regional Department of Examinations and three new modules are being prepared namely, Meditation & Conflict Resolution, Art of Peaceful Living and Global Peace Vision, in order to improve the knowledge and awareness of the participants and to engage them in community level mediation activities.

• A National Coordinating Committee, comprising representatives of state institutions conducting language classes, headed by the Chairman of the Official Language Commission has been set up, for setting standard and policy guidelines to implement the language policy, to restructure language teaching programmes using modern technology and coordinate all language instruction programmes (Sinhala/Tamil/English) conducted by the state institutions including NIPU.

• Special programmes for teaching Sinhala, Tamil and English languages to the public servants to be introduced in the near future.

Implementation of  Languages Policy in Bilingual Divisional  Secretariat Divisions

29 Divisional Secretariat Divisions were declared as bilingual Secretariat Divisions by her Excellency to the President. Sinhala and Tamil Languages are used in these Divisional Secretariats as the Languages of administration. II Tamil Clerks cum Typists and 3 Translators were appointed to provide services in these Divisional Secretariat Divisions.

Sinhala Tamil Languages Proficiency Programme.

The objective of this programme is to develop the proficiency in the Sinhala and Tamil Languages to enhance mutual understanding and freedom of expression among the young generation. Special features of this programme is that this programme is held with the assistance of the Youth Council through Youth Clubs. The members of the Youth Clubs were the target groups of this programme and the lectures are provided free of charge. This programme has been inaugurated in 2005. This as a Pilot project programme is now being conducted in the Trincomalee District and Colombo District.

• To Develop Bilingual competencies and facilitation skills among the younger generation of the country.

• Through the Bilingual teaching programme, to develop close relationship between different ethnic groups and eliminate prejudices.

• To create Ethnic harmony, understand each other and develop ability of expression.

• Through the Sinhala and Tamil languages skills to build ethnic harmony and cordial relationships.

• To minimize misunderstanding prejudices and grievances which have caused pain of mind and created suspicion due to lack of Knowledge of other languages.

Tamil Language Teaching Programme in Pirivenas for Buddhist Priests.

The Objective of this promote ethnic harmony, mutual understanding a lot to promote and establish peace. This programme was inauguratedin March 2001. Under this Programme. Tamil language is taught to Buddhist Priests to enable them to interact with the community so as to promote ethnic harmony and peace. 70 teachers were appointed by the Ministry to teach Tamil Language and they draw a monthly salary of Rs. 4000/- each.