.: 2006

Do justice to the victims of the Tsunami catastrophe

Only a few days more to complete 2 years of the devastation and havoc caused by the tsunami killer waves which struck the coastal belt of Sri Lanka on 26.12.2004 and brought death and destruction to tens of thousands of people who were living in close proximity to the coastal belt in the Districts of Galle and Matara.

The Hittetiya camp in the Matara District vouch for the havoc caused on that fateful day. Even today 45 families comprising of 500 individuals live huddled in this camp. These people are faced with the under mentioned problems :-

i. Lack of Sanitation and medical facilities.
ii. Unhygienic toilet facilities with over flowing cesspits.
iii. Camps getting submerged during the rainy season.
iv. Non provision of any relief measures to the families living with the House holders.
v. Lack of standardization in the houses that are being constructed by the parties to whom the government has given the contract.
vi. Failure to solve the housing problem.
A petition embodying the problems faced by the people prepared by the Savisthri Organization in concurrence with the victims occupying the Hittatiya camp was forwarded to His Excellency the President of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka with copies to the Reconstruction and Development Authority (RADA) and other individuals with authority on 09.12.2006 Regarding the procedure adopted by the Savisthri Organization to ensure that justice is meted out to the victims at Hittetiya camp, the Peoples Planning Commission (PPC) has taken action to inquire the present position of the victims at camp level and prepare a separate petition to exert impacts on the authorities concerned. This is being done at the moment to bring relief to the victims of the tsunami.
For further particulars please contact the Savisthri Organization on the following numbers.

E- mail : sasthri@sltnet.lk
Telephone / Fax : 094 11 2865084

(The attached photographs display the present condition of the victims at the Hittatiya Camp. )

Mini Bank Society Training at District Level

Inorder to regularize the Mini Bank Societies which are in operation in the six Districts viz Galle, Matara, Moneragala, Matale, Anuradhapura and NuwaraEliya, where Savisthri programmes are being implemented, a training was conducted in the three Districts Galle, Matara and Moneragala on 26.10.2006, 14.11.2006 and 20.11.2006 respectively.

The aim of this training was to enable the office bearers of the Mini Bank Societies to work in close liaison with the groups to make the activities of the societies more fruitful and successful in commensurate with the constitution of the Mini Bank Societies.

The under-mentioned programme was formulated for implementation after the training, at District level.

i. T o do a study of the constitution of the Mini Bank Societies at District Level.

ii.To minimize the problems that crop up at Mini Bank Society level through the identification of the responsibilities of the office-bearers of the Mini Bank Societies.

iii.The Galle District members have decided to formulate a code of ethics for the regularization of the activities of the Mini Bank Societies.

A Programme to get the public opinion regarding Peace

Dear All,
As a network of women who stand for social justice, we firmly believe that war cannot be resolved by war and that only a political solution could resolve it. For that we should engage in a dialogue for the formation of human relations amongst the ordinary people of the Northern, Eastern and Southern regions of Sri Lanka and create an attitudinal change amongst them. You and your organization could participate in this programme based on the theme " Visit the region of humanity and not the grave yard where there is death and sorrow".
More information..womensactionforsocialjustice

Anniversary of the Mini Bank Society of Anduwatta

The fourth meeting of the Mini Bank Society of Telwatta, Anduwatta in the Galle District which was completely devastated by the tsunami catastrophe, was held on 23.07.2006. This photo shows the women taking an oath to rise against the adverse effects of the tsunami disaster.

The second conference of SAAPE (South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication) was held in the Shanker Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal on the 2nd and 3rd of July 2006 on the theme "Struggle for Grassroots Democracy South Asian Perspective."
Representatives from the South Asian countries as well as those from Afganistan, Kashmir and some European Countries too participated.

13 representatives from Sri Lanka representing Women's,Farming, Fishing, plantation fields Labour and Human Rights sectors under the leadership of MONLAR (Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reforms) which acts as the co-ordinator of SAAPE in Sri Lanka participated at this conference.

Photo shows the group that participated from Sri Lanka.
1st row from left :-Fr.Benil,(Plantation Social Forum),Mr.Wejasinghe(Monlar),Mr.Prabath Kumara,Ms.Megalla(Home for Human Rights),Mr.Sarth Fenando(Monlar),Mr. Enbernayagam(Jaffna).
2nd row from left:-Mr. Shamila Indika (Monlar),Miss. Prarthana(Savisthri),Mr.Lalith Abesinghe(Sathyodaya),Mr.Samith Roshan(Nafso),Mr. Saranapala,Ms. Kalyani Attanayaka (Womens Development Center),Ms.Sugala Kumari (People's Planning Commision).

Discussion with Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
"Women's Action for Social Justice" organized a discussion with His Excellency, President of Sri Lanka and members of Parliament on the "Women's Declaration for the Betterment of the country". Accordingly the first discussion was held on 2006.06.13 with the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mr. Felix Perera at 3.00 p.m. at the Fisheries Ministry.

The following decisions were taken at the meeting with the Fisheries Minister :-
1. Inauguration at regional level purchasing of fish from the fishermen and marketing of same with the interference of the Ministry of Fisheries.
2. Formulation of a method of distribution of fish to the central parts of the country and provision of transport facilities for same.
3.Immediate stoppage of the importation of dried fish and tinned fish and the opening up of a tinned fish factory in the island in the course of this year to raise the local fish production.
4. If meetings of the fisheries sector are organized at regional level, the assurance that the Minister's participation and assistance would be given.

