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Sri Lankan Connections

By: Sabah Lockhandwala

This morning we had breakfast with the Chairman of a Sri Lankan think tank and a consultant in Sri Lanka as a group. Our meeting helped contextualize the economic situation in Sri Lanka and what historical events led to the economic crisis last year (and gave us another opportunity to have hoppers, a popular Sri Lankan breakfast food Selomi introduced us to). We also had the chance to learn more about social issues within Sri Lanka’s civil society and how tensions have
changed throughout recent decades. From our conversation, I found the dissonance between policy goals and implementation strategy in Sri Lanka intriguing, as well as how facets of culture impact how a policy actualizes within a nation.

I also had some interviews related to my research. My research topic is about gendered Islamophobia in Sri Lanka and highlights how Muslim women face marginalization amidst nationalism, ethnoreligious polarization, and global trends of anti-Muslim racism. I spoke with Shreen Saroor, a human rights activist who initiated programs with the United Nations for the status of women in Sri Lanka. Her current work deals with Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act, a counterterrorism policy implemented during the Sri Lankan civil war often used to target Tamil minority communities. Today, the TPA targets Muslim communities and imprisons Muslim people without cause or substantiated suspicion. Saroor works with those incarcerated by the TPA and secures lawyers, bail funds, and reintegration programming. In our interview, Saroor spoke about the gendered aspect of her current work. When women’s husbands or fathers are taken away under the TPA, women are left with minimal financial and social support. Additionally, they face social stigmatization by their neighbors, leaving Muslim women bearing the brunt of anti-Muslim policies. Saroor also advocated for changes within the Muslim community. For her, investing in women’s education, financial autonomy, and marital rights from a community level is just as important as investment from an institutional level like the Sri Lankan government.

Another enriching interview this weekend was with Ferial Ismail Ashraff, Sri Lanka’s first Muslim woman parliamentarian. Her husband founded the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress, a political party advocating for Muslim rights in Sri Lanka. In our interview, Ashraff spoke about her experiences entering government as a Sri Lankan Muslim and the discrimination she faced for veiling and being Muslim in a post-9/11 society. Ashraff also spoke about her fears after the Easter Bombings in Sri Lanka in 2019, relaying how Muslim communities felt more targeted after the event institutionally and socially. In conversation with Ashraff, I also learned more about the status of women in general in Sri Lanka. She advocated for more reforms to engage women in the economy and politics. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about the Sri Lankan government and the Muslim community’s unique history with Sri Lankan parliament.

After everyone else’s interviews with professors, researchers, policymakers, and individuals in the private sector, we took the evening to explore Colombo. We all spent some time walking around the city and enjoying the warm weather we never find in Somerville. Arnav and I stumbled upon some local art galleries, where Sri Lankan artists depicted their perceptions of the Sri Lankan civil war, ongoing economic crisis, and internal migration. At dinner, we continued trying Sri Lankan food, such as spicy prawn curry, kottu, string hoppers, and everyone’s personal favorite–mari biscuit pudding.

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First Days in Colombia

By: Izzy Martinez

This is Izzy Martinez with Tufts Women in International Relations (WIIR). A little bit more about me: I am a rising senior majoring in International Relations with a concentration in globalization. For the next week and a half, I will be researching employment opportunities for female Venezuelan refugees here in Colombia. Here is a quick recap of our day since arriving yesterday evening!

Tufts WIIR landed safe and sound yesterday in Bogota, Colombia. We arrived at our hotel at around 7pm—just in time for dinner! We walked around the area—the neighborhood of El Chicó—and decided to have dinner at 930 Café Parque de la 93—a small cafe with great food and live music! We finished dinner quickly as we were desperately looking forward to finally resting after a full day of traveling.

This morning—May 21st— we woke up refreshed and ready to explore the area a little more. But first, we needed breakfast so we walked to the restaurant Crepes and Waffles for some delicious breakfast. After a filling breakfast and coffee, we walked around and explored different shops, restaurants, and a library. We then regrouped and decided it was time to get work done. We are currently as a local cafe working: prepping more questions for our interviews this week, reaching out to potential interviewees, organizing our calendars, and doing more research! We look forward to meeting everyone this week and can’t wait for the week ahead!

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Colombia Connections

By: Liani Astacio

The morning was a day of a lot of prep. I continued to read articles and parts of books I brought on my topic to prepare myself to ask the right questions for my upcoming interview. My first interview of the trip was with someone from PBI international which provides accompaniment to human rights defenders in Colombia.

I met my contact through a Tufts alum and scheduled to meet him at their office. Once we got there, I was amazed by the structure of the office. It was a house with offices with in it. My contact later explained that since it’s an international organization, some of their volunteers will live upstairs in the house while they are in Colombia. The house/office served as an important base for their operations. We went to the courtyard for our interview. I learned about the concept pf international accompaniment, which is when international volunteers will serve as a deterrent against violence against human rights defenders because the amplified attention a violent attack would bring in a place with international witnesses who could bring the event to the attention of the international governments they are a citizen of.

My contact described to me the strict procedures and protocols the organization has in order to maintain trust amongst both the human rights defenders they work with but also with the military. They never denounce anything and are non participatory in order to maintain legitimacy amongst all potential parties. Some human rights defenders wish the organization would take more of a stance on things, but in order to maintain their relationships and not interfere they cannot do that.

I learned a lot about the organizations relationships with foreign governments which are one of the main sources of their funding, and how the Norwegian federal ministry had been one of their main Allies. This set the stage for understanding the organization of my next interview Witnesses for Peace, which has a similar but also fundamentally different model. At the end of the day, my contact gave me a book on the history of international accompaniment in Colombia through their organization.

