The Asia Foundation

A civil war, and the first impacts of the economic recession continue to threaten Sri Lanka's chances for prosperity. Political parties and civil society disagree about solutions to the conflict. But we are working diligently on the ground to improve cross-cultural relations and contribute to national healing. Most police are from the majority Sinhalese community and there is often distance and distrust between them and Tamil citizens. At the request of the Inspector General of Police, we launched a pioneering initiative to help police officers learn to speak Tamil, from the constable to the sergeant level, in order to help increase access to justice and bridge the gulf between the police and communities in multi-ethnic regions. New language skills, and personal discoveries for all participants that come out of critical discussions about ethnicity, justice, and equality are positively influencing the way police officers and Tamil citizens treat one another. More than one hundred fifty officers have been successfully trained in Tamil; the program is expanding and previous trainees now serve as tutors to other officers. A participating female police officer acknowledges the impact: "Tamil women victims of violence are now less reluctant to make a complaint to me. They trust me."