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Saturday, 21 January 2017 02:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Maithripala Sirisena declared 8-14 January every year as National Integration and Reconciliation Week with the concurrence of the Cabinet of Ministers.
This is the first time after independence such a National Integration and Reconciliation Week has been declared to bring unity, harmony, brotherhood, reconciliation and sustainable and permanent peace among, ethnic, religious, cultural and regional communities and societies and is considered as a land mark initiative to strengthen Sri Lanka as a united, reconciled, harmonized and prosperous country.
on 17 January, a special program was held to mark the national integration and reconciliation week initiated by the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation with the participation of former President Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as Chief Guest, State Minister A.H.M.Fowzie, V. Sivaganansothy, Secretary, Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation, Ananda College Principal Keerthiratne, Deputy Principal, teachers and large number of students and the declaration was read by the students and pledged for commitment. The students delivered speeches in all three languages emphasising the importance of “Unity in Diversity”.
This program is undertaken in all schools island-wide with the intension of empowering teachers and school children as change agents and messengers of peace.