(January 27, 2011) The National Catholic Youth Federation in Sri Lanka and Jaffna
diocese have attempted to use their national meeting to promote friendship between
Sinhalese and Tamil youths in the former war-torn region. This 53rd national Catholic
youth meeting was held in Jaffna diocese on January 21st to 23rd, at the
Fatima retreat centre, Pandatheruppu. Sinhalese youths travelled from the south and
met with northern Tamil youths to share war experiences, tragedies, comedies and retreat,
aimed at bringing back joy and laughter among youths. “We had enough of it. We don’t
need it anymore,” Bishop Emmanuel Thomas Savundranayagam of Jaffna told youth participants.
The war brought disasters, deaths and left with the people ethnic hostility. It has
affected the lives of youths in all communities, he said. According to war reports
90 percent killed in the almost three-decade civil war were Tamil and Sinhalese youths.
“Youth are not only our future but they are our present too,” said the bishop. He
encouraged Sinhalese youths to associate freely with their Tamil peers. “Jaffna is
also one of the places in the country, so now you can enjoy this place,” he said.