On the 28th of October, I was able to attend the Sri Lankan graduates gathering held in Negombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka.

Eight board members and associates from AFARI (American friends of ARI) also joined us, so many graduates gathered from all over the country. Including 29 graduates from 1977 to 2018 (one from Bangladesh) and their families, plus us -participants from the US and Japan- the total attendance exceeded 70 people.

Prior to the gathering, we conducted field visits to three graduate projects funded by AFARI. On the day of the gathering itself, each graduate presented reports on their activities. We learned that diverse community-based initiatives, rooted in ARI spirit and valuing people, nature, and life, are being carried out throughout Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is a country where Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus living together, and we have graduates from all these religions. The only Buddhist monk among all ARI graduates is also a Sri Lankan graduate. Everyone respects one another and can celebrate each other’s activities.

Sri Lanka faces long-standing tensions between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities, compounded by mounting challenges like the exodus of workers and intellectuals since the 2022 economic and political crisis. Yet, witnessing the ARI graduates gather, overcoming their differences to deepen trust and friendship, felt like glimpsing an ideal vision for Sri Lanka’s future. It truly warmed my heart.