Promoting Volunteerism for Peace and Development

18 . PROMOTING VOLUNTEERISM FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENTIn Sri Lanka, UN Volunteers organized camps where young people from differentcommunities, ethnic groups, genders, castes, social strata and geographic locationscome together. Some of these young people had never interacted with their peersfrom other parts of the island because of the protracted civil war that has driven thecountry. Tamil, Muslim and Buddhist youth, who all had strong misconceptionsabout each other, found themselves sharing common concerns and discussingways to overcome their country‘s ethnic and religious divides and achieve peace.According to Okama Ekpe Brook, UNV Programme Officer in Sri Lanka, this smallvolunteer initiative enabled these diverse young people to find common ground andunite behind a shared goal of ending the conflict. The camp participants promised tomaintain contact with each other and continue working together for peace, now withthe full realization that they are all in the same boat.K The Sri Lanka UNV Field Unit organized a race for young people in order to sensitize them to the importanceof the Millennium Development Goals – here, Programme Officer Okama Ekpe-Brook starts the competition