Project profile — Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka through mine clearance and reintegration of a vulnerable workforce

• Sri Lanka (100.00%)

• Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution:
Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution (15220) (50.00%)
Removal of land mines and explosive remnants of war (15250) (50.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)

Explosive remnants of war remain in the northeast region of Sri Lanka and impact vulnerable and marginalized groups. This project uses an integrated mine action response to release land to communities. It uses vocational training to increase the capacity of de-miners at the end of the project. Both activities aim to decrease social tensions and divides by transitioning and integrating the most marginalized into the workforce.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) safer access to land and sustainable livelihood opportunities for Sri Lankans in the Northern Province and Eastern Province, to enable a peaceful society; and (2) enhanced gender-responsive readiness of the demining workforce to transition from demining to self-employment or wage employment opportunities.

Results achieved as of March 2022 include: (1) 175 staff (59 women and 116 men) took a 12-hour Financial Literacy Training course. Given the pilot intervention's success, similar activities will be rolled out during the next quarter and extended to other districts; (2) the project has a gender-responsive orientation programme on market-driven economic opportunities for staff to learn more about the labour market as they transition. This component is integrated into the project as of January 2023, from de-mining work into other formal income-generating activities. To date, 64 staff (24 women and 40 men) have taken the orientation; and (3) progress made in clearing includes 55,560 square metres land released; 38,960 square metres land cleared and 16,600 square metres and reduced. Mines Advisory Group is on track to clear a total of 148,800 suare metres of land.

• Proactive disclosure