Promoting Empowerment and Accountability

1
Promoting Empowerment and Accountability

• DRC-Sri Lankas experience

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Sri Lanka - A brief overview

• Armed Conflict in North East for over 20 years
  between Govt and LTTE (Tamil Tigers)
• Several areas under LTTE control
• Norwegian-brokered ceasefire and peace process
  from 2002
• Stalling of peace process (2003) and significant
  escalation of the conflict (2006)

3
DRC in Sri Lanka

• Primary Focus on return of conflict IDPs
• Integrated Rehabilitation Programme
• Working in both GoSL and LTTE-controlled areas
• Since 2003 protection approach

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DRC-SLs Protection Strategy

• 2 Main elements
• -To facilitate the development of the confidence
  and capacity of IDPs/Returnees to assert their
  rights
• -Highlight to (Govt and LTTE) authorities their
  obligations as duty bearers and
  encourage/support them to meet these obligations

5
Confidence and capacity of rights holders

• -Develop knowledge of relevant national and
  international HR standards through training and
  awareness raising
• -Facilitate the identification of protection
  gaps and the prioritization of issues to address
• -Support the development of responsive strategies
  by communities

6
Work with rights holders- Positive aspects

• Communities identified and prioritised their
  concerns, developed plans and approached
  authorities
• Some success in their endeavours
• Complemented other activities

7
Work with rights holders- Limitations and
barriers

• Focus primarily on economic/social rights
• Avoidance of sensitive subjects
• Tendency to prioritize issues affecting all
  community

8
Working with Duty bearers

• Training on international human rights standards
• Training on fundamental rights and the
  responsibility of officials
• Facilitating dialogue about how to overcome
  obstacles
• Advocacy to address systemic issues

9
Positive aspects

• Fear that would alienate officials, actually
  developed good relations
• Training programmes novel and well received
• Facilitation of dialogue between sections of the
  Govt

10
Limitations/barriers-General

• District Level Interventions not address
  structural obstacles
• Difficulties in Measuring Impact on
  IDPs/Returnees
• Escalation in conflict makes most activities
  challenging

11
Limitations/barriers-LTTE

• Some resistance to activity/approach
• Engagement with only parts of the apparatus
• Limited number of formal obligations on LTTE as
  Non State Actor

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• Thanks!