The under – mentioned participated at this meeting held with the Minister :-
Padma Pushpakanthi (Convener of the Network), Mary Princy (Janawabodaya Center), Geetha Lakmini (National Fisheries Solidarity), Roshini Gangani (District Co-ordinator of Savisthri, Galle) Lalani Kalupahana (Savisthri member, Galle) and Shanthi Amarasekara.

Savisthri Publications

With the intention of excerting impacts on the government as well as the RADA (Rehabilitation And Development Agency )requesting that the problem of the Tsunami victims living in camps be solved, a banner with the slogan

" DO JUSTICE IMMEDIATELY TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH OF SRI LANKA AFFECTED BY THE TSUNAMI CATASTROPH AND THOSE LEADING MISERABLE LIVES IN THA PLANTATION SECTOR."

Containing Signatures of several individuals prepared on a suggestion made by the Farming , Fisheries, and Plantation sectors who participated at the Women' s Congress of the "Savisthri" Organization held at the Radella sports ground, Nuwaraeliya was hand-over to the RADA at 1300 hours on 15.05.2006 by a team of Savisthri members handed by the National Secretary M/s. Padma Pushpakanthi followed by a discussion with the RADA representative. Based on this discussion and to apprise the Media regarding the present situation of the Tsunami victims ,a press conference was held with the media From1500hours to 1600 hours on the same day at the Nippon Hotel ,Colombo.

The photo shows the representatives of the activists of the Savisthri Women's Network. From the left; Ms.Lalani kalupahana(Galle District), Chamila Nanayackara(Tsunami Program Cordinator GalleDistrict) ,P.M .Dilruckshi( Taunami Programe Cordinator Matara District ) , Padma Pushpakanthi (National coordinator of Savisthri),K.W.Padmini(Galle District) and R.A .Pathmalatha (Matara District)

With the intention of excreting impacts on the government as well as the RADA (Rehabilitation And Development Agency )requesting that the problem of the Tsunami victims living in camps be solved, a banner with the slogan,

Savisthri associated youth group from Nuwaraeliya perform a traditional dance from the Hindu culture. .

This photo shows Mr. Sarath Fernando the Joint secretary of MONLAR "Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reforms" which movement has closely been associated with the Savisthri Organization explaining the activities of Savisthri, the problems of the plantation sector and the adverse effects of the various development plans implemented by the government. On the right is Mr. Francis who translated it into the Tamil language.

This picture shows a model of a farmer's house and a home garden prepared by the Savisthri members of the Matale District which was kept at the exhibition. For this model, palmyrah leaves, coconut ekels, bamboo and earth had been used.

The alternate products exhibition and the sale was held under the second stage of the National Women's Congress. Here various items produced in the six Districts where Savisthri programmes are implemental were displayed at the exhibition and the photo shows some such items.This shows the Savisthri members from the Moneragala and Matale Districts selling the items kept at the trade stalls and the various trade stalls put up by the groups.

An Active Member of Savisthri

M/s Sandalatha lives in the Yatawatta Divisional Secretary's Division in Matale. She is a very active member of the Savisthri organization and possesses a good knowledge of home gardening using organic fertilizer. She gives her knowledge in this regard to the Savisthri members in the Matale district. This photo shows M/s Sandhalatha , as a representative of the farming community explaining her experiences to those gathered at the National Women's Congress.

Asian Social Forum -March 23rd-29th in Karachi

Eight Savisthri Staff members participated to the Asian Social Forum in Karachi in March 2006. The team contained four Grass-root level representatives and four District Cordinators. The representatives presented key issues of Savisthri's current programme, such as ensuring the rights of Tsunami survivors and adverse effects of Globalization.

In this photograp we see Sri lankan representatives demonstrating along with other Asian women reprentatives on common issues in particular adverse impacts on women.

Savisthri Annual Women Congress -2006

"SAVISTHRI" Organization (Women for Development Alternatives) is scheduled to hold it's annual women's congress during the month of March 2006 to concide with the International Women's Day which falls on March 08th 2006. SAVISTHRI is implementing it's projects in the Districts of Galle, Matara, Monaragala, Matale, Anuradhapura and NuwaraEliya covering the farming, fisheries, plantation sectors and Labour field and approximately 1000 SAVISTHRI members in these Districts will organize and hold this congress where they will be able to raise awareness amongst themselves about the activities of the SAVISTHRI Organization, to display their skills and talents exchange their experiences, establish relationships and acquire strength too economically.

This year SAVISTHRI Women's Congress will be held on 12.03.2006 in the Radalla Sports grounds in the NUwaraEliya District under the theme, "Let us camp for the Development of Co-existence and sustainable peace." It is also planned to hold an exhibition with alternate economic products of the Six Districts.

Our endeavour is to highlight through the congress the indifference meted out to each individual within the social, economic, political and cultural strata in Sri Lanka.

It is also planned to discuss at this congress the present war situation in the North- Eastern parts of the country increase in violence restlessness amongst the youth especially in the plantation areas which would create an atmosphere to incite them to violence. The main objective of the congress is to instill an awareness amongst the masses in the South of the various problems encountered by the plantation workers, forget all the disputes and differences prevailing amongst the masses and live peacefully along with the environment and all the community. Our firm expectation is to instill amongst the women in the farming, fisher folk, plantation sectors and others the importance of uniting together irrespective of various, differences to form a strong Women's Force. Mention must be made that the co-orperation of the Organizations "Women's Network for Social Justice" and "Mother's Movement for Combatting Malnutrition", various co-ordinating organizations, voluntary workers, with us is a matter of significance.