New book on lessons learnt from Sri Lanka’s peace process published by NPC

The launch of a book titled, “The Peace Process in Sri Lanka after the Ceasefire Agreement from 2002-2008: Systemic Conflict Transformation and its Application to the Peace Process in Sri Lanka,” authored by Dr. Joe William took place at Mirage Hotel, Colombo recently.

The book analyses the successes and the failures of the peace process and lessons learnt. P

Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda, speaking on the occasion, maintained that the book had been carefully researched. He said that the systemic conflict transformation analysis that Dr. William had undertaken for his PhD research at Bradford University, UK, had shown that without structural change there could not be a changed outcome. Prof. Uyangoda complimented the author for being a Sri Lankan practitioner who had based his analysis on both theory and practice. Strategic management expert Peter Rezel, who delivered a commentary on the book, observed it was the fruit of over three decades of work at multiple levels in the field of peace building that both preceded and superseded the ceasefire period. The vast experience of the author as an activist, practitioner and academic, his lived experiences, and his passionate commitment to the cause of peace was reflected throughout the book.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Prof M.S. Mookiah and Peter d’Almeida. The book contains 272 pages, including 12 appendices.

It is published by the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. The book has been translated into Sinhala and Tamil.