Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) - A phase of revival is now occurring among various local communities of villages and provinces of Sri Lanka, following the disasters of the tsunami and the war, thanks to the awakening of civil society and international cooperation.
In particular, the local communities in Sri Lanka are benefiting from a new cooperation initiative launched by the UN Development Program (UNDP). The initiative, known as ART. ART is an International Cooperation Initiative (Articulating Territorial and Thematic Networks of Cooperation for Human Development) that offers a new model of cooperation that is producing significant results in the world: it is an innovative approach that seeks to promote the leading role of local communities and decentralized cooperation, which can better meet the needs of the territories. It 'an approach that combines the principles of "solidarity and subsidiarity,” and therefore welcomed by civil society.
The ART Program in Sri Lanka seeks to exploit natural resources without damaging the biodiversity of the island, with a firm aim to foster long-term sustainable development. Small projects have been activated for the production of energy through the biomass (20 to 50 kw): by reusing solid waste, small rural villages, not covered by the network efficiency, could develop heat and electricity to improve the lives of population.
An important program, which involves the Government of Sri Lanka, is what is intended to guarantee all citizens a free education from elementary school until the first university level. This would be a major achievement for the whole nation. The new program has started projects of ART literacy, early childhood education and vocational training, promoting decentralization and the role of local actors in governance. Finally, since the health system in rural areas is often inadequate, ART promotes support projects for the disabled and patients with mental disorders and health education.
The ART Program of the UNDP operates in 33 countries of the world and mobilizes a total of 100,000,000 Euros' worth of resources, thanks to national, regional and local authorities in different countries, with the decisive contribution of decentralized cooperation that evolves in a partnership between donor and recipient. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/11/2009)
