Sri Lanka Fast Forward Call for Abstracts Deadline: October 30, 2011

Editors:
  Internationally respected journalist, familiar with Sri LankaMaddalena Campioni, Scenario DevelopmentPatrick Noack, Scenario Development

In May 2009 the Government of Sri Lanka declared victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), effectively ending the group’s separatist campaign and nearly thirty years of armed conflict. For many commentators, national and international, this was a moment of celebration; for many diaspora Tamils a time for mourning and reappraisal.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa hailed a ‘new era’ for the country, promising political reconciliation, prosperity and the restoration of civil liberties. Resounding victories in this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, along with the military defeat of the LTTE, have given him an unprecedented opportunity to seek reconciliation and a political solution to Sri Lanka’s communitarian strife. Eighteen months after the end of the conflict, Sri Lanka’s future still looks uncertain, with some arguing that the country’s current trajectory is moving it closer to dictatorship than lasting peace.

Supporters of the Rajapaksa regime point to what they say are its successes: the return of 90% of the 300,000 civilians displaced during the final stages of the conflict; the establishment of a domestic ‘Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission’; a growing economy that has seen the country transition to middle-income status, and the decline in unemployment.

Others, including war survivors, local human rights defenders, and groups such as the Elders and Amnesty International drawn attention to mounting evidence that war crimes were committed by both sides during the last year’s military offensive; the ongoing plight of the displaced; continued attacks on the media and political opponents; the erosion of democratic institutions and the rule of law; and the poor record of past national commissions of inquiry.

In short, the outlook for the future of Sri Lanka is fundamentally uncertain and the perceived direction the country is taking varies by observer.

This special publication, to be produced with a leading publisher and provisionally titled “Sri Lanka Fast Forward”, will examine challenges, achievements as well as the uncertainties of the new Sri Lanka. The book aims to shape and stimulate dialogue on the country’s outlook by offering insight and analysis across several disciplines. This volume is intended in the first instance for Sri Lankans thinking about the future of their country; to aid workers and policy planners in the international community; to donors thinking about Sri Lanka and to the business community investing in Sri Lanka.

Submission Process
Submitted abstracts must be future-oriented and insightful, challenging readers' long-term thinking about Sri Lanka. The challenge to authors is to present a realistic outlook rather than a description of their ideal hopes.

Initial contributions should be in the form of an abstract outlining the main arguments/findings of the proposed paper. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words, be written in English and should indicate the names and affiliations of all authors. All submitted work must be original, i.e. work that has not been submitted or presented elsewhere.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30th October, 2011. Abstracts and queries should be emailed to Patrick Noack (pn@scenariodevelopment.com) or can be submitted using the form on this web page.

The abstracts will be reviewed by the editors and short listed for the publication. The authors of short listed abstracts will be contacted and invited to prepare full-length papers.

Proposed Topics – these are only suggestions; there can of course be other issues...

Ethnicities and reconciliationEthnic reconciliation: what attempts are there at achieving this and what’s missing/could be done? Truth and reconciliation: what is the outlook for the healing process?Devolution of power: Is this now a possibility or is the idea shelved for the time being? Lessons on reconstruction: what can be learned from the last peace process and the rebuilding in the Wanni?The Ethnic mix: What are the issues surrounding areas viewed as Tamil, such as the Wanni, where there are reports of Sinhala soldiers and their families now living. Is this part of a “settlement policy” and if so what are the possible outlooks and long-term implications?

Investment and reconstructionConstruction and corruption: In the past there have been allegations of corruption and nepotism in the distribution of construction contracts for the North – what can be done to reduce that risk this time and ensure accountability and transparency? Sector reconstruction: Consider the long-term medical infrastructure and staffing needs in the north of Sri Lanka. How can the international community help and whose help should be sought? The investment climate: proactive or crippling? How far has legislation and policy reached in facilitating foreign investment – what could further enhance it and what are the chances/implications of an international trade boycott? What may determine the Tamil diaspora’s willingness to invest in the coming years?

People and societies after conflictPost War Trauma: how best to address the issue of collective trauma in the north-east and soldiers who have also experienced terrible events. What can Sri Lanka learn from other countries’ experiences – eg Cambodia, ex Yugoslavia, Rwanda, etc.?Reintegrating the injured into society: soldiers and Tamil civilians/ex combatants.Processes related to truth-telling and justice: must/should/can they be part of the equation, and should/must these go beyond a focus on minorities / Tamil grievances and consider the overall state of human rights in SL?The fishing industry: what is its outlook in the north and south?

Culture, language and informationLanguage: Sinhalese from the south do not generally speak Tamil and vice versa – what are the political and cultural implications and what is the outlook for bridging such a gap? Education: Teaching of English in schools, and more widely, is a big issue: infrastructure, teacher training in war areas and beyond – outlooks, impacts and consequences?Role of the media: The polarisation of the media in different languages and ideas about addressing the “new Sri Lanka” issue. What is the outlook for freedom of press, protection for journalists, and the need to cover stories outside Colombo with far more reporting from Jaffna?

Sri Lanka and the world – the world and Sri LankaThe impact of geopolitics and associated foreign-policy strategies of Sri Lanka and others: India, China, the US, Non-Aligned Movement solidarity. What is the outlook; how will the economic relationships develop and impact Sri Lanka’s medium-term future?Jaffna / Tamil Nadu: Given their proximity, what are future economic and political ties and their implications? The Sri Lanka diaspora: Efforts by the Government to woo the Tamil diaspora – what has been the effect of this strategy so far? What could/should be done to tap the expertise of Tamil professionals abroad – addressing their security concerns about returning. The continuation of the Tamil Eelam movement in exile – where is it going now?Is Sri Lanka receiving undue attention (e.g. from major NGOs, from the UN Sec-Gen), in relation to other situations around the world? Is there a “Sri Lanka Model” which makes the stakes high for the world as a whole, apart from concern for the situation in SL on its own terms?

Militancy and weaponryLTTE and Tamil militancy: is a revival of militancy likely? What happened to the LTTE funds abroad? What are the prevailing leadership issues and their future impact?Proliferation of small arms as a result of the war: what is the impact for crime generally island-wide and will these have political impacts in the medium to long term? Rehabilitation of Tigers: are there best practice examples from other nations, including screening, retraining, long term support?

Building a nationState-building in challenging environments: is this the case in Sri Lanka or has the environment become permissive? What sort of state building can be expected?Institutional development – for real or for show? Is there a lack of interest now that the ”war is over” and it is assumed that “everything is OK”? Analysis of political rhetoric: what is being said, what is not and what should be discussed? Human rights mechanisms and institutions: how to strengthen them, do they need strengthening and what can their role expected to be for the future of the country? Transnational activism and scrutiny: effectiveness and legitimacy, and relationship between the two - how do ethical and strategic considerations intersect in determining the kinds of involvements of different sorts of NGOs or non-state actors from Red Cross to MSF to Amnesty to Sri Lanka Campaign to ICG? Is a medley of engagement and pressure possible, desirable? Can transnational activism hope to engage Sinhalese majority sentiments in a productive way?

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