Harmony Centre of the University of Vavuniya aims to build a greater network and bonds among students and communities through interfaith dialogue and engagement. In addition, the Harmony Centre hopes to create an even more cohesive and resilient platform among religions and other cultural aspects. The foundation of the harmony Centre gives a new path for understanding, trust, the relationship among the ethnic and religious groupings of the students, staff, as well as among public, local government actors and religious leaders.
Objectives
i. To improve inter-cultural, inter-ethnic, and inter-religious interactions of the University Community and Public.
ii. To encourage all the stakeholders to take positive steps toward living in harmony
iii. To provide non-formal education that focuses on living in harmony.
iv. To assist all the stakeholders such as students, staff and the public in exhibiting their abilities and skills and develop relationships via cultural activities and customs.
v. To empower all the stakeholders by improving their abilities to contribute meaningfully to the nation
vi. To enable all the stakeholders to participate in research and training linked to social harmony.
vii. To arrange cultural programs, conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programmes, including language training and to conduct and manage research initiatives on social harmony.
viii. To encourage the university community to read conflict resolution, human rights in connection to peace and conflict resolution, ethnic issues, religious conflict, cultural influence on peace, transitional justice, government, UN, and non-governmental organization (NGO) reports on peace.
ix. To establish a network and interconnection with the Civil Society Network
x. To provide health and wellness practices to the university community and public, such as yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, Siddha, and other types of traditional healing clinics and wellbeing courses.
Main Functions and Responsibilities of the Centre
i. Design and plan annual programme of activities for promoting ethnic harmony and social cohesion
ii. Guide the Harmony Cells at Faculty level to prepare their annual programme on social harmony
iii. Liaise with governmental and non-governmental organizations and community centers for promoting social harmony related activities
iv. Design and implement language courses in spoken Tamil and Sinhala at Faculty level as non-credit courses
v. Develop syllabus for an extension course/ module on Peace and Reconciliation
vi. Arrange seminars on the subject matter
vii. Organize a social harmony day and arrange staging cultural programmes with participation of students of the University, other universities and social agencies from the society
viii. Arrange publishing news letters on issues relating to ethnic harmony and social cohesion
ix. Initiate community engagement projects by students against disharmony and disintegration and social issues such as, domestic violence, sexual and child abuse and youth delinquency etc.
Organizational Structure
The harmony center is placed under the purview of the Vice-Chancellor, governed by a Management Committee headed by a director. The Director will be appointed from among the senior academic staff. Its administrative and financial management will be under the structure of the management committee. The Director shall be assisted by an Assistant Registrar and two Management Assistants.
The Management Committee
The harmony centre management committee will consist of 12 members comprised 02 representatives of the UGC appointed council member 02 representatives of the Senate, 03 members representing the faculties, 03 representatives of the students with at least one female student and 02 eminent people from outside the University. The Council shall approve the management committee with the recommendation of the Senate.
The executive authority of the centre shall be vested in the management committee. The management of the Centre’s activities, including administration, finance, program management, and other development activities, shall be vested in the management committee.
