Join us for a 10-day educational journeyJuly 9-18, 2015

Experience beautiful Sri Lanka and connect with inspirational peace and reconciliation leaders during a 10-day journey with Karuna Center Director Olivia Dreier. Sri Lanka is an island country famous for its pristine beaches and ancient Buddhist historical sites. Until its civil war ended in 2009, it was also known for its brutal con!lict between government forces and Tamil Tigers separatists. But since 1994, Karuna Center has been part of a di"ferent story the island has to tell: the incredible moral courage of people working for peace with their neighbors, from wartime up to today.

Participants in this inspiring trip will have the opportunity

not only to enjoy Sri Lanka's most beautiful sites, but also to meet with diverse Sri Lankan peace leaders, who are working across religious and ethnic divides to heal the social wounds of the 26-year civil war. We will learn about the successes and challenges of post-war peacebuilding; spend a day participating in the Sri Lankan tradition of shramadana (community volunteer work similar to the U.S. concept of a “barn-raising”); and witness the impact of peacebuilding programs in villages that were once heavily impacted by war.

Witness peacebuilding in action

in Sri Lanka

Trip Itinerary

Wednesday, July 8: Suggested Travel DayParticipants make their own !light arrangements. U.S. participants will find !lights that typically involve a stopover in Europe and a direct !light to Colombo, Sri Lanka from there.

Day 1 (Thursday, July 9): Arrival and OrientationArrival early in the morning in the capital city of Colombo on Sri Lanka's West coast. We will stay at the Mount Lavinia Hotel (http://www.mountlaviniahotel.com/front/index.php), an elegant colonial hotel located on a beautiful beach at the edge of the city. A#ter a morning rest, we will hold an a#ternoon orientation about Sri Lankan recent history, the Karuna Center, and the trip itinerary.

Day 2 (Friday, July 10): Meet our Partner OrganizationsIn the morning, we will visit Sarvodaya, Karuna Center's current local partner in Sri Lanka (www.sarvodaya.org). Sarvodaya began as a social movement for community empowerment in the 1970's, based on Gandhian and Buddhist principles. It is now the largest NGO in Sri Lanka, with an active presence in almost 15,000 villages. Karuna Center implemented a USAID-funded reconciliation program with Sarvodaya from 2011-2013, that empowered 180 Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian to become leaders in community reconciliation in Eastern Sri Lanka, a region that was on the front lines of the long civil war.

Colombo at Night

Mount Lavinia Hotel

Dishani JayaweeraDirector of CPBR

In the a#ternoon, we will visit with the Centre for Peacebuilding and Reconciliation (CPBR) (www.cpbronline.org), a smaller peacebuilding organization. CPRG acted as our local partner during a two-year training program that brought civil society leaders together from all ethnicities, religions, and regions of the country at the time of a three-year ceasefire during the civil war. We will meet with former participants, including a prominent human rights activist.

Day 3 (Saturday, July 11): Visit to Dambulla Cave TempleIn the morning, we will travel to the Dambulla cave temple in central Sri Lanka. A UNESCO world heritage site dating back to the 1st century BCE, Dambulla is a dramatic display of religious art and history. The interior of the rock caves are covered with more than 22,500 square feet of murals and filled with ancient Buddhist sculptures. We will spend the a#ternoon touring and exploring the caves. We will spend the night at the beautiful Sorowwa Hotel, built on the grounds of former royal gardens. (http://www.sorowwa.com/index.html)

Day 4 (Sunday, July 12): Elephant Safari and Visit to Sigiriya RockIn the morning, we will take an elephant safari in nearby Minneriya National Park in Habarana. From our seat atop tame elephants, we will watch wild elephants bathe in a river and see plentiful deer, monkeys, and exotic birds.

