http://www.payson.tulane.edu/si Colombo, SRI LANKA; Post-Conflict Challenges & Development July 14, 2014 to July 25, 2014 Instructor: Stanley Samarasinghe Post-conflict rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation are major themes in contemporary international development. The main goal of the course is to give participants an in-depth understanding of how these issues are confronted and resolved in Sri Lanka (SL) that ended a thirty-year old civil war in May 2009. The war claimed over 100,000 lives and retarded the nation’s development. In the past six decades SL has been cited as an outstanding example of success in human development (health, education and social welfare) for a country with a modest per capita income. Even during three decades of war social welfare was sustained and the economy was liberalized to promote growth. The end of the war poses a new set of challenges. Political reconciliation between the majority Sinhalese (75% of the population) and minority Tamils (18%) is a priority. The war damaged north/east of the island needs reconstruction. The democratic political culture that was seriously impaired by the war needs restoration. China and India that have replaced the west as major donors for post-war reconstruction eye the island nation as one of strategic importance. One of the leading NGOs in Sri Lanka, Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA: www.econsortium.info/cha/index.htm) engaged in post-war rehabilitation and reconstruction will host the Tulane program. In week 1 at the CHA the participants will study post-war Sri Lanka in the context of the civil war that ended. You will have as speakers some of the best available. In week 2 the participants will go to the field to observe post-war rehabilitation and reconstruction. The last two days will be devoted to a wrap up session in Colombo to evaluate what you have learned, and discuss the theoretical and policy implications of our collective understanding of post-conflict development. - See more at: http://www.payson.tulane.edu/summerinst/post-conflict-challenges-development

1. Summer Institutes 2014
Sri Lanka
Instructor: Stanley W. Samarasinghe
Post Conflict Challenges & Development
(03 Graduate Credits)
July 14 – 25, 2014
Directed Research on South Asian Development Topics
(03 or more Graduate Credits)
Two weeks or more
May 19 to August 22, 2014

2. Post Conflict Challenges & Development
July 14 – 25, 2014
• Why Study Post Conflict issues in Sri Lanka ?
•
About 1.5 billion people in the world live fragile and conflicted-affected situation. That is
about one-third of the developing country population (World Bank)
•
•
SL ended in 2009 a thirty-year bloody civil war that killed at 100,000
Excellent case study of post-conflict SHD challenges: The course will cover, among other things
Reconciliation
Rehabilitation
Development
Good governance
Role of Global actors India, China, USA, UN et al
• Why visit Sri Lanka to study post-conflict Development?
1. Combine classroom study with fieldwork
2. Possible doctoral thesis topic (See Sri Lanka summer Research Option)
3. Great Logistics!

3. Sri Lanka Course Logistics
• Good host institution with strong local network & Tulane
experience
• Living cost: Reasonable
• Air ticket: NY-Colombo-NY $1,200 to $1,800 (Sri Lankan Airlines
gives an extension return air ticket to Delhi, Bangkok etc. for $150
to $300)
• Terrific holiday destination!!! (Beeches, surfing, 2500 year old
history)
• August 1 to 10 Kandy Perehera festival with a tradition going back
the the 3rd century BC

4. Summer Research on
Sri Lanka/South Asia
• Dates: Between May 19 and August 22 (Flexible)
• Time period: minimum two (three weeks recommended)
• Credits: 03 or more depending on research, length of stay etc.
(Discuss with Instructor)
• Research Topic: Discuss with Instructor
• Possible Ph.D. Research topic: Discuss with Instructor
• Possible research publication: Possibilities exist (e.g. Book
chapter: Samarasinghe & Derek Marshall, 2012)

5. Logistics for Research Course
• Host Institution: Local host institution that suits the
research theme
• Can I also study/visit other South Asian countries? YES
• Cost: Usual course fee to be paid to Payson. Travel, living
and other expenses student’s responsibility (Discuss with
Instructor)
• References from recent students: Susan Frye, Derek
Marshall, Joshua Schoop, Melissa Langworthy & Andrew
Ward (2005 Tsunami Group)

6. First Payson Summer Group - SL 2001

7. 2005 Summer Group 1 to Study the
Asian Tsunami