US-India Writing Station

By Michael Chacko Daniels
Editor & Publisher, New River Free Press International

Making peace at a time of civil strife is the subject of this month’s Career Visions interview with Marisa Fernando.

For which we will turn to beautiful Sri Lanka, the island nation from whence comes the heart-stirring greeting: Ayubowan—May You Have Long Life.

In nominating Ms Fernando for the interview, Judi Buchman [See Career Vision #14, http://indiawritingstation.com/peacemaker-judi-buchman/]of Grand Rapids, Michigan, had this to say May 2006:

Marisa is “a strong spiritual woman, a peacemaker and a leader.”

Ms Buchman, who is associated with the Institute of Global Education, met Ms Fernando when she was a student at Grand Rapids’ Aquinas College and was impressed by her work as a peacemaker in Sri Lanka.

“This was the connection I was needing with my struggle,” Ms Fernando responded to the nomination May 22. “So completely out of the blue and so unexpected.”

But twice Sri Lanka’s civil strife intervened, tearing at her mind and heart.

About the first time, Ms Fernando wrote May 30:

“I have been carrying the interview questions in my mind and heart for some days now. I thought that I would be able to actually get down to writing in a few days. But on Saturday evening three persons well known and dear to me were blown to pieces along with four others in an apparent LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) bomb blast while they were traveling in one of our national parks.

“They were all just normal average citizens . . . from both races, and religions. The meaningless and uselessness of violence has struck home hard. While the increasing violence and the imminent all-out war in the country was worrying all these days, this has really shattered me and I don't even seem to be able to have a decent conversation without breaking down in tears.

“This increased violence also has tremendous impact on our work and it’s a real time of fear and uncertainty. I think in this frame of mind I will be too emotional rather than be able to be balanced and rational in my thinking.”

On the second time, she wrote June 16:

“It is with a heavy heart that I write today. I am still struggling to rid my mind of the images of rows upon rows of dead innocent village people after yesterday's horrific bus bomb.

“The day after the tsunami [which occurred December 26, 2004], I stopped watching news since I could not handle seeing such destruction. Yesterday [June 15, 2006] some gruesome fascination kept me glued to the screen as each horrible image appeared. The tsunami a natural disaster was handleable [sic] but this—humans killing each other—is beyond my understanding.

“And mostly I struggle with this terrible feeling of hate and anger that is eating away at me and questioning everything that I thought I believed in.

“War is now imminent again . . . I think it’s actually here but not as intensively. I struggle (to) find the inspiration and the energy to go on. It does not really help that the donors are now seriously considering withdrawing from the country which would also mean that our project work ends . . . which is such a wretched contradiction . . .

“Please keep all of us and all other conflict-torn communities in your prayers and thoughts.”

All of which gives special force to the Sri Lankan greeting—Ayubowan, about which Marisa Fernando says:

“Our traditional greeting in Sinhalese is Ayubowan (May You Have Long Life) it works for the beginning and the end.”



Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

Tell us about yourself.

What makes you who you are?
Q____________________________Q

MF Recently, I met a young man who told me, “I would like to call myself an ‘activist’ but I am most of the time quite inactive.” This really made me think about how I would introduce myself and how this description might also be a suitable one for me.

Often people ask me what my profession is and I have never really come up with a decent answer for that. My visiting card calls me a ‘program officer’ and nine times out of ten people think that my work involves computers! Then I try to tell them the name of my project, ‘facilitating local initiatives for conflict transformation,’ and they are even more puzzled!

So at the end of the day even I am quite confused as to who I am . . . In general, I would like to think that I am a ‘humanist’ working towards promoting a culture of non-violence, tolerance, and appreciation of diversity.

I was born with the proverbial silver spoon, which meant for great part of my growing years I led a very sheltered and protected life. Not that we were over-indulged but we had everything that was needed. As a result of this, I was quite unaware of the disparities and poverty that existed in my own country.

Fortunately, I joined the Legion of Mary while in school and for the first time in my life I saw life on the other side of the track as we visited slums, orphanages, and hospitals.

