You are encouraged to attend the defence. The details of the defence and attendance information is included below: 

Date: May 21, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PT)

Defence mode: Remote 
Virtual Attendance: via Zoom

LINK TO JOIN: Please contact the Office of Graduate Administration for information regarding remote attendance for online defences. 

To ensure the defence proceeds with no interruptions, please mute your audio and video on entry and do not inadvertently share your screen. The meeting will be locked to entry 5 minutes after it begins: please ensure you are on time.  

Thesis entitled: RECONCILIATION IN SRI LANKA: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND PATHWAYS  

Abstract: This research critically examines the opportunities and challenges of Sri Lanka’s post-civil war reconciliation efforts since 2009. Despite hopes that decades of ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil and Muslim minorities could be resolved, substantive reconciliation remains elusive fifteen years after the war’s conclusion. Through a qualitative case study methodology informed by feminist critical theory and postcolonial frameworks, I prioritize experiential knowledge and “everyday” understandings of affected communities. Drawing on investigative reports, case studies, and ten semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts (academic researchers, grassroots activists, civil society leaders, and government administrators), I have identified three primary themes. First, I found a significant gap between state and community perceptions of reconciliation, with government actions at odds with local expectations and experiences. Second, I observe how intensified military presence through surveillance and land appropriation threatened livelihoods and deepened economic exclusion in the North and East, which eroded civil liberties, perpetuating fear and mistrust. Third, I analyse how minority rights issues, particularly concerning the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution, language rights, and political representation, continue to reinforce inequalities that undermine reconciliation. In the absence of meaningful state-led initiatives, my research highlights how grassroots organizations and civil society actors have developed innovative bottom-up approaches to facilitate reconciliation. By centring the visions of Tamil and Muslim communities regarding pluralism, security, political inclusion, and systemic justice, I explore pathways for a holistic reconciliation. My findings reveal the critical disconnect between official reconciliation rhetoric and the lived experiences of affected communities and suggest that sustainable peace requires addressing structural inequalities and embracing community-centred approaches within a holistic reconciliation process.

Defence Committee:  
Chair: Dr. David Connell, University of Northern British Columbia  
Supervisor: Dr. Gabrielle Daoust, University of Northern British Columbia  
Committee Member: Dr. Luna K C, University of Northern British Columbia  
Committee Member: Dr. Fiona MacDonald, University of Northern British Columbia  
External Examiner: Dr. Kirsten Van Houten, University of Fraser Valley