A DELEGATION from NGOs in Sri Lanka is to visit the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, today.
The visit will be hosted by Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) Ireland, which recruits professionals to volunteer in developing communities worldwide.
Representatives from various groups which work in conflict- and tsunami-affected areas will form the delegation and will participate in workshops on the history of the Northern Ireland peace process and how to learn from it.
They will also attend meetings with various civil society organisations in Northern Ireland and have discussions with politicians involved in the peace process.
The purpose of the visit is to share with the delegation experiences of the peace process in the North, with the aim of helping the Sri Lankan organisations to develop initiatives of their own and to understand the importance of community engagement.
The director of VSO Ireland, Malcolm Quigley, said there were unique parallels between the Northern Irish and Sri Lankan conflicts. There were significant opportunities to learn from the peace process in the North and to apply those lessons to Sri Lanka.
“Moreover, we know we can learn a lot from our Sri Lankan colleagues, too,” he said.
VSO Ireland sends experienced professionals abroad for two years where they use their skills to help local communities.