In the a#ternoon, we will take a short drive to Sigiriya Rock, another UNESCO heritage site with beautifully executed, ancient frescoes considered to be Sri Lanka's greatest artistic treasure. We will

Minneriya National Park (above), Dambulla Cave Temple (top right), Sigiriya Rock (bottom right)

then travel to Trincomalee, a city in northeast Sri Lanka where Karuna Center and Sarvodaya have led extensive interfaith peacebuilding and reconciliation programs. We will stay in Trincomalee at the Chaaya Blu, a lovely beach hotel, for the next t h re e n i g h t s. ( h t t p : / / w w w.c h a aya - b l u - t r i n c o m a l e e - s r i -lanka.en.ww.lk)

Day 5 (Monday, July 13): Witness the Impact of Interfaith PeacebuildingA#ter a relaxed breakfast and time for an ocean swim, we will have a mid-morning discussion with religious leaders from Karuna Center's recent two-year peacebuilding program among local Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, and Muslims. We will learn about the activities and impact of the interfaith council they have formed. The council continues to implement community reconciliation programs, and members intervene in their local communities to prevent minor ethnic and religious con!licts from escalating. We will have lunch at the local Sarvodaya center. In the a#ternoon, we will take a brief tour of the harbor port of Trincomalee, and visit an inter-ethnic cra#ts project that formed out of our peacebuilding programs. We will return to our beachside hotel for the evening.

Chaaya Blu Resort

Inter-ethnic crafts project

During our 2-year program in Sri Lanka, there were over 80 inter-

ethnic projects designed to facilitate community healing

and reconciliation.

Day 6 (Tuesday, July 14): Shramadana We will spend the day devoting ourselves to the Sri Lankan tradition of shramadana, community volunteer work (or “gi#t of labor”). Though the specific type of work that each person does during shramadana may depend on ability, everyone has something to contribute. During our shramadana, we will work side by side with interfaith religious leaders and local community members to rehabilitate a religious site that was damaged during the war. Many shramadanas took place during Karuna Center's two-year program, and interfaith councils have continued these activities with our support; shared work to rehabilitate each other's places of worship has proven itself to be a powerful tool for reconciliation. We hope that this day o"fers an opportunity for genuine connection between participants in this trip and Sri Lankan community peacebuilders.

Day 7 (Wednesday, July 15): Village Site VisitIn the morning, we will visit a rural village where Karuna Center brought together groups that had been alienated during the war. We will get a feel for rural Sri Lankan life and discuss the impact of the project with local villagers. We will have lunch and spend the a#ternoon at nearby Nilaveli beach, one of Sri Lanka's finest beaches.

Religious leaders engaging in Shramadana

Day 8 (Thursday, July 16): Arrive in Tea Country and Visit Temple of the ToothWe will travel to Kandy, Sri Lanka's former royal capital in the heart of its tea country, where the elevation is high and the climate cool. We will make an a#ternoon visit to the Temple of the Tooth, one of the most holy Buddhist sites and an active temple. Believed to contain relics of the Buddha, the temple is located on former royal palace grounds, another UNESCO world heritage site. We will spend the night at Jetwing St. Andrews, a converted mansion at the former British hill station of Nuwara-Eliya, surrounded by tea plantations. http://www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingstandrews

Day 9 (Friday, July 17): Visit to a Tea Plantation We will spend the morning touring a tea plantation in Sri Lanka's beautiful mountainous interior. Tea is a chief export of Sri Lanka. It is traditionally hand-picked by Tamils whose families were brought to Sri Lanka as indentured laborers under British rule, and the people who pick tea continue to face discrimination and hard labor conditions. In the past, Karuna Center has conducted training of trainers for NGOs in the region, including organizations that are promoting the rights of the women and girls who pick tea. As we tour the scenic tea plantation, we will also take some time to learn more about the stories and challenges of the people working in the picturesque view.

Tamil Tea Gatherer (above), Temple of the Tooth (top right), Nuwara-Eliya landscape (bottom right)

In the a#ternoon, we will travel back to Colombo. We will stay for two nights at the Galle Face hotel, a historic colonial hotel that is both in the heart of the city and right on the ocean, with a salt-water swimming pool. (http://www.gallefacehotel.com.)

Day 10 (Saturday, July 18): Saying Farewell to Sri LankaOur final day will include time for shopping at fine cra#t stores in Colombo and the opportunity to explore the city. In the evening, we will have our final group banquet.

Departure in the middle of the night for those traveling directly back to the U.S; overnight at the Galle Face for those going on to the Maldives.