I think this was a defining moment in my life and the first seed for discovering a new world was sown as I came face to face with poverty, abject poverty that was beyond my comprehension. However, I was still caught within the structures and systems in which I grew up in and I was still a conformist rather than seeking to change things.

It was my four years at Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA) that finally let the seed out and for a small plant to grow and for the more visible signs to come out. Those years exposed me to alternative thinking, and to people who dared to dream, to seek, and to challenge the systems. This influenced me greatly to look at the possibilities of a different world and to work towards it.

I have always considered myself to be a ‘good’ Catholic, but it was at Aquinas that I began to realize what it really meant to walk with Christ and to be spiritual rather than religious.

My exposure to life in rural Zimbabwe and then back in Sri Lanka were also defining moments when I had to learn to accept my privileged background and to seek ways in which I made a marriage of the two often extreme worlds in which I lived.

They have been and continue to be awkward bedfellows and a struggle that still remains with me. A woman I worked with once told me that it is okay that I sometimes eat with the king but that I should always walk with the poor. I have tried over the years to keep the reality of other people’s lives alive within my life.

Living for 23 years within a country filled with violence, hate, and mistrust has left some scars in me but even within that I have again had a sheltered life where there have been little or no direct acts of violence. In fact I have lived within an ethnically and religiously mixed community and I am often unable to comprehend the polarization that is found within other communities in the country.

Growing up and living in a predominantly Buddhist nation has also shaped my vision and outlook on life. My Catholic faith and vision has been richly blest and nourished by Buddhist philosophy, which in turn has made me work more towards detachment and internal transformation.

All of this often makes me very optimistic that peaceful co-existence is a realistic vision for my country.


Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What was your vision of

society that brought you to

the work you do?
Q____________________________Q

MF I envisioned:

A society in which every person had their basic human needs of love, shelter, food, and livelihood met.

A society that was secure, just, and equal and where there was no fear of violence, both direct and indirect.

A society that respects and values cultural and religious diversity and tolerance reigns.

A society in which children could be children and grow up to achieve their true potentials instead of ending up with a gun in their hands.


Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What do you think we

should remember as we remake

the world through the work we do?
Q____________________________Q


MF Often, I am not sure that I am in anyway contributing towards remaking the world; instead, I might be more often than not only contributing towards the status quo.

One of the most important lessons that I have learnt in my work is the need for reflection and my own internal transformation. Often, I have realized with a bump and a crash that I carry around a lot of excess baggage of prejudice and misconceptions, which color the lens through which I see life and determines the decisions I make.

I need to constantly work on these internal factors before I can make a positive change in the society around me. Change begins with me.

I have come to realize that there are no giant leaps but small steps that lead to big changes and there is a process that is involved.

Truth and Mercy have met together; Justice and Peace have kissed (Psalm 85). This is extremely difficult to balance but as we seek healing and reconciliation the concepts of truth, mercy, justice, and peace need to be all taken into consideration.

Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

Has your vision changed

as you have participated

in the remaking of the world?
Q____________________________Q

MF In the beginning, I thought I could change the world or at least large numbers of people. But then I realized first I have to change.

Now, I am beginning to realize that if I can change just one person, if I can make just one person’s life more beautiful and meaningful then that is a start.

I have often wondered what a peaceful Sri Lanka would look like and idealistically envisioned a fully integrated and assimilated society.

I would now envision a society where there is co-existence and tolerance with as little violence as possible.


Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What challenges do you

perceive in achieving your

vision of society?
Q____________________________Q

MF As the violence increases daily around me, as bombs explode killing innocent people, I find it hard to hold on to my resolve and to believe in non-violent civic engagement towards establishing a peaceful society.

There is a sense of powerlessness among all of us. We see all the problems out there and might even have some suggestions on what can work but don’t feel that we have the power to move forward, to take a stand, and have our voices heard.

Instead we go back into our own safe little worlds and try to ignore what is happening out there. Then the bomb hits close to home and we wake up, but it’s momentary. It’s easy to turn around and go back to sleep.

