From March 29-April 1, Harry Jonas and Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) visited the Centre for Eco-Cultural Studies (CES) in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. They worked with a group of about 25 youth to explore issues of legal literacy and different opportunities for constructive engagement with national and international environmental law and policy. Representing various NGOs from across Sri Lanka, the youth are part of a 3-month training and experiential learning programme that includes languages, organic agriculture, social mobilization, and development of sustainable economic opportunities based on local value chains. They are also preparing to represent the youth of Sri Lanka at the upcoming Rio+20 summit and the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2012. Many thanks to Sujeewa and Suda for your hospitality and insightful discussions; we wish you and the youth all the best!
