I was honoured to celebrate Sri Lankan National Day in Ottawa a few weekends ago and was heartened to see the wonderful turnout. I'm told that a few years ago, average attendance at the event was between 300 and 400. This year, over 700 of us not only enjoyed moving cultural performances, but we also shared prayers and hopes for continued peace.

Hopes for a Lasting Peace

We have perhaps more to celebrate today than has been the case for almost a generation. The peace process that took root over the past year holds very real promise for a permanent settlement to a conflict that has caused too much pain, for too many people, for far too long.

When the cease-fire was reached one year ago, there were cynics who didn't believe it would last even several weeks. There were many who felt it was simply posturing by one or both sides. What was perhaps underestimated, however, was the intense desire of all Sri Lankans to end their suffering and to realize the dream of people around the world: to create better lives for their children. Perhaps for this reason, the peace process has surpassed many expectations.

Despite the incredible events of the last 12 months, and the hopes for peace that they justifiably engendered, let us not delude ourselves into a false sense of complacency. Although the accomplishments of the last year are well-deserving of praise, the peace process still has a long way to go and many difficult issues to address before a true and lasting peace is at hand. Recent rhetoric and the apparent attempt by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to smuggle arms into Sri Lanka have been destabilizing and not at all helpful in building the trust needed to move this process forward. We hope, however, that they are not indicative of the overall direction of the process.

A successful resolution of the conflict will require all parties to make difficult compromises on fundamental matters that, until very recently, many considered to be non-negotiable. History teaches us that peacemaking will not end with the conclusion of the formal peace talks. In fact, in many ways, it will just be beginning.

I have no doubt that each of you follows developments in the process very carefully, so I don't want to spend time reviewing in detail what you already know. I think it would be appropriate instead to look back at the last year from a perspective that is not always profiled: Canada's contribution.

A Year of Canadian Support

I'm proud to say that Sri Lanka was the Asia-Pacific country I visited after my appointment as Secretary of State for the region. The trip in late March--which was one of the first by a minister from any foreign government after the signing of the cease-fire--was a way of showing both Sri Lankans and the international community our support for the peace process. It also provided a chance for me to personally offer Canadian assistance.

The visit is one I will never forget. I was privileged to meet not just key decision makers in Colombo, but also many other Sri Lankans--Singhalese, Tamils and Muslims--both in the capital and in the villages and marketplaces of the conflict zone. These meetings gave me a chance to hear, first-hand, their hopes and fears for the future--hope for a peaceful future, and fear of the changes they know must inevitably accompany any future peace. They underscored for me how complex the issues involved in the ongoing peace process are, and how rocky the road to a negotiated, permanent solution will be. However, history teaches us that peace, although difficult to achieve, is well worth the efforts involved.

The late spring saw even more travel between Canada and Sri Lanka. Among others, the head of the Canadian Public Service Commission, Nurjehan Mawani, arrived to share Canada's experiences in building a bilingual, multi-cultural public service. Sri Lankan minister and Chief Negotiator G.L. Peiris' visit to Ottawa later in the year was also helpful.

When I met with members of the community last spring to discuss ways that Canada could support the peace process, many of you told me that the1982 constitution, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, would be a useful model for Sri Lanka. As one of the world's most inclusive multicultural societies, as well as a nation that has long had a policy of official bilingualism, we can share our experiences in managing the challenges of respecting diversity. We have extensive experience in learning how multi-level governance enables peoples of diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds to prosper and live together in peace. In further support of the peace process, Canada has offered technical advice on the practical aspects of how various forms of federalism work. We have made the Canadian Forum of Federations available to both parties to so that they may draw upon Canadian and international experts according to their own needs.

Last autumn, I was fortunate enough to participate in an important element of the complex series of meetings and events that constitute the Sri Lanka peace process.

On November 25, I had the privilege of leading Canada's delegation to the Oslo International Donors' Forum in Support of the Sri Lankan Peace Process. It was a truly historic event with the potential for altering the course of history for millions of human beings, both in Sri Lanka and around the world.

A year ago, who would have thought that ministers from the Government of Sri Lanka and representatives of the LTTE would be sitting together, in conjunction with key members of the international community, and under the spotlight of the world's media, working side by side to achieve peace? What I witnessed in Oslo, of course, was a manifestation at the official level of the strong desire for peace, which I had first experienced at the grassroots level, six months earlier, during my initial visit to Sri Lanka. At that meeting, Canada pledged $2 million in new funds to address immediate humanitarian needs, including the urgent requirement for landmines to be cleared so that families can begin returning to their homes and farms. We also said that we are prepared to respond to the Tokyo Reconstruction Conference rescheduled for 2003, as the peace process advances.

Overall, the progress to date has certainly been encouraging. The ultimate challenge, however, is to ensure that there is not a widening gap between what is said at the negotiating table and what actually occurs on the ground. Words must be reinforced by actions. The responsibility for maintaining peace must be carried by every individual.

As Minister Peiris said, "There needs to be as much activity surrounding the process as in the process." As we gather here to remember the very great number of lives lost during this conflict and the suffering that has been inflicted on all people--especially children--we are honouring this responsibility.

I look forward to celebrating the second anniversary of the cease-fire with you next year.

Thank you.

2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996

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