This becomes a way of life, it becomes normal, and we accept it.

Most of us live and operate within a very short time span. We define time by our own life span and do not envision a society beyond this. We see the smaller pictures confined to our own individual or possibly family needs.

We don’t see the larger picture and don’t think in larger time frames.

We don’t see all children as our children and don’t have a common vision to work towards.

Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What needs to be done

to overcome these challenges?
Q____________________________Q

MF I think that often we only see the bad things that are happening in the world. The media does not cover the stories where people have talked about their conflicts and learnt to live together.

More of these stories need to be highlighted, so that people can see that we can make a difference and that we have the power of choice. It should help us to realize that that we can all choose to stay awake and take a stand. People who want to break free from this apathy need to meet each other, network, and push for a change. They need to wake up the others and get them to take a stand, to make a choice for a better tomorrow. We need to realize that ‘Peace’ is in OUR (my) hands.


Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What pointers would you

give young people of the 9/11

generation as they work in

public service assignments?
Q____________________________Q

MF I would encourage them to develop their visions for a better tomorrow, to continue to dream but also be awake to the present situation.

Ask the people for their visions and needs and work in a way that supports them to achieve their goals and dreams.

Often it will seem that no change is possible and the challenge is too big to overcome. It’s hard to go on and there are many distractions (attractions) that can persuade one to take up other assignments.

Change is a process and it takes a long time. For five years I worked with a government institution to provide employment-relevant training for youth. We invested much time, effort, and funds but it always felt like a losing battle. I always felt like we were hitting a wall but not a dent was being made. I was convinced that everything would be over once we stopped working with them.

My involvement ended in December 2004. A few months ago, I visited some of the locations and they were thriving, it was just amazing to see what changes had taken place. I did not envision this when I was working. I was wondering how much greater the change would have been if the dream was always alive in me?


Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have

you learned from the effect of war

on children in Africa and Asia?
Q____________________________Q

MF I was not so young when war and violence entered my life. I was 12. But that day was a significant day.

From then onwards for 23 years I have thought and acted as a child of war. With no memory of a peace-filled time it’s hard to imagine what life could have been.

War is an amazing waste of resources. The effect on children is monumental as entire generations lose their chance to live, to dream, and enjoy the simple joys of life.

Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal and public lessons

have you learned from the

devastation caused by the

Asian Tsunami and the

South Asian Earthquake?
Q____________________________Q

MF The Tsunami is probably the single most devastating experience that I have had to face in my life so far.

I know of 85 women who lost their lives that day. I have lived and worked closely with most of them. I knew their stories, their struggles, and their dreams. Two vocational training centers that I had put so much effort into developing were completely destroyed. I completed my work in these areas on December 24 and on December 26 they were all gone.

However, in the midst of the tragedy I also experienced the greatness of the human spirit.

During the first awful hours and days this war-torn country was united as one.

I don’t know of one person who was not doing their part to help. Poor laborers gave up their pay; people left their comfort zones and reached out to those who I don’t think they would have normally reached out.

I was on the east coast at a spot in which there had been many battles fought and suddenly there were no checkpoints, and instead there was blood from a soldier to a rebel, clothes from a Sinhalese to a Muslim.

There were no barriers that could not be overcome, if the causeway was broken the people carried the goods and walked across to help and support people that yesterday were their ‘enemy.’

It was a skin-tingling experience for me as I stood there and felt this massive empathy pouring across the country.

And within days the love of a world came pouring down on us, it came in all forms, shapes, and sizes and even when they were inappropriate they came with a love that I did not think this world possessed.

But soon politicians, bureaucrats, and NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations) took over and the spirit was lost, the fighting has resumed, and the poor have got poorer. It’s a vicious cycle that has to be broken sooner rather than later.

Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

What personal lessons have

you learned from the

post-Hurricane Katrina

tragedies in New Orleans?
Q____________________________Q

MF I used to think these tragedies only happened in poor countries.

