"Imagine that you have no ethnicity, religion, nationality, skin colour, gender, parents, economic status, literacy, geographical location, physical abilities/disabilities. You are behind a veil and you do not know what is behind it in store for you. Whatever combination you get out of the above is a matter of chance. Commonly termed "accident of birth". By chance you have received your current combination, someone else, another.
Your Excellency, Navaneetham Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Honorable Ministers and distinguished guests,
I was among the lucky few to be born and bred in down south. I could achieve great heights, given the choices I had. I was one of the two first ever Youth Delegates from Sri Lanka to the United Nations and I had the privilege of working with my colleague Aruthra Rajasingham, whose roots happened to be from Jaffna.
But, after I studied about Rawl's theory of "the veil of Ignorance" I realized that I could have been as anyone. I could have been born as Premavathi Manamperi, a young, promising undergraduate girl, from the deep South, who was gang raped, mutilated, humiliated and killed in 1971 by the repressive government forces, then.
I could have been one of 60'000 young people who were brutally tortured, interrogated and murdered in public in 1989 for holding alternative political opinions.
Or I could have been Rajini Thirangama, an academic at the University of Jaffna whose enthusiasm for education was halted by a gunshot.
My brothers and sisters have undergone too much pain, suffering and repression in the short 65 year span of independence of my small island paradise. Three destructive and tragic youth uprisings shouted out for a platform for young voices to be heard and to be made a part of governance in Sri Lanka.
I would like to emphasize that only and ONLY a youth lead, home grown reconciliation process can make a positive impact in this country.
Its true that a government needs time to formulate and implement strategies to overcome the barriers related to involving young people in a countries development process. But it is also true that the energy and radicalism in young hearts and minds are not resilient to be waiting for too long.
With the end of the armed conflict in 2009, young voices calling out for a youth lead reconciliation process was stronger than ever before. In response there has been progressive action from the Government of Sri Lanka, Civil Society and UN bodies. Yet, far too often, the roles played by youth in these processes are marginal.
Youth continue to face institutionalized prejudice in many quarters that see youth as lacking expertise, experience, capacity, or drive. Despite the increase in the number and range of mechanisms to engage youth, young participants continue to see their roles undermined by governments and policymakers, based on these perceptions.
Just as the recipient of any policy must be engaged to ensure their concerns are effectively addressed, youth are no exception. Policy makers should not only invite young people into policy discussions but also listen and act upon their advice.
Youth participation should not have a demonstrated value – it is a political right. Public recognition of young people as key actors in social development is crucial.
This is where I see, the Sri Lankan Youth Parliament as an esteemed example. It was conceived and implemented to mark the United Nations International Year of Youth in 2010. One fourth of Sri Lanka’s total population being youth, the aim of setting up the Youth Parliament was to create leaders who will be nurtured in the finest democratic ideals and practices. It also provides an important opportunity in post-conflict Sri Lanka, to foster values of tolerance, harmony and co-existence.
Our elected 335 parliamentarians and 72 senators are between the ages of 15 to29 and represents all ethnic and religious communities in the country. The true voice of Sri Lankan youth are represented through a democratic election process, similar to the National electoral system.
Madam Commissioner,
I’d like to welcome you and express the deep appreciation of our parliament to you, for taking time to come to talk to us, Talk to youth leaders elected by young people for young people of this country, and not individuals presented as youth representatives.
Nothing about Youth should be discussed without youth. So it is a momentous occasion that the UN high commissioner on Human Rights decided to consult a democratically elected body of Sri Lankan Youth to understand what we need, what our issues are and what we need to do.
We consider your visit to our parliament as a symbol of United Nations recognition of “youth” as equal Partners in development.
In order to reconcile, I believe that it is important to remember our past. The lust for blood of the armed conflict did not only feed itself with valuable young lives from the North. Thousands of youth from the south sacrificed their lives in the service of Sri Lanka's military. Here in Colombo school students uniforms were stained not with crayons or candy, but with blood from a bomb blast targeting civil public transport.
That is our dreadful history, which I abhor to think of. As young persons of this country who felt the bitter taste of our armed conflict, we are determined to ensure a safe and sustainable society of Justice and Good Governance for generations to come. There is much done and there is much to do, to correct the mistakes of the past and to ensure sustainable peace as "one" Sri Lankan fraternity.
Your Excellency,
What it means to be Sri Lankan is less about who we are than what we are about– how we live our life, how we contribute to this country, how we pledge allegiance to a flag that has made room for all of us.
We have come a long way and we have a long way ahead. There are laws to change and there are many hearts to open.
Madam Commissioner,
Invariably you too are a valuable stakeholder in this journey towards reconciliation and development in Sri Lanka. Your conclusions at the end of your observation of Sri Lanka will have a great impact on my country and us, its' future. We as Youth of Sri Lanka have our fullest confidence and trust in you and we sincerely believe your determinations will be a catalyst for lasting peace and development in our country.
