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sakshiselvanathan

Building understanding amid adversity in Anthoniyarpuram


I'm Arulnesarasa Anushan, (28) from the fishing village of Anthoniyarpuram in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, and Team Leader of the Social Action Project (SAP) ‘Peace and Prosperity in Anthoniyarpuram’.


In my village there was a dispute between the owners of the larger, mechanised Fibre Glass Boats (FGBs) and owners of the smaller, manually operated boats (or 'vallam’). Typically, FGBs are owned by wealthier members of the community while the poorer fishermen owned the 'vallam'. This dispute was primarily driven by the unequal distribution of resources, causing competition between both groups of fishermen to dock in the canal area where their catches could be sold to the local vendors. The fact that the FGBs had an advantage over the vallam-owners in accessing this area due to the speed and size of their vessels led to several disputes between the two parties.




The disputes often escalated, negatively affecting the harmony of our village. To address these issues, my team and I used the knowledge and skills from our Active Citizens (AC) training and facilitated discussions amongst a local community-based organisation and the Fisheries Cooperative Society (FSC), as well as separate discussions with FGB and 'vallam' owners. These preliminary meetings, including engagement of relevant government officials, helped the groups to understand the competing interests and set the stage for a larger community dialogue, where we explained the objectives and methods of our SAP.


We used the culturally significant concept of ‘Anpium’ – an integrated pastoral approach common in South Asian Christian communities - to bring the community together. This involved gathering 10-15 families to share food and socialise, fostering a sense of unity, and understanding. Additionally, we organised a successful Shramadana (community cleanup) campaign, which saw increased participation from those who did not participate before. The Anpium and Shramadana provided space for dialogue among community members (in particular, the fishermen), building a better understanding amongst the disputing groups, and resulting in more equitable access of the canal to both groups of fishermen.


For me, learning about ADR during the Active Citizens training programme proved to be a life-changing experience. It not only equipped me with skills to handle community conflicts but also improved my dispute resolution skills within my own family. As Active Citizens, we gained invaluable experience in official communication and stakeholder engagement, enhancing our capacity to initiate and sustain projects in our local community.





The ADR training was instrumental in our project's success - a significant achievement being the active involvement of the President of the FSC as an AC volunteer himself. Inspired by the learnings from the ADR training and my involvement in social work, I aspire to become an Executive Committee member of the Rural Development Society (RDS) in my village and resolve disputes using this methodology. I believe that the youth's active participation and recognition in community activities are vital for sustainable development in my village.

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