British Broadcasting Corporation
Colombo art camp
Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim children in Sri Lanka have come together for an art camp in Colombo, promoted by the DS Senanayake College and the Future for the Youth charity. (Photos, text: Charles Haviland)
Two children
On the left is one of 100 mainly Tamil children here, all of them orphaned by the war and living in children's homes in the north. On the right is one of 100 mainly Sinhalese children with a parent in the army, some of them also bereaved.
Pradeep Ratnayake
Organiser Pradeep Ratnayake, a parent at the college, says that to celebrate Sri Lanka's freedom from war, all communities must be involved and ties between them developed. "What we want is a united country without any conflict hereafter."
A drawing
The children drew or painted what they liked. This Tamil girl showed children killed in an aerial raid, something she witnessed in the war zone.
Girl painting
This Sinhalese girl depicts the end of the war, including soldiers helping the war wounded and the train line in the north being reopened.
Jayantha Ganeshalingam
Jayantha Padmini Ganeshalingam, a volunteer from the Don Bosco Girls' Children Home in Vavuniya, says the children now have "happiness in their heart"; after their terrible losses in the war their main challenge is education.
A cultural show
Other bridge-building exercises during the two-day gathering include cultural shows by members of the various communities.
Snacks served at the camp
There were also communal snacks and meals.
Picture in shape of Sri Lanka, drawn by child
The organisers say they hope this exercise in reconciliation will pave the way for others. "We are not going to stop, we are going to continue."
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