Rotary District 3220 recently concluded the first phase of a two year National Youth Exchange programme to mark the 'International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding' (August 12 2010 - August 11 2011) and the 'National Youth Year 2010-2011' focusing on 'Harmony through Dialogue.' The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO, One Text Initiative and Sri Lanka Unites funded by the American Center, US Embassy.
The two-year programme will ensure the participation of 400 youth members with 200 members enrolled to the exchange programme each year.

RNYEP Students participating in the project design training

The project will be initiated in ten districts throughout Sri Lanka ensuring an exchange of youth in teams of ten. Following a period of field service for eight days, youth participants will continue to engage in the districts focusing on the implementation of projects on development and reconciliation that they have designed during their period of field service as well as through communication networks forged through the programme.

The youth exchange programme is the first initiative of this nature structured with the key objective to provide youth training to implement and sustain development/community projects in their respective areas ensuring the participation of a wide variety of key youth networks including youth that had been directly displaced by conflict.

The first segment of the youth exchange (age group 16-20) was implemented from June 22-28,2011. IDP and recently resettled youth participated from Vavuniya,Jaffna, Mannar, Kalmunai, Batticaloa with exchanges made from and to Colombo, Kandy and Hambantota.

The selected youth for this programme spent seven days with Rotary host families with support from the Rotary Clubs of Colombo, Colombo North, Battaramulla, Nugegoda, Kandy City, Hambanthota, Athulgalpura, Nikaweratiya, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Kalmunai and Vavuniya. The Rotary 'home hospitality' programme assured that the students and host families had a greater opportunity to share different cultures and customs, languages and habits.

An address on leadership development was made by Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce who discussed how he had progressed from an IDP to a Minister stressing the need for respect for education and continued self-development.

Amb. Mangala Munasinghe, Executive Director, One Text Initiative discussed his efforts at consensus building and the need for reconciliation and understanding between communities. Mr. Prithi Perera, Secretary-General, Sri Lanka Commission for UNESCO elaborated on the UNESCO Culture for Peace programme and Peace and Sustainable Development, stressing that each person was responsible for the sustaining of peace illustrated by the opening line of the UNESCO constitution that 'since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed .
An interactive session on project development was facilitated by Mr. Nawaz Rajabdeen,National Co-ordinator, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) (fmr.) President Federation of Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Sri Lanka who assisted with structuring projects presented by the district teams. Mr. Thajudeen Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce provided training on project design and Mr. Rohantha Athukorala, National Portfolio, UNOPs and President Rotary Scholars Alumni on leadership skills.

Each district team will be provided seed capital to implement a community project in their respective districts, technical support for the projects will be provided by the UNIDO District representatives in collaboration with the relevant Chamber of Commerce and support from diaspora youth networks such as Sri Lanka Unites and Educate-Lanka and Rotary Clubs nationwide. Proposals have already been submitted by the students to e.g. buy stationary in bulk in order that their colleagues can purchase exercise books at lower prices, provide email facilities for members of their community to send letters to their family members abroad through a more cheaper and faster method.

Students during the programme also met with Interactors from Royal College and visited the Parliament, National Museum the Stock Exchange, Bank of Ceylon and Lanka Clearing. Books for the participating schools and students were presented through the 'Books for Asia' programme implemented by the Asia Foundation.

Prior to commencing the national youth programme a workshop for the Rotary Programme Co-ordinators was conducted at Sovereign Hotel Colombo on June 4,2011. Participants were provided training by Mr.Prashan De Visser, Sri Lanka Unites, Mr.Preethi Perera, Secretary-General, Sri Lanka Commission of UNESCO , Rotary Peace Scholar Ms.Pushpi Weerakoon and addressed by Mr.Jeff Anderson, Director Press, Cultural and Educational Affairs US Embassy, Rotary District Governor Rtn.Imthiaz Ismail, Past District Governor of Rotary Rtn.Thariq Thulba, Rtn.Majid Cader , Chairman National Rotary District Coordinator, Rtn.Ashraf Ali, Rotary District Co-ordinator, Rtn. Fazul Rahman, Project Co-ordinator, Rtn.Marshad Barry, Rotary Project Chairman and Ms.Himali Jinadasa, fmr. Director-Outreach, Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) who designed the project.