There is a “world” inside this small beautiful “island”. And our only dream as young Sri Lankans is to make it the best"
Your Excellency, Navaneetham Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Honorable Ministers and distinguished guests,
I was among the lucky few to be born and bred in down south. I could achieve great heights, given the choices I had. I was one of the two first ever Youth Delegates from Sri Lanka to the United Nations and I had the privilege of working with my colleague Aruthra Rajasingham, whose roots happened to be from Jaffna.
But, after I studied about Rawl's theory of "the veil of Ignorance" I realized that I could have been as anyone. I could have been born as Premavathi Manamperi, a young, promising undergraduate girl, from the deep South, who was gang raped, mutilated, humiliated and killed in 1971 by the repressive government forces, then.
I could have been one of 60'000 young people who were brutally tortured, interrogated and murdered in public in 1989 for holding alternative political opinions.
Or I could have been Rajini Thirangama, an academic at the University of Jaffna whose enthusiasm for education was halted by a gunshot.
My brothers and sisters have undergone too much pain, suffering and repression in the short 65 year span of independence of my small island paradise. Three destructive and tragic youth uprisings shouted out for a platform for young voices to be heard and to be made a part of governance in Sri Lanka.
I would like to emphasize that only and ONLY a youth lead, home grown reconciliation process can make a positive impact in this country.
Its true that a government needs time to formulate and implement strategies to overcome the barriers related to involving young people in a countries development process. But it is also true that the energy and radicalism in young hearts and minds are not resilient to be waiting for too long.
With the end of the armed conflict in 2009, young voices calling out for a youth lead reconciliation process was stronger than ever before. In response there has been progressive action from the Government of Sri Lanka, Civil Society and UN bodies. Yet, far too often, the roles played by youth in these processes are marginal.
Youth continue to face institutionalized prejudice in many quarters that see youth as lacking expertise, experience, capacity, or drive. Despite the increase in the number and range of mechanisms to engage youth, young participants continue to see their roles undermined by governments and policymakers, based on these perceptions.
Just as the recipient of any policy must be engaged to ensure their concerns are effectively addressed, youth are no exception. Policy makers should not only invite young people into policy discussions but also listen and act upon their advice.
Youth participation should not have a demonstrated value – it is a political right. Public recognition of young people as key actors in social development is crucial.
This is where I see, the Sri Lankan Youth Parliament as an esteemed example. It was conceived and implemented to mark the United Nations International Year of Youth in 2010. One fourth of Sri Lanka’s total population being youth, the aim of setting up the Youth Parliament was to create leaders who will be nurtured in the finest democratic ideals and practices. It also provides an important opportunity in post-conflict Sri Lanka, to foster values of tolerance, harmony and co-existence.
Our elected 335 parliamentarians and 72 senators are between the ages of 15 to29 and represents all ethnic and religious communities in the country. The true voice of Sri Lankan youth are represented through a democratic election process, similar to the National electoral system.
Madam Commissioner,
I’d like to welcome you and express the deep appreciation of our parliament to you, for taking time to come to talk to us, Talk to youth leaders elected by young people for young people of this country, and not individuals presented as youth representatives.
Nothing about Youth should be discussed without youth. So it is a momentous occasion that the UN high commissioner on Human Rights decided to consult a democratically elected body of Sri Lankan Youth to understand what we need, what our issues are and what we need to do.
We consider your visit to our parliament as a symbol of United Nations recognition of “youth” as equal Partners in development.
In order to reconcile, I believe that it is important to remember our past. The lust for blood of the armed conflict did not only feed itself with valuable young lives from the North. Thousands of youth from the south sacrificed their lives in the service of Sri Lanka's military. Here in Colombo school students uniforms were stained not with crayons or candy, but with blood from a bomb blast targeting civil public transport.
That is our dreadful history, which I abhor to think of. As young persons of this country who felt the bitter taste of our armed conflict, we are determined to ensure a safe and sustainable society of Justice and Good Governance for generations to come. There is much done and there is much to do, to correct the mistakes of the past and to ensure sustainable peace as "one" Sri Lankan fraternity.
Your Excellency,
What it means to be Sri Lankan is less about who we are than what we are about– how we live our life, how we contribute to this country, how we pledge allegiance to a flag that has made room for all of us.
We have come a long way and we have a long way ahead. There are laws to change and there are many hearts to open.
Madam Commissioner,
Invariably you too are a valuable stakeholder in this journey towards reconciliation and development in Sri Lanka. Your conclusions at the end of your observation of Sri Lanka will have a great impact on my country and us, its' future. We as Youth of Sri Lanka have our fullest confidence and trust in you and we sincerely believe your determinations will be a catalyst for lasting peace and development in our country.
There is a “world” inside this small beautiful “island”. And our only dream as young Sri Lankans is to make it the best"
great speech jayathma.. good luck. keep doing.
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