The dark clouds of war that cast gloom over the district of Trincomalee in the east coast of Sri Lanka over the last three decades have receded. Yet the district has to grapple with myriad post war challenges. Many a bridge has to be built to bring together the people of different ethnicities that have been polarized by the long years of ethno –political conflict and war. Trust and confidence needs to be strengthened between the diverse groups of inhabitants of the district. People need to unite; to work collectively to rebuild and develop their district.
As Trincomalee is experiencing a rapid spate of development with the end of the war and hope for a brighter future is evoked, new visas of opportunity were opened to promote better communication and build stronger bridges to link the people and help them to take forward strides on the path to development. On 2nd June 2010, in an aura of festivity and the pulsating beat of traditional drums, the Trincomalee Media House was ceremonially inaugurated. The journalists of Trincomalee who had undergone severe hardships during the long drawn war, proudly led a host of distinguished guests to their well equipped Media House, whose crisp white coated walls and vibrant blue curtains enhanced the air of gaiety of the occasion. The radiant sun and the gentle breeze from the nearby ocean made the day per The host of dignitaries gracing the auspicious occasion included Hon Susantha Punchinilame , Member of Parliament Trincomalee District and Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, H. E Leoni Cuelenaere, Ambassador, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Sri Lanka , Hon. M. Sinna Thoufik., Member of Parliament Maj. General T.T.R. de Silva, Government Agent, Trincomalee District, Mr. Upul Weerawardana, Secretary of Education, Eastern Province, Colonel Kohana – 22nd Brigade, Civil Affairs Coordinating Officer and Mr. Rathmalwinna Bandara – Superintendent of Police, Trincomalee District. They were garlanded with brightly hued fresh flowers by bubbly little children dressed in the traditional garb of each of the main ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.
The programme commenced on a sacred note with blessings from the deities on the media house. The blessings were evoked by clergy of the four main religions in the district: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. “This is a special day for us. We the journalist community of Trincomalee have suffered so much as we strived to report what was happening in our district during the long years of war. Opportunities to enhance our professional knowledge and facilities for us to carry out our duty were scarce. We had so much difficulty in getting our stories across to the media agencies based in the capital city of Colombo. We had no base to function from. We virtually operated from the streets,” stated Mangalanath Liyanarachchi , President Trincomalee District Journalists Society at the inauguration ceremony. “ We now have a Media House of our own. Today we feel like homeless people who have just obtained a home for the first time in our lives. We are very grateful to Internews for setting up a Media House in our district!”, he exclaimed. Delivering the welcome address, Christopher Wyrod, Country Director, Internews, stated that since 2006, Internews has been successfully operating Media Houses in other districts: Matara in the southern tip of Sri Lanka and Batticaloa and Ampara, also regions affected by war and poverty in the East. Provincial journalists in these areas were offered training and resources to disseminate more effectively news related to development issues in their respective areas. Internews was working too with local partners to support better coverage of news on socio economic development in other areas throughout the island. Internews also responded to humanitarian emergencies by producing a Lifeline information service that engages with vulnerable communities displaced by conflict, informing them of Government and humanitarian assistance available to them, and giving them and others voice to share their views with each other through radio and news inserts. Mr Wyrod acknowledged with gratitude the support received from the Royal Netherlands Embassy – Sri Lanka under the Strengthening Eastern Voices programme. Through this generous support the dream of the Media House for Trincomalee had come true! The Trincomalee Journalists Society is collaborating with The Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee District in the running of the Media House. The Chamber is the apex body of the business community in the Trincomalee District. The local business community, will work closely with the Media House and develop a plan for sustainability for it’s continuity once the international funding concludes.
The Media House is also partnered by The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement. This is the largest people’s organization in Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya is Sanskrit for ’Awakening of All’. The Trincomalee Media House is privileged to be linked to the Sarvodya Peace Resource Centre in Trincomalee through Sarvodaya’s radio studio which is supported by Internews. The studio is operated by three young volunteers representing the three main ethnic groups. They have been trained in radio journalism and are producing radio programmes focusing on community development which are broadcast weekly on the regional channels of the state broadcasting service. Apart from the journalists of Trincomalee, the Media House is also catering to vulnerable communities, especially women and children, young people, government leaders and officials, Community leaders and Local organisations engaged in social development . A series of exciting activities is planned by the media house. These include providing resources and training to journalists and young journalism trainees for improved coverage of development issues, enhancing professionalism in journalism, Keyboard and New Media Training and “Meet the Press” events. The ceremonial inauguration of the Media House was followed by a forum discussion on “The role of media and communication in community development” The discussion was led by an illustrious panel of experts: Dr Mahim Mendis, Phd, Senior Lecturer in Communication, Open University of Sri Lanka, Ms Sharmini Boyle, Director, Editorial, Young Asia Television and Dr C. P Rajendram, Phd, Consultant, Communications Studies Department, Trincomaleee Campus of the Eastern University. The audience comprised community leaders, government officials and members of the business community. A lively discussion with the active participation of the audience was facilitated Ms Manique Mendis, Deputy Country Director, Internews . The ceremonial inauguration and discussion laid a strong foundation for the plethora of activities lined up for the media house. The participants looked forward to the bright prospects that lay in store for the development of media and communication in Trincomalee as they concluded the day’s proceedings with a delicious rice and curry lunch with plenty of fresh sea food, laced with a liberal sprinkling of spices.
Internews Trincomalee Media House ,
No 171, Power House Road, Trincomalee,
Tel: +94 026 22 26935
Fax: +94 026 22 26936