SL Embassy coordinates students’ visit to Washington for ‘Common Bond’ project

A group of six Sri Lankan students have travelled to the Washington, D.C. area this week to participate in Project Common Bond, a programme devised by Tuesday’s Children, a US-based initiative for children whose families have been affected by terrorism.

The Sri Lankan students come from a variety of Sri Lankan communities, including Mullaitivu in the north, Gampaha, Colombo, Anuradhapura and Polgahawela. The students are aged 16 to 19 and will spend 12 days in the Washington, D.C. area, visiting the US capital and taking part in a programme at the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Va., which sponsors Tuesday’s Children.

Tuesday’s Children is a non-profit family service organisation that has made a long term commitment to every individual impacted by the events of 11 September 2001, and more recently those who have been impacted by terrorist incidents worldwide.

The visit is the first time Sri Lankans have taken part in a Tuesday’s Children programme.

“We are so happy that six of our students can travel so far to take part in this innovative programme,” said Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States. “These students know all too well the pain that terrorism can cause, and this programme will give them new ways to heal and to help their families, friends and communities heal.”

The students, who were selected by the Ministry of Defence, include Shan Madusanka Hendavitharana of Colombo, Saffna Hanifdeen of Colombo, P.P.K. Piyarathna of Anuradhapura, Dharmalingam Vadana of Mallaitivu, Akila Hansanie Weerakoon of Colombo and Prasad Premaratne of Polgahawela.

Since 2001, Tuesday’s Children has promoted healing and recovery by strengthening family resilience, providing individual coping and life management skills and creating community through programs, mental health support and family engagement opportunities. While the programme was originally established to aid children whose parents died in the 11 September 2011 terrorist attacks in the US, it has since expanded to include children from other nations that have experienced terrorism.

Project ‘Common Bond’ takes place from Saturday, 23 July to Saturday, 30 July, 2011 at Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VA near Washington, DC. The majestic campus complete with magnificent architecture was founded in 1914 encompassing 500 beautifully manicured acres in the horse countryside of Virginia just 50 miles from Washington, DC.

The eight-day, interactive programme features, skill building, communication, conflict negotiation and peace-building camp experiences. Participants will engage in a programme designed by Harvard Law Negotiation and Mediation Programme that fosters trust, cooperation, communication and transformation in the areas of global leadership, arts, theatre, music and sports.