| The
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) was formed in 1996 in the
firm belief that the vital contribution of civil society to the
public policy debate is in need of strengthening. Focusing primarily
on issues of governance and conflict resolution, CPA is committed
to programmes of research and advocacy through which public policy
is critiqued, alternatives identified and disseminated. CPA is
an independent, non-partisan organization which receives funds
from international and bilateral funding agencies and foundations.
CPA
programmes are implemented through 05 units - Legal and Constitutional,
Media, Conflict and Peace, Polling and Translation. Monitoring
of election related violence is conducted through the Centre for
Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), formed together with the
Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Coalition Against Political
Violence. CPA functions as its secretariat.
All units work in close and regular cooperation on programmes.
Their work
ranges from public interest litigation and constitutional reform
to the monitoring of the incidence of election-related violence,
media reform, conflict transformation and a political solution
to the ethnic conflict. In the fulfilment of its mandate, CPA
has collaborated with a number of local and international civil
society organizations including Article 19 and the Commonwealth
Press Union, Conciliation Resources (UK), the Free Media Movement,
the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, UNHCR, ILO, Institute of Federalism,
(Fribourg, Switzerland), Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative,
the International Telecommunications Union, Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan, INFORM, the Forum of Federations (Canada), Berghof
Foundation for Conflict Studies (Berlin, Germany) and the International
Media Support (Copenhagen, Denmark).
Policy
Brief on Humanitarian Issues -
20th December 2007. This policy brief seeks to highlight key
issues, trends and developments relating to the humanitarian situation
of 2006-07. The report provides an overview of the fundamental
policy issues that need to be addressed by policy makers in addressing
the human rights and humanitarian situation.
Note
on Sri Lanka's Proposed National Media Policy, September
2007, Centre for Policy Alternatives and Article 19. On 22nd August
2007, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Mass Media and Information released
a Proposed National Media Policy (draft Policy) for consultation.
This critique examines the draft Policy in detail, brings out
vital concerns regarding its content and includes recommendations
for consideration by the Government in the formulation of any
Media Policy for Sri Lanka.
Please
read the Press Release on the occasion of the public release of
this document here.
Commission
of Inquiry and the International Independent Group of Eminent
Persons: Commentary on Developments - January - April 2007
A
Commentary on the Commission of Inquiry and the International
Independent Group of Eminent Persons - February 200
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Reports
and Conference papers |
The
Draft Bill for the Assistance and Protection of Victims of Crime
and Witnesses: Critique and Recommendations - 28th September
2007.
The
survey on Transactional Corruption in seven selected Public institutions
in Sri Lanka 2007’ (3rd September 2007) is a household
survey commissioned by ARD. Inc as part of the Sri Lanka Anti
Corruption Program (ACP). This initiative measures the perceptions,
attitudes, and experiences of corruption that ordinary citizens
undergo when receiving services from the public sector. Click
here to Downloard the Full
Report /Annexure/
Executive Summary.
The
discussion paper “The commission of Inquiry and the
International Independent Group of Eminent Persons” - Presented
at a discussion organized by The Centre for Policy Alternatives
(CPA) - 20th August 2007.
Click
here
for the archives.
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Statements
and Press Releases |
CMEV
Bulletin of 9th May 2008 - 1st Release
CMEV
Bulletin of 8th May 2008-1st Release
[Sinhala
/ Tamil]
CMEV
Bulletin of 7th May 2008 - 1st Release
CPA
welcomes Supreme Court order on evictions - 5th May 2008.
Civil
society letter on Sri Lanka’s re-election bid to the Human
Right Council – 28th April 2008.
CMEV
statement on Batticaloa local government election - 2nd February
2008. Click here to download in Sinhala
/ English.
CPA
Condemns the sacrifice of civilian lives in the name of liberation
- 12th February 2008. Click here to download in Sinhala
/ English.
Statement
on the Continuing Violation of the 17th Amendment of the Constitution
- 11th February 2008.
Click
here to download in Sinhala
/ English.
Click
here
for the archives.
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Reports
of Fact finding missions |
CPA
along with other Civil Society Organizations has conducted a service
of Fact finding missions to report
on incidents of human rights violations and humanitarian situations.
A
team from the Centre for Policy Alternatives and INFORM Human
Rights Documentation Centre visited Jaffna from 18-21st February
2008 to meet with colleagues and partners in the peninsula and
to obtain a firsthand impression of the situation there. The team
spoke to local civil society actors, community leaders, IDPs,
and members of international humanitarian agencies in Jaffna Town
and outside.
Click
Here to Find attached report of the visit.
A
fact finding visit was done by CPA in February 2008 to assess
the
human security situation prior to the Local Council Elections
to be
held in March 2008. Find
attached report of the visit.
Click
here for the archives.
"GSP
PLUS’ PRIVILEGES: THE NEED FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT"
- Article written by Mr. Rohan Edrisinha and Asanga Welikala in
the The Sunday Leader of 17th February 2008.
Sri
Lanka’s 60th Anniversary of Independence: Constitutional
Challenges - Article written by Mr. Rohan Edrisinha in the
Daily Mirror of 6th February 2008.
"APRC:
The Year of the Rat has begun" - Article written by Dr.Paikiasothy
Saravanamuttu in the Morning Leader of 30th January 2008.
"The
Arbour Visit" - Article written by Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
in the Morning Leader of 10th October 2007.
"Repositioning"
- Article written by Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu in the Morning
Leader of 3rd October 2007.
Click
here for
the archives.
The
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has been engaged in a project
"Monitoring the Factors Affecting the Peace Process"
to assess the current status of the peace process. This project
involves 4 of CPA's units and the Point Pedro Institute for Development,
which looks at economics issues. Looking at developments within
a quarterly period, this project produces reports
for the corresponding periods.
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