Optional 4-night add-on in the Maldives!For those interested, we are arranging for a 4-night stay on the nearby island nation of the Maldives. Consisting of 200 inhabited islands 470 miles southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives is famous for its clear, turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and coral reefs ideal for snorkeling. Responding to the threat of rising sea levels, the Maldives is also the first country in the world to create a carbon-neutral energy plan. The government has pledged that the Maldives will be completely carbon-neutral by 2020. The Maldives is rich with plentiful marine life, including sea turtles, dolphins and whales.

Galle Face Hotel

Registration Information

Cost per participant: $3,500* Early bird special: $3,300*

*Additional Notes

Standard registration fee is for double occupancy - single supplement is additional $300A $500 minimum deposit is required at the time of registration to reserve your space on the trip. The remaining balance is due May 31, 2015We o"fer a 10% discount on trips to members of our Peacemaker's Circle. Please contact laura@karunacenter.org for more information about thisSee below for full registration details, including Trip Cost Exclusions

Trip Cost Includes: All accommodation in Sri Lanka, meals taken as part of the travel group, which will include breakfast, lunch and dinner; all transportation within Sri Lanka to sites in the itinerary, including airport pick-up; gratuities for local sta"f, entrance fees, services of local guides, and all activities described in the itinerary; and comprehensive pre-departure materials including logistical, reading, and packing suggestions.

Trip Cost Exclusions: International airfare and travel costs from your city of departure to Colombo, Sri Lanka; travel insurance; dinners other than those listed above, and meals taken during travel or apart from the group; alcoholic beverages; personal expenses such as laundry, telephone/fax charges; excess baggage fees; and visa fees.

Single Supplement: The supplement for a single room during the trip is $300, regardless of other discounts. If you will be sharing a room with another participant this charge does not apply.

Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is payable by check to the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding at the time of registration. To take advantage of the Early Bird Special, please send the deposit by March 1, 2015. The final balance for each participant is due by May 31, 2015.

Cancellations: Cancellations must be received in writing by the Karuna Center no later than Sunday, May 31, 2015.

Insurance: Purchase of trip insurance is highly recommended; information on insurance options will be sent to all registrants.

Understandings & Responsibilities: The Karuna Center for Peacebuilding reserves the right to make changes in the published itinerary when conditions warrant, and to cancel the trip at any point before May 31, 2015 with full refunds for all trip registration fees and deposits made. Karuna Center also reserves the right to decline or accept any person as a member of the tour and also to require any participant to withdraw from the tour, at any time, if such action is determined by the Karuna Center to be in the best interests of the welfare of the tour group or the individual participant. Under such circumstances, no refund will be made. Baggage and personal e"fects are the sole responsibility of the owners at all times. Dates, schedules, and program details are subject to change and revision.

Early Bird registration: until March 1, 2015

Registration deadline: May 31, 2015

Registration Form

# OF REGISTRANTS

NAME(S) 1 2

STREET ADDRESS PHONE:

CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL:

COSTS X # OF PARTICIPANTS TOTAL

TRIP COST $2,800 OR $3,000(with $500 deposit subtracted)

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT FEE $300

DEPOSIT $500

$

Waiver of Liability:

I have read the itinerary and other information in the accompanying brochure for Karuna Center for Peacebuilding's Witness Peacebuilding in Action: Join Karuna Center in Sri Lanka trip, and I recognize and accept all risks thereof. I understand and agree on behalf of myself, my dependents, heirs, administrators and assigns to abide by the conditions set forth under “Understandings & Responsibilities” on this registration form, and to release and hold harmless Karuna Center for Peacebuilding and any of their o"ficers, employees, agents, licensees, or representatives, from any and all liability for delays, injuries, or death, or for the loss of property in relation to the program Witness Peacebuilding in Action: Join Karuna Center in Sri Lanka, July 8 – July 18, 2015. By signing this, I also certify that I do not have any mental or physical condition that would create a hazard for myself or other participants in the program. Each participant should sign.

PRINTED NAME: DATE:

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Please mail this form & your check to:Karuna Center for Peacebuilding

447 West StreetAmherst, MA 01002

Please make checks payable to Karuna Center for Peacebuilding