The work of CPBR is based on inter-dependence - the idea that nothing could exist on its own. This concept interdependence is demonstrated through CPBR’s commitment to promote its core values of diversity, dignity and democracy.
A core aim of CPBR is to imagine, build, nurture, sustain and transform human relationships. This includes the ability and potential to; build new relationship through existing ones, design creative spaces to freely building such new relationships, build capacities to sustain relationships and create physical spaces and psychological spaces to deepen quality of human relationships.
Its success stories of impact originated from experimentation of novel ideas and actions on the ground. In all thier work, the organisation adopts a bottom-up and participatory approach. It is about ensuring to bring grassroots communities to engage in active democratic processes to be featured and highlighted in the national level opinion and decision making.
The main tools of their interventions have been conflict transformation, peacebuilding, reconciliation, visual literacy (mainly photography) and sustainable living. These tools are used to facilitate personal transformation, capacity development, confidence building; they create psychological and physical spaces and systems enabling people to come together as inter-ethnic inter-religious groups and to inspire them to make collective decisions and drive them to action.
Programmes
Interfaith Dialogue Initiative
The Interfaith Dialogue Initiative is being implemented with about 300 religious and community leader groups comprising of children, young people, men, women and elders in 60 villages. It is implemented through CPBR Interfaith Dialogue Centres located in six strategic locations (Anuradhapura, Batticola, Beliatta, Galle, Hatton and Kalmunai) in the country engaging all three communities and four major religions.
This programme has primarily mobilized religious clergy to effectively play a sustained peacebuilding role in transforming the attitudes of their followers towards a multi-religious culture and non-violence. It is striving to strengthen local capacities and infrastructure and to support dialogue and faith based approaches to build understanding, good-will and a sense of community between people of different faiths
Voice of Image
Voice of Image is being implemented with 17 youth groups in six districts. The overall goal of this programme is to inspire and empower young people through the medium of photography to become active change makers and role models in their communities, make their voices heard, and have them play an active role in the post war social reconciliation process. One of the primary tools in the programme is termed as photographic “exhibition for dialogue”.
Female Interfaith Initiative
The Female Interfaith Initiative is implemented with female religious leaders, female community leaders and women affected by war through eight groups in four districts. Programme participants have engaged a team of women peacebuilders from diverse faiths and communities to play a transformative role for peacebuilding and reconciliation in post-war Sri Lanka.
It is building capacities of female religious leaders to play an active and transformative role in local level peace promotion, contributing towards social reconciliation in post war Sri Lanka.