I learnt that nature does not discriminate between the first and third worlds.

But I also realized that no matter where the tragedies take place that the worse affected are always the poor and vulnerable and no society is prepared or equipped to look after them.



Q____________________________Q

New River Free Press International

How have these lessons changed your life?
Q____________________________Q

MF I am not sure if I can say that these events have changed my life.

I think that it probably gave me a different perspective. It has made me more reflective, sometimes inspired me, and sometimes frustrated me no end. Sometimes it has given me the will to stay with the dream; sometimes it has been so easy to walk away from it all.

Some things though stand out in my mind. In the past eight years I have spent most of my time living and working on the southern coast. I have often asked myself why did I not get caught in the Tsunami? How did I escape? It made me realize how fragile life is and how precious each day that we have is.

It made me realize that each day is a gift that needs to be lived well. In some aspects it also showed me the enormous untapped or unharnessed resources that are available right in the midst of us and the need for developing our own home grown solutions to the problems we face.

Sri Lanka's National Anthem

“Sri Lanka Matha” Sinhalese Version

Sri Lanka Matha, api Sri Lanka,
Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha.
Sundara siri barini,
Surendi athi Sobamana Lanka
Dhanya dhanaya neka mal pala thuru piri, Jaya bhoomiya ramya.
Apa hata sapa siri setha sadana, jeevanaye Matha!
Piliganu mena apa bhakti pooja,
Namo Namo Matha.
Api Sri Lanka,
Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha,
api Sri Lanka, Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha.
Obave apa vidya, Obamaya apa sathya
Obave apa shakti, Apa hada thula bhakti
Oba apa aloke, Aapage anuprane
oba apa jeevana ve, Apa muktiya obave
Nava jeevana demine
Nnithina apa Pubudu karan matha
Gnana veerya vadavamina ragena yanu
mena jaya bhoomi kara
Eka mavekuge daru kala bavina
yamu yamu wee nopama
Prema vada sama bheda durara da Namo Namo Matha
Api Sri Lanka,
Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha.
Api Sri Lanka,
Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha!
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Matha



"Sri Lanka Thaaye" Tamil Version

Srii langkA thAyE - wam Srii langkA
wamO wamO wamO wamO thAyE
wallezil poli sIraNi
walangkaL yAvum niRai vAnmaNi langkA
njAlam pukaz vaLa vayal wathi malai malar
waRunjsOlai koL langkA
wamathuRu pukalitam ena oLirvAy
wamathuthi El thAyE
wamathalai ninathati mEl vaiththOmE
wamathuyirE thAyE - wam Srii langkA
wamO wamO wamO wamO thAyE
wamathAraruL AnAy
wavai thavir uNarvAnAy
wamathOr valiyAnAy
wavil suthanthiram AnAy
wamathiLamaiyai wattE
waku mati thanaiyOttE
amaivuRum aRivutanE
atalseRi thuNivaruLE - wam Srii langkA
wamO wamO wamO wamO thAyE
wamathOr oLi vaLamE
waRiya malar ena nilavum thAyE
yAmellAm oru karuNai anaipayantha
ezilkoL sEykaL enavE
iyaluRu piLavukaL thamai aRavE
izivena nIkkituvOm
Iza sirOmaNi vAzvuRu pUmaNi
wamO wamO thAyE - wam Srii langkA
wamO wamO wamO wamO thAyE
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Matha


English Translation

Mother Lanka we worship Thee!
Plenteous in prosperity, Thou,
Beauteous in grace and love,
Laden with corn and luscious fruit
And fragrant flowers of radiant hue,
Giver of life and all good things,
Our land of joy and victory,
Receive our grateful praise sublime,
Lanka! we worship Thee.
Thou gavest us Knowledge and Truth,
Thou art our strength and inward faith,
Our light divine and sentient being,
Breath of life and liberation.
Grant us, bondage free, inspiration.
Inspire us for ever.
In wisdom and strength renewed,
Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
In love enfolded, a mighty nation
Marching onward, all as one,
Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Matha