Beyond Religion: A New Milestone for Youth Peace Education in Sri Lanka

In November, a meaningful step toward interfaith cooperation and youth peace education took place in Sri Lanka—bringing together religious leaders and young people around a shared commitment to peace.

On November 22, an interfaith peace education program titled “Peace Education Blooming from the Teachings of the Buddha” was held at Sunethra Devi Purana Rajamaha Viharaya. The event focused on youth peace education and cooperation beyond religious boundaries, offering a rare space where Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam converged with a shared purpose.

Youth Shaped by Conflict, Learning to Choose Peace

Sri Lanka’s younger generation has grown up carrying the scars of decades of civil conflict. Many experienced the effects of violence from an early age, making youth one of the most affected groups in the country’s recent history.

Against this backdrop, young participants gathered with Buddhist monks, Christian pastors, and Islamic scholars—not to debate doctrine, but to learn how peace can be consciously chosen over violence. Although their faiths differed, participants shared a common goal: ensuring that the next generation does not inherit a cycle of conflict, but instead learns how to build peace.

A Program Rooted in Education and Practice

The event followed a structured program that included an opening ceremony, traditional oil lamp lighting, the national anthem, cultural performances, an introduction to HWPL, peace education sessions, presentations on Buddhist teachings related to peace, and a segment dedicated to commitments for future cooperation.

A Peace Contribution Award was presented to Venerable Welampitiye Sumanadhamma Nayaka Thera, the chief monk of the host temple, recognizing his leadership in promoting peace education and moral values.

Voices from Different Faiths

In his keynote remarks, the chief monk emphasized that peace begins with individual practice and expands to families, communities, and ultimately the world. He explained that rejecting harm to life is not only a religious principle, but a way of protecting human dignity and removing the roots of violence.

Temple leadership also noted that HWPL’s peace education framework was systematic and universal, making it adaptable across religious and cultural contexts. Following the program, leaders from Christian and Islamic communities expressed interest in introducing similar peace education initiatives tailored to their own faith environments—highlighting new possibilities for sustained interfaith cooperation.

Christian and Muslim leaders echoed this sentiment. One pastor stressed the importance of strategic collaboration to involve more youth and women in peace activities, while an Islamic studies scholar praised the professionalism of the program and the depth of its message.

A Region Ready for Cooperation

Pepiliyana is an area where religious institutions and educational facilities coexist closely, making it a natural setting for interfaith engagement. This environment allowed young participants to experience religious harmony firsthand and to explore peace not as an abstract concept, but as a lived practice.

Through collaboration among religious leaders and youth, the program opened new pathways for reconciliation and long-term peacebuilding in Sri Lankan society. More than a one-time event, it marked a growing recognition that sustainable peace is built through education, cooperation, and shared responsibility—beyond religious boundaries.

Source: https://vo.la/i9STUg4