In Sri Lanka, a country that has long grappled with the wounds of ethnic conflict and civil strife, a quiet but meaningful transformation is taking shape — not in government chambers or diplomatic halls, but within the walls of a university. Eastern University Sri Lanka is emerging as a powerful example of how educational institutions can play a central role in fostering lasting peace. This shift in thinking, championed by peace advocate and National Peace Council Executive Director Jehan Perera, signals a broader evolution in how Sri Lankans understand peacebuilding itself.
Rethinking Who Is Responsible for Peace
For decades, the responsibility of building peace in Sri Lanka was largely assigned to governments, politicians, and dedicated peace organizations. The assumption was that conflict resolution happened at the top — through negotiations, treaties, and policy decisions. However, that understanding is gradually changing. A growing number of academics, civil society leaders, and institutional heads now recognize that sustainable peace must be cultivated at the grassroots level, beginning with education.
Jehan Perera, a respected voice in Sri Lanka's peace discourse, has highlighted this critical shift in perspective. According to Perera, the notion that peacebuilding is also the responsibility of educational institutions is beginning to permeate the consciousness of at least a section of the academic community. Eastern University has taken this idea seriously, positioning itself not merely as a place of academic learning, but as an active participant in the nation's reconciliation journey.
Eastern University as a Model for Institutional Peacebuilding
Located in the Eastern Province — one of the regions most deeply affected by Sri Lanka's decades-long civil conflict — Eastern University occupies a unique and symbolic position. The university serves a diverse student population drawn from Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim communities, making it a microcosm of the very diversity that Sri Lanka must learn to embrace rather than fear.
By deliberately creating spaces where students from different ethnic and religious backgrounds can study, interact, and collaborate, Eastern University is doing something profoundly important. It is demonstrating that coexistence is not only possible but enriching. The university's commitment to a culture of peace goes beyond rhetoric. It is reflected in its programs, its campus environment, and its institutional values.
When universities in post-conflict societies take deliberate steps to promote intercultural dialogue, mutual respect, and shared civic identity, they produce graduates who carry those values into their communities, workplaces, and families. The ripple effect of such an approach can be far-reaching and generational.
What a Culture of Peace Truly Means
A culture of peace is not simply the absence of violence. It is an active, living commitment to the values of tolerance, inclusion, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict resolution. UNESCO defines a culture of peace as a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior, and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes through dialogue and negotiation.
For Eastern University, building this culture means addressing some of the root causes of tension that still linger in Sri Lanka's post-war society. Distrust between communities, unequal access to resources, historical grievances, and language barriers are all challenges that an institution of higher learning can meaningfully address. Through inclusive curricula, multilingual engagement, community outreach programs, and peace-focused academic research, the university is laying the groundwork for a more harmonious society.
The Broader Significance for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's civil war officially ended in 2009, but the process of healing and reconciliation remains incomplete. Physical infrastructure has been rebuilt in many areas, but the deeper work of restoring trust between communities continues. In this context, the role of institutions like Eastern University cannot be overstated.
When educational institutions embrace peacebuilding as part of their core mission, they help normalize the idea that peace is everyone's responsibility. They produce critical thinkers who are equipped to challenge divisive narratives, bridge cultural divides, and contribute constructively to public life. They also serve as safe spaces where difficult conversations about history, identity, and justice can take place in a structured and respectful environment.
Perera's observations about Eastern University reflect a hopeful trend. If more universities across Sri Lanka — and indeed across South Asia — were to adopt similar approaches, the cumulative impact on regional peace and stability could be transformative.
A Path Forward Through Education
Eastern University's efforts remind us that peacebuilding is not a single event but a continuous process. It requires sustained commitment, institutional courage, and a willingness to engage with uncomfortable truths. By choosing to lead on this front, Eastern University is not only serving its students — it is serving the entire nation.
As Sri Lanka continues its journey toward genuine reconciliation, the model being developed at Eastern University offers an inspiring and replicable blueprint. Peace, it turns out, can indeed be taught, nurtured, and built — one student, one campus, and one community at a time.