Sri Lanka evokes sharply contrasting pictures: an international development model, mired today in deep crisis, a rich multicultural tradition, today riven by deep divides, an educated, creative population, that today faces sharp increases in poverty and insecurity. This document sets the scene for a deliberate effort to answer such questions, all with a view to enriching understandings of development and peacebuilding challenges. It starts with a brief review of the development landscape, recognizing the high uncertainties of this time of economic and social crisis. It looks to Sri Lanka’s richly complex religious landscape, tempered by an open-eyed awareness of historic and contemporary tensions and the highly politicized atmosphere. This background aims to serve as a prelude and backdrop to explorations of how deeper engagement with the spectrum of religious and non-religious perspectives might support actions to strengthen community and social solidarity and citizen welfare.
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