Mahinda Chintana Vision, Reconciliation And Implementation

By Salma Yusuf -July 28, 2013 

Salma Yusuf

Key aspects of the proposed National Policy on Reconciliation drafted at the Secretariat of the Presidential Advisor on Reconciliation are particularly striking as creative and innovative in that they require the participation and support of all stakeholders involved coupled with the fact that while being essential towards a larger reconciliation framework, individually and separately have merit in the reconciliatory dividends that each is capable of realizing. The strategy embedded in the Policy Proposal straddles four aspects, namely, Recovery and equitable development, Political participation and administrative accountability, Justice, Truth and Understanding and an Implementation Plan.

The Draft Policy was initially produced by a small group of persons characterized by multi-party, multi-ethnic representation. The Draft Policy was then circulated to leaders of all political parties and followed by a discussion with Members of Parliament including those Cabinet Ministers actively involved in working on issues of reconciliation.

Thereafter, the Draft Policy was taken through a process of consultation with key national stakeholders including religious leaders, civil society and the media. Following the several rounds of consultation, feedback and comments were carefully considered by the core group originally involved in drafting the Policy and amendments were incorporated as relevant into the existing framework before which a Final Consolidated Draft Policy was produced.      Read More