What is
Shanthi Sena?
Genesis and Mission
"Shanthi Sena" units
were innaugrated in 1978 by the Sarvodaya Shramadana President Dr. A.T.
Ariyaratne in response to communal disturbances throughout Sri Lanka. An appeal
was sent out to the Sarvodaya membership, and communities from all parts of the
country to take effective measures to curb violence. There was a ready
response. Thus Shanthi Sena, or the Peace Brigade, was born.
When conditions in the country
returned to normal, Shanthi Sena Brigades remained. They re-focused their
efforts to further the development process by encouraging a spirit of altruism
and self-disipline.
Shanthi Sena an Autonomous
Independent Unit
Shanthi Sena is a useful program
for youths, who are attracted to the broad objectives and service oriented
activities. It has attracted nearly 113,629 youths, forming over 9,835 units.
Since Shanthi Sena is a People's Peace Organisation, members are trained to use
non-violent means in reconciling conflicts. Membership is open to everyone over
the age of fifteen.
Vision
Shanthi Sena seeks
to create an active youth leadership enriched with a social, economic, and
political consciousness to work towards the eradication of violence in a
non-violent way. Shanthi Sena also hopes to build a society of ethnic and
religious harmony, healthy citizens, eco-friendly consciousness, and especially
non-violent humanitarian concerns through non-violent means.
Mission
- To
increase the knowledge and create awareness among the youth in order to empower the community
- To
empower the youth to achieve social justice through a new political
philosophy.
- To help
meet the physical needs of the youth to ensure their economic stability
and ability to pursue spiritual and personal goals.
- To make
a noticeable positive change in youth behavior that is acceptable to the society.
- To
improve skills and interpersonal relationships in order to strengthen
social harmony.
- To
enable the youth to appreciate social difference to ensure religious and
ethnic harmony. Additionally to create cross-cultural unity and alliance
in a changing political environment.
- To
improve the eco-friendly attitudes to protect the eco-system
- To
enlist youth participation in the safeguarding of mental, physical and environmental
health.
Objectives
- To bring forth a generation
of morally accomplished youth with intelligence and wisdom, good
personality, and leadership qualities.
- To work towards a Sri Lankan
society endowed with peace, justice and cooperation.
- To promote volunteerism and
a personal investment in rural development.
- To bring about a generation
of youth with a political consciousness that can create a new political culture with a critical
outlook.
- To bring forth a generation
of youth with skills to propagate a strong viable national economy.
- To launch an educational and
service orientated rural health development programme.
- To get the youth interested,
motivated, and devoted to
safeguarding the
ecology and environment.
- To build a trained and
active youth group that can respond
spontaneously in times of
disasters
- To empower the national art
culture through creating youth endowed with a sense of
high art appreciation.
