Press release on the Peace Walk, held on 22 October 2005 organized by Voice for Peace (A Youth led National Peace Movement) and the Interact Club of St. Thomas College, Mt.Lavinia.

Voice for Peace

The dilemma of nation building has been something that we have been struggling with, since independence.

Efforts to resolve the ethnic conflict in this country have failed time and again mainly because of lack of political commitment and because of a non-concentrated civil society effort with poor people’s participation in the peace processes that this country has experimented with.

The youth have been both used as fodder for the war and have suffered immensely from the consequences of the war, many of us loosing our childhood, youth life and education in the process.

Today we organize this walk asking for an end to the war and requesting all stakeholders to initiate a more concentrated effort towards resolving the ethnic conflict through an inclusive, pluralistic peace process.

Politics of convergence on the national issue, across the wide spectrum of our polity is vital in achieving lasting peace.

Hence, we send out a message on behalf of the youth in this country to the presidential candidates, to engage in a constructive national debate on how to resolve the ethnic conflict and to unite in vision and commitment to find an answer to the national question.

To the civil society in this country we request for a more focused and coordinated effort in involving the people in the process, in achieving durable peace.
As youth we are committed in working for peace. We believe in working for peace rather than just hoping for peace.