Bridging The Racial Divide
Featured image courtesy the Music Project
- - on 03/22/2016
It can hardly be denied that divisions based on race has proved a major issue for Sri Lanka in the past. Racial discrimination propelled by the emergence of ethno-centric politics fuelled the civil war, and continued in its immediate aftermath as the country took its first tentative steps on the road to reconciliation.
It is important to remember this as March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. To mark this day, Groundviewsfeatures the work of some organisations that have worked tirelessly towards reconciliation in the aftermath of the war. This work, much of which focuses on the youth, aims to encourage interaction and thus eliminate the distrust and fear that prevailed in the immediate aftermath of the war.
The Music Project
The Music Project is based on a powerful premise – that of using music to link communities together. It also aims to empower youth through music, giving them life skills and alternative career options.
The Music Project is based on a powerful premise – that of using music to link communities together. It also aims to empower youth through music, giving them life skills and alternative career options.
The Project has three main components, as founder Shalini Wickramasuriya explained; the Orchestra Project, the Recorder Project, and Parallel Versing.
The Orchestra Project was actually inspired by El Sistema, a project born in Venezuela to give children alternative aspirations. In essence, music became a tool for social change, as this documentary illustrates:
In Sri Lanka, the Orchestra Project connects schools in Kurunegala and Thunnukai, Mullaitivu. Over 500 students participate in after-school programmes, learning to play the recorder, the violin, melodica and percussion. Twice a year, the students come together for UNITE, a 4 day residential programme which sees children from different areas performing together in a symbolic gesture:
“With the Orchestra Project, we work to provide access for the youth of two deprived farming communities who often do not gain entry to university, despite the Z score being as low as it is. The performances also build confidence, motivation and self esteem,” Wickramasuriya said.
The Urban Recorder Project is an after school project teaching over 1600 children to play the recorder. Currently partnering with the University of Visual and Performing Arts, the Project is conducting classes in Colombo.
