Abstract

The foundation of this capstone is the project plan for the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding program in Sri Lanka, scheduled for fall of 2008. The program will be implemented through Outward Bound Sri Lanka with the partner program, Sri Lanka Press Institute. This paper presents peacebuilding as an essential component of sustainable development in present day Sri Lanka. Support for democratization, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution is increasingly being viewed as an important part of international development. There have been previous peacebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka to no avail. The Cease Fire Agreement of 2002, facilitated by Netherlands with the active support of many other international actors, was disregarded on multiple accounts, 2006 having one of the high death rates, and was officially disbanded in January of 2008. By bringing Outward Bound's methodology, philosophy and expertise in developing people and teams to the work of peacebuilding, and by working with different constituencies on several levels of society including youth, grassroots and track-two diplomacy, the program believes Outward Bound can make a powerful difference in the lives of people directly affected by international conflict and its consequences. The research materials cited consist largely of existing text, seminars and research about the current Sri Lankan conflict and past peace talks. A large portion of the research materials have been produced by organizations involved in recent or current projects and research in Sri Lanka, such as the Asia Foundation, the International Crisis Group, the Economist and the U.S. Department of State. The approach to the research was to gather historical information, to gain a full (or best possible given the limited time frame) understanding of the history of Sri Lanka, the current conflict and the potential of impact of Outward Bound Sri Lanka program. This Capstone will provide an overview of the cultural and social structures crucial to effectively implementing the program. The information gathered was applied to the structure of the proposed Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding Sir Lanka program in an effort to consider the framework of cultural relativity and general appropriateness. Often this research was used simultaneously for the purpose of this capstone and for the professional purpose of proposal writing. Examining the program, planning and project design of the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding illustrates the role peacebuilding may have in the greater development process, as well as the challenges faced by a program working in a conflict zone. The development approach, conceptual frame work, assumptions, and potential negative impacts are all thoroughly addressed and are the focus of the findings of this capstone.

Disciplines

Communication | Peace and Conflict Studies | Political Science | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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