The 9th Future
Leaders Conference of Sri Lanka Unites was held in December 2017. Youth Engagement in Governance, Breaking the
cycle of violence, Transitional Justice and Reconciliation were the themes of
this conference.
Over the last 10 years of SLU,
the greatest motivation for staff and volunteers of the organization to keep
committing our efforts for the cause has been the powerful post-conference
feedback. We would like to share an excerpt of a note sent to us from a
participant, after the conference.
The following is a reflection from Fawaz Ameer from Akkaraipattu
Before this conference I have heard about SLU but not what they
are about. So I had no idea what is going to happen at the Future Leaders’
Conference before I got there. I decided to join SLU after the workshop done by
the Kalmunai Reconcilation Center of SLU.
I was very nervous when I got registered at the conference
and entered my assigned room. Im bit shy to move around with new people, but I
always wanted to be a good friend to everyone and wanted to meet new people.When I entered my room a Sinhala friend welcomed me and gave me
some sweet snacks. I was little afraid to receive it because I had a mindset
that Sinhala people look at us as enemies. He again told me to take it. So I
took some.
After that I went to opening ceremony with my friends,we were divided into teams and I met my new team members.I stood alone behind the team
members because I was very shy at that moment. Our team mentors were introduced
to us and they taught us a simple cheer- we started to cheer for our new formed
team. Still I was little shy to shout in front of strangers, so I kept quiet.
After that we played the train game and the rope game so we all got introduced
to each other. Only few of them remembered the names of all team mates. Me and
some other guys couldn’t remember all the names.
After that we went to have dinner and went to bed.
The next day we had our breakfast and went for the morning
session. Most of the participants didnt talk to each other but this change when we started playing games.
We had a team challenge for *SLU TV* where we had to
prepare a drama at the end of each day about what we learnt that day. It was
like adrenaline to us for those 3 days. It brought the best out of us in a
critical situation because we had only a small amount of time after our games
to perform about what we learned throughout the day. This was a special
experience for me. When we discussed about SLU TV on the first day, I was
amazed seeing that people coming with different and amazing ideas. For the
first time, we all discussed with each other about what we are going to
perform. It made us more closer and that was the day I shared my thoughts and
ideas with others. The unbelievable thing is, they appreciated my idea. For the
first time in my life, my idea was appreciated by the people who I have never
met before. Because sometimes if I get a new idea and tell it to my friends or
parents, only few of them will support me and others will make fun of me.
No
one ever tried to make my ideas and thoughts better by helping me and no one
ever helped me to execute my ideas. But in *FLC* my team mates made my ideas
better with the help of all the team members. They came front to execute each
and everyone’s ideas and thought. That moment touched my heart. I decided at
that moment, hereafter I should appreciate others thoughts in my life and
support them. I should come up speak about my thought in the society and
friends circle because someone will be there to join with me and give ideas to
make my thoughts useful and successful.
Thanks to SLU for giving me a family beyond religion and
language. We are not a team now but we are a family. *Pirate Family*
After the conference, I had a chat
with my close family about Sri Lankan communities. He argued against other ethnic
groups, about the *Re-emergence function* in the north, and the *Sinhala -
Muslim clash* , *1983 clash* and much more. He had wrong opinion about these
clashes. As a person who participated in the *FLC* I applied what I was taught
in there. The thing I applied is *breaking
the cycle of hate*. You know
what?, it really worked. And I was so happy even I can build some peace and
understanding in my family. If a single person can do this, what if we all get
together?. So I have decided to work till the end with *SLU* to change my
country.
I always wanted to say *IM a
SRILANKAN * .
But I was little afraid to say
these days because some people say Muslims are outsiders. They don’t belong
here. But I realized not everyone is like that. The family I got in this
conference had Sinhala and Hindu friends. But not even one person hated because
of our religion or our language. They just looked and took care of us like
their own brothers and sisters. And we realized that youth is the only way to
change our country. We had a discussion about these things in our rooms in
conference days. A big thanks to *SLU* for giving us this opportunity to
move around with the people beyond religion and language and gave us a mindset
that *Change is on its way*
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