Abstract:
Sri Lanka, an Indian sub-continent nation, is home to four major world religions:
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. The civil district of Batticaloa, located
on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, has experienced a three-decade civil war that has led
to a significant gap between the ethnic and religious communities. This research aims
to resolve this situation, foster harmony, and encourage ethnic dialogues among various
communities living in the district. The quantitative and qualitative methods research
methodology is applied to grasp the ground reality more comprehensively and work
further on it. The relationship between religions was cordial until the escalation of the
civil war in the late 80ties. Since then, relations have become at stake, leading to
divisions and violence. Causes include border village clashes, land issues, religious
fundamentalism, forced conversion and the use of public address systems at worship
places. The archaeological department has also identified some places in the region as
Buddhist worship, creating tension. These unhealthy practices jeopardize the smooth
functioning of people’s day-to-day living in the Batticaloa district. To unite all people
of various faiths, an organization was formed with the participation of all four leaders
from important religions of Sri Lanka. This group eventually became an interreligious
dialogue group, where leaders of each faith could express their grievances and collectively
make decisions to foster religious harmony and dialogue. The post-war situation
worsened the religious amity and dialogue in the Batticaloa district, prompting Caritas-
EHED Batticaloa to strengthen the district’s interreligious group and foster peace and
religious dialogue among various faiths.
