FLC Countdown: 10 Days, Reflections

Today’s young people of Sri Lanka show a marked difference from the previous generation. At the Volunteers Informational Meeting, the SLU team remarked on how the youth today put the older generation’s attitudes to shame. Students from all parts of the nations have shown a desire and to meet others who are not like themselves, and it seems the country can begin to heal from its past. Students from Jaffna and Batticoloa, in the north and east of the island, are willing and eager to relate to their peers in Colombo and Matara, in the West and South of Sri Lanka. It has been noted that 90% of Sri Lankans are willing to live together in peace. It is time these people were given a voice to direct the future of their country. Those who did not grow up with the years of hatred that led to the war are reaping the benefits. They have seen the effects of war in their own lives and yearn for a Sri Lanka that has moved beyond its internal strife. Some of these youth will be attending the Future Leaders Conference, as well as their first hopeful steps towards a new Sri Lanka.