Sun, 22 November 2009
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Editor Natasha Gunn hears Tamil émigré Jeyanthy Siva give a presentation in Amsterdam on her work, which aims to provide skills for resolving conflict without resorting to violence. Jeyanthy Siva
Last month, when the Dutch Muslim Council invited Dutch Freedom Party PVV leader Geert Wilders to talk about his proposed ban on the Koran in an effort to combat polarisation and feelings of fear in society, Wilders refused because in his view “a debate on this is pointless."
In the same period, PvdA politician Ehsan Jami was assaulted for his criticism of Islam and is now under protection and the Monitor for Racism and Extremism of the Anne Frank Foundation revealed that the percentage of racist violence stemming from the extreme right rose by 75 percent last year compared to 2005.
Lastly, on the domestic front, a survey by J/M, a monthly magazine for parents of primary school students, revealed that 75 percent of parents say they are annoyed by the children of other people; stating that these children are insolent, antisocial and disobedient. Almost 9 in 10 parents say that discipline at schools should be harsher and more frequent.
All of the above conflict seems to stem from judgemental thinking and manifests in a breakdown of communication from ‘opposing’ sides where clearly there are differing points of view. Both parties believe the other side is ‘wrong’ and they are ‘right’ and seem locked into an endless finger-pointing cycle.
Musing on what the answer could be in a world of blame and retribution, I went along to hear Tamil émigré, Jeyanthy Siva give a presentation at the West-Indisch Pakhuis in Amsterdam on her work between the different ethnic groups in Sri Lanka and civil society at large which aims to provide skills for resolving conflict without resorting to violence. 
When she was twelve, Jeyanthy made a promise on bidding farewell to the empty rooms of the home she was leaving in Jaffna, Sri Lanka; to return one day to help her homeland find peace.
She emigrated with her family to the US in the 80s to escape the ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists, which erupted into war in 1983.
Now Jeyanthy is well on the way to fulfilling that childhood promise.
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