Colombo (Fides Service) – “Healing War Trauma” is the theme of Seminar for Formation Staff organised by the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate OMI in Sri Lanka from 14 to 21 December. About 20 participants, religious and laity, will discuss problems and identify solutions to organise assistance to displaced families, children, individual adults traumatised by years of civil war and to build a culture of reconciliation at all levels of society, the organiser of the Seminar OMI Father Oswald Firth told Fides Service.
The work of the missionaries continues at this stage of uncertainty on the Island which has yet to recover from the recent institutional crisis between the Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe and President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka continues to offer the peace process full support. Local sources told Fides “the crisis has had a positive effect because the peace process now involves directly the President’s Office, hitherto on the margin of the talks”. It should also be said that the crisis did not shake the foundations of the peace process: both President and Prime Minister support the cease fire and negotiations. This means that the proposal to be presented to the Tamil, is stronger and it has the backing of top national institutions .
Another positive element in the framework of negotiations is open support for the peace process offered by the international community and subjects involved in reconstruction, Japan, European Union, United States and the World Bank which have already allocated about 4,2 million dollars of aid in the next five years.
One problem which remains to be solved however is the inclusion on the US list of terrorist groups of the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam. This fact strengthens the Sri Lankan government’s position in the talks, while on the outcome of the negotiations depends the LTTE’s removal from the black list.
Without a doubt – local sources told Fides – the role of religious leader in the conflict is crucial: Buddhism and Christianity can be real bridges of understanding and dialogue between communities of different believers. Their role, focused above all on the social aspect, is appreciated by civil leaders and mediators alike.
(PA) (Fides Service 15/12/2003 lines words)