Sri Lanka: As Peace Falters, Activists Turn to ICT to Build Bridges
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COLOMBO, Nov 18 (OneWorld) - While the future of the peace process in Sri Lanka hangs in the balance, an ambitious Information Communication Technology (ICT) initiative to network and facilitate fading communication between the major stakeholders will be launched in the capital Thursday, similar to successful projects in the Middle East.
Called "Info-Share," the interactive software developed by a group of independent peace promoters, hopes to network stakeholders in the process, ensuring instant communication through online messaging or chat. Significantly, participation is purely by invitation, with each party accorded space in the software. The project's primary objectives include the installation of a collaboration and networking software and peace tools for peace stakeholders, apart from providing them technical, strategic and project management support. The pilot project which was initiated on September 1 this year, is funded by Groove Networks which is co-owned by Information Technology giants Microsoft and Intel, the Appeal for Nobel Peace Laureate Foundation and US-based nongovernmental organization (NGO), Academy for Education and Development(AED), and USAID. Remarks international peace activist and co-manager of the initiative, Hannes Siebert,"This system of shared space to break communication barriers has been tried in several other situations." Prime among them are global initiatives launched by the Appeal for Nobel Peace Laureate. Last year they initiated a shared space for stakeholders in the peace process in the Middle East, and plan to launch one shortly in the US to boost communication between Arab Muslims and Jews. During the Iraq war, Groove Networks developed software to connect humanitarian agencies working in the region, which remains a great success. Admits Minister of Science and Technology and member of the government's peace negotiating team, Milinda Moragoda, "Communication barriers have formed one of the major impediments in promoting peace in any part of the world. It is unfortunate that it continues to be so despite remarkable ICT advancements." Hopes Moragoda, "The Info-Share initiative is likely to make a fundamental change in the peace process and bring the parties to the conflict closer." Comments Director of the National Peace Council, Jehan Perera, "It is heartening to know there are committed peace promoters who have identified the lapses in the peace process and are trying to remedy them." Perera emphasizes the importance of ensuring stakeholders make use of the facility. Agrees the leader of Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, Tamil United Liberation Front, V. Anandasangaree, "Lapses in communication caused the biggest problems in the ongoing peace process. Info-Share has all the potential to bridge existing communication gaps among stakeholders." The latter include Sri Lanka's Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and Peace Secretariat, Tamil and Muslim parties, peace support partners, political stakeholders, NGOs and Community Based organizations, funders, grant makers and the business community. Commenting on the initiative, Program Specialist of Sri Lanka's ICT Agency, the apex governing body of the country's ICT policies, Dilantha Withanage, feels its feasibility is quite high, provided the parties are properly equipped with knowledge. As he puts it, "This system provides the highest security which should be a key ingredient in sharing information. With the right group of people working on it, there are strong chances of the project being a success." Interestingly, the project was evolved more by accident, than design. In December 2002, the Sri Lankan government's Peace Secretariat invited the Colombo office of the AED -- one of the coordinators of the peace process -- to set up a data-sharing software to network their office staff. While an AED team including Hannes, who is a consultant to them, was working on the project, the hit upon the idea of creating a similar, though infinitely more sophisticated software, for the entire peace process. In April this year, just as the team was discussing the concept with officials of the Peace Secretariat, local NGOs and media groups involved in the peace process, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels suspended talks. Recalls Hannes, "At that moment we realized we should not wait any longer. Although there were emissaries conveying messages from the government to the LTTE and vice versa even after the suspension, the impact of the communication breakdown between the two parties was apparent." In the aftermath, a clutch of parties - including peace promoters attached to the premier local NGO - Center for Policy Alternatives, Young Asia Television and the Peace Secretariat joined the AED team to conceive and execute the project. |
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