CLARIFICATION

‘Non-Violent Peace Force’ Still Here

The Sunday Leader had last week (November 6) reported that the ‘Non-Violent Peace Force’ was among the International Non-Governmental Organizations expelled from Sri Lanka.
However ‘Non-Violent Peace Force’ says it continues to operate in Sri Lanka and that the news item was incorrect.
Steve Alston, Country Representative of ‘Non-Violent Peace Force’ said they have regular correspondence with the NGO Secretariat.
The NGO Secretariat was quoted in the news item saying the INGO was no more operating in the country.
Alston said that they had closed their offices in Batticaloa and Vavuniya at the end of last month after an 18 month programme of training in ‘Basic Negotiations Skills and Threat Mitigation’. The local Mediation Panels of the Ministry of Justice were just one of the groups who took advantage of our training.
“We have also only just completed a 6 month Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of ChildDevelopment and Women’s Affairs. We are still fundraising for two Child Centres in Vavuniya and Batticaloa, as part of our programme in Child Protection. Indeed we invite your readers to help these communities re-build the facilities for their youth. http://www.children-centres-appeal.org/. We believe that whilst there are still challenges ahead in the protection of civilians in Sri Lanka civil society is now taking the lead. It continues to be incumbent on the international community to find ways of supporting the Rule of Law and the pursuit of justice,” Alston added.