November 13, 2024
B M Jayasekera visiting farmers in Badulla
A small stream- like river has divided communities in B M Jayasekara’s hometown. Not geographically, but ethnically. “There is a water-related problem in the area.” Farmers from one ethnic community living downstream think that the water problem is caused by farmers from a different ethnicity, living upstream.
“Usually, we don’t get involved in this kind of thing” Jayasekara admits. A banker by profession, he is a familiar figure to many in the area. “I have been involved in a lot of charity projects, where we give funds, or organize community clean-ups” but working alongside a group of community leaders to solve an age-old dispute is a new experience.
Jayasekara participating in an ADR workshop
Identified by Search’s partners in Badulla, Uva Shakthi Foundation, Jayasekara and other community leaders are a part of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Forum. This forum has been working with Search to identify and effectively address disputes in their communities before the dispute results in violence.
“Actually, a lot of different groups have tried to solve this issue without any success” allowing frustrations and misconceptions about different ethnic communities to grow. “They came, they addressed one side of the issue and then left.” Seeing the potential for violence growing the ADR Forum felt it was risky not to attend to this issue.
Jayasekara and the ADR Forum developing an action plan
“The difference,” he believes is “this time, we understand the problem.” Low water supply, they discovered, was the result of a Pine forest in the area nearby. A large part of the skills built during the training for the ADR Forum is to understand conflict and how to bring parties from across dividing lines together. For the first time, a team from within their communities is “approaching the issue in a practical way.”
For instance, rather than approaching the dispute as a single issue, the ADR Forum identified smaller, related issues that can be solved fast. They facilitated the process of getting water to a school located in a area where water supply is low. As a result of the ethnic divisions caused by the water issue, the school didn’t have pipe-borne water. “The pipes had to be placed under a neighbouring property but the owner didn’t allow it.” After engaging in discussions with the land owner over the span of a few months “we got his approval to start placing the pipe lines.”
Jayasekara working with community leaders of the ADR Forum
More long term steps are also in the works to change the misconceptions between ethnic communities. The ADR Forum is in the process initiating dialogue between farmers from the different ethnic groups. Changing how people view each other will take time, but Jayasekara and his ADR Forum are confident that it is possible.
According to Jayasekara “this project is different. For the first time, we have tried to understand the problem”- an approach that has both intrigued and motivated him. “We didn’t get involved” in issues faced by the communities because it didn’t feel relevant, “We didn’t see the need. Now, I find that I like doing this kind of work and the unique approach we are taking.”
Jayasekera at an ADR workshop
The ADR Forums are set-up and equipped to tackle community disputes as part of our Alternative Dispute Resolution Project. This project is supported by Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution by the British Council with funding from the European Union.
