CMEV with Youths in Kantale – Trincomalee District

On 13 August 2023, CMEV conducted an awareness-raising discussion on citizens ’rights and
participatory democracy with a group of youths at Kanthale. The program had organized by National
Collaboration Development Foundation (NCDF) in collaboration with Kanthale Youth Centre.
In the first half of the discussion, Mr. D.M. Dissanayake AAL, discussed the meaning of nationality and
the different ways of people can get nationality in a country. It also discussed the rights and benefits a
citizen receives being acquiring nationality in a county and the ways of exercising sovereign powers as a
citizen of a country.
In the second half the discussion was focused on participation in the democratic process, mainly in
elections, as a citizen of a nation and the responsibility of correctly exercising voting right. Mr.
Dharmasiri Nanayakkara, former Deputy Commissioner of Local Governments in Western Province
explained to the participants how Local Government System is developed to increase people’s
participation and its gaps. Mr Dharmasiri pointed out that the increase in women’s representation in
Local Government Bodies has led to bringing cultural and attitudinal change in such public institutions.
Around 53 participants including 43 youths attended the discussion.