Lec. 5. Promoting Ethnic Cohesion: Possible Activities

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HETC Project University Development Grants
(UDGs) Training Program for Proposal Writers

• Lec. 5. Promoting Ethnic Cohesion Possible
  Activities

by Professor Laksiri Fernando
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Background

• The main objective of the University Development
  Grants (UDG), as it is explained in the
  Guidelines for Proposal Preparation, is to
  strengthen the economic and social relevance of
  university programmes.
• There are four proposed activity areas to achieve
  this objective and
• the purpose of the activity for the promotion of
  ethnic cohesion among students and staff is to
  address the social relevance of university
  programmes.

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Objectives

• Objectives of the ethnic cohesion activity could
  be considered mainly three fold
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• To maintain and promote ethnic harmony within the
  university (student staff)
• To produce graduates who would promote and
  contribute to ethnic harmony in the country
• To contribute to ethnic harmony in the country as
  an academic community in policy terms  

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Definition

• Ethnic cohesion is another name for ethnic
  harmony in a more positive and a constructive
  manner.
• Ethnic cohesion entails two main components
• visibility of boundaries
• level of interaction.

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Overall Picture
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Two Kinds

• There are two kinds of activity that universities
  could conduct to promote ethnic cohesion
• intra-university
• inter-university.
• For universities with multi-ethnic composition,
  the best would be to concentrate on
  intra-university activities.
• For universities with largely mono-ethnic
  composition, the best would be to go for
  inter-university (cross-university) activities to
  achieve the same objective.

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Assessing Problems/Issues

• The necessary or desirable activities under
  ethnic cohesion should be worked out by
  individual universities.
• They should first assess the exact problems of
  ethnic cohesion both within the particular
  university and in relation to the larger society.
• It is advisable to involve both students and
  staff in this process, however, keeping it in
  mind not to get distracted by incidental or
  ephemeral issues.
•  

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Three Models of Cohesion

• There can be three models where ethnic groups
  exist within a university context.
• These can be named as
• cohesive
• neutral
• non-cohesive.
• These three can also be understood as
  cooperative, neutral and non-cooperative.

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Cohesive Model

• Visibility of boundaries is low in terms of
  language, dress or practices.
• Medium of instruction is the same (English) for
  all students.
• Multi-ethnic class room is the norm.
• Teachers are from different ethnicities but not
  vocal of their identity.
• Level of interaction is high in class, outside,
  in terms of friendships and extracurricular
  activities.
• Students eat together and live together in
  hostels or boarding places.
• Cohesion among staff is reflected in joint
  research and papers by multi-ethnic groups.

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Neutral Model

• Ethnic boundaries are visible but moderate in
  terms of language, dress and practices.
• Students may be physically separated by the
  medium of instruction.
• Multi-ethnic class is rare unless consciously
  organized.
• Bi-lingual teaching may be available but rare.
• Students interact with teachers across ethnic
  barriers but with effort.
• There is no tension.
• Different ethnic groups exist side by side.
• Staff interacts across boundaries but keep close
  friendships within respective groups.
• Joint research or papers are rare.

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Non-Cohesive Model

• Ethnic boundaries are clearly visible in respect
  of language, dress and practices.
• Students are formed into clear ethnic groups.
• Even if there are common classes, the students
  immediately separate themselves into their own
  enclaves.
• Non-cohesive situation could exist irrespective
  of common medium of instruction.
• Often there are instigators to exacerbate
  mistrust and misunderstanding.
• The teachers may be helpless or unconcerned.
• There can be divisions among the teachers
  themselves.

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Problems

• The existence of different configurations of
  ethnic cohesion (harmony) will be the outcome of
  several factors.
• The country situation at large might be the key
  factor.
• The end of the war in this sense is an
  opportunity or a golden opportunity to promote
  ethnic cohesion in a sustainable manner.
• But the same factor or the way the war ended
  might also be an obstacle.  

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Problems

• There can be some suspicions about the intensions
  of the program.
• Those may come from the minority community or the
  majority community.
• These may have to be alleviated if the program
  has to be an unqualified success.
• As the Sinhalese are the overwhelming majority in
  a large number of universities, except in the
  North and the East, some of the friendship
  initiatives should come from them towards the
  other ethnic communities.
• This should work the other way round in the North
  and the East.

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Necessary Approach

• The second requirement is the most scientific
  approach that the program has to adopt.
• The activities under ethnic cohesion have to
  address some key questions obstructing the
  cohesion.
• Peripheral activities to the issue however much
  they are attractive in academic terms or dear to
  respective academics might not reap results.

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Practical Considerations

• What activities could you initiate?
• Of course it is up to you to decide, given the
  specific situation,
• but the following are some general guidelines on
  possible activities.

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Knowledge Factor

• Knowledge factor is the most important in ethnic
  harmony and cooperation.
• This means knowledge about different
  ethnic/religious cultures and languages.
• This could be done through
• teaching/learning
• educational material
• seminars and workshops
• joint projects/activity.
• A best method to bring necessary knowledge to the
  undergraduates is to introduce a formalized
  Course Unit in Multiculturalism at the first
  year foundation level in a multi-ethnic classroom
  setting followed by other activities in
  succeeding levels and years.

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A Mechanism

• A most important need of the project activity
  would be its sustainability.
• A mechanism could be designed and implemented as
  a sub-project activity to achieve this objective.
• For example, the setting up of a Sinhala / Tamil/
  Muslim Brotherhood/Sisterhood Cultural Centre
  could be such a mechanism.
• The title is given here in the most flexible
  manner to select alternative naming. It could
  simply be Multicultural Centre or
  Sinhala/Tamil/Muslim Brotherhood or any other.

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•  
• In implementing the present project and
  allocation, what I am suggesting is mainly the
  creation of a Centre and Certification on
  Multiculturalism. The latter is in addition to a
  Foundation Course.

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• If any university goes for the Centre, obviously
  budgeting for Works and Goods may take an
  immediate priority.
• But the allocation for Consultancies and Other
  Services are also important because it is through
  these budget lines that the exact multicultural
  educational programs could be implemented.
• These could entail
• teaching/learning
• production of educational material
• seminars and workshops
• joint projects/activity.

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Multicultural Centre
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Conclusion

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• Ethnic cohesion in the universities and the
  country is important. I would have preferred a
  better allocation (more than 5-10 percent) for
  this activity under UDG given its critical
  importance.

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 Thank You for Your Attention !