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Graffiti as Public Art in Bogota

By: Audrey Jaramillo

Today, during my visit to Bogota, I had the incredible opportunity to conduct an interview with Gabriel Ortiz van Meerbeke, the author of the article titled “Graffiti takes its own space: Negotiated Consent and the Positionings of street artists and graffiti writers in Bogotá, Colombia.” I was particularly thrilled about this interview since our research interests intersected, and I was eager to gain not only Gabriel’s insights but also learn about his personal journey throughout his research. As it turns out, Gabriel currently serves as a cultural manager for the city of Bogota, which provided a fascinating alternative perspective, more focused on the government’s involvement in commissioned art and the ongoing debate surrounding the legality and respect of graffiti. 

After the interview, I was joined by Angel, where we went to visit Camilo Lopez, director of Vertigo Graffiti. The company is known for its exceptional work in designing and producing captivating public art. Our meeting with Camilo took place in the Bronx, a low-income neighborhood within Bogota. Camilo unveiled a new project—a remake of their infamous mural depicting a moment between a homeless couple sharing a kiss. This project is connected to the transformation the city of Bogota has planned for the Bronx. 

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First Days in Sri Lanka

Members of the SARC in Colombo, Sri Lanka

By: Arjun Bagur

Our stay in Sri Lanka began with lunch at the historic Tintagel hotel in Colombo, the former house of the first South Asian female Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Our hotel was located in the heart of the city, with strong British and Dutch influences. While severely jet lagged, we reached out to local policy institutes and research organizations like Advocata and the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute. We conversed with Murtaza Jafferjee and Dhananath Fernando at Advocata, who scheduled interviews with various policy experts for the following week. Friday afternoon was spent on communications with various academics, activists, and civil society leaders like heads of non-profit organizations and human rights attorneys.

On Saturday we visited historic Galle and the surrounding areas, touring the old colonial battlements of Galle Fort and the Dutch Hospital district. We learnt much about the legacies of colonial rule, exemplified by the centuries-old fortifications and more surprisingly, a “Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie” (the Dutch East India Company)-themed cafe. In Galle, and many towns ‘down south’, local restaurants, bars, and cafés make a concerted effort to cater to European visitors. The economy of Sri Lanka had been hit hard by Covid-19, which gutted the tourism sector on the island. In an effort to attract tourists, especially wealthier ones who can afford to come to Sri Lanka, locals have put up signs in Russian and French. Despite the depredation caused by the pandemic, locals were friendly and conversational. At the Meera Masjid, workers in the mosque shared their experiences of being Muslim in Sri Lanka. They highlighted the differences in treatment in coastal communities versus inland communities, noting that coastal towns tended to be more heterogeneous and cosmopolitan, and therefore more harmonious. Galle Fort was a prime example of peaceful communitarian coexistence. However, the shadow of Covid-19 falls over the island as Sri Lankans lament the price of fuel due to the falling value of the Lankan rupee against the dollar. Inflation and unemployment have risen dramatically in the last few years, and it is especially apparent in the once-vibrant tourist towns of Bentota and Hikkaduwa.

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From the Unknown to Home: A Journey of Research and Reflection in Bogotá

Members of LAC at the USAID offfice in Bogotá

By: Dzheveira Karimova

Embarking on a research trip to Colombia was a dream come true. In the midst of the chaos of finals and moving out of my sophomore dorm, during any free time I could get, I found myself fantasizing about my first visit to Latin America. We were supposed to leave to the Logan Airport at 2:30AM. At around 11PM, my friend Billy and I were running last-minute packing errands, while also mentally preparing for the trip. Our excitement mixed with anxieties, but after a thorough discussion, we decided to eliminate any expectations and just open our minds to whatever is to come.

After a quite long journey and many unsuccessful attempts to catch up on sleep on the airplane post-finals season, we finally set foot in Bogotá. Throughout our stay in Bogotá, I just could not believe that I was in Colombia—this South American treasure with its diverse ecosystems, intriguing history, and warm-hearted people. I am the first one in my family to receive the opportunity to explore this unique country with such a rich history. As I reflect on our stay in Bogotá, I realize that a part of my disbelief was caused by the overwhelming feeling of familiarity with my home country of Kyrgyzstan. Despite being located more than 8,500 miles away from my hometown of Bishkek, Bogotá’s vibrant culture, infrastructure, and kind locals felt like I had lived there my entire life.

This observation only enhanced my passion for my research topic, as the issues related to labor migration are very prevalent both in Colombia and in Kyrgyzstan. Nonetheless, I found that the discussion of the effects of labor migration on the children of labor migrants is much more common in Kyrgyzstan than in Colombia. Sometimes, I found myself desperate for information on any efforts to promote this discussion and create programs for Colombian children whose parents are labor migrants in other parts of the country or the world. However, this continued pushed me forward because I realized how understudied yet critical this topic is. Luckily, our visit to USAID’s office in Bogotá and our meeting with the Elizabeth and Alejandro–the manager of the inclusion program and the manager of the youth program—were both extremely informative in my understanding of the international organizations’ efforts in promoting youth advancement initiatives in Colombia. Elizabeth and Alejandro gave us fascinating presentations on the youth and indigenous communities advancement programs that change the lives of thousands of Colombians across the nation. I had not heard of these programs being realized in Kyrgyzstan. That day, I discovered another potential for my research–to facilitate an exchange of multi-national mechanisms to protect the children of labor migrants in different parts of the world, which could be influential for global organization to recognize the issues related to the effects of labor migration on the children of labor migrants and identity strategies to mitigate them.

Our stay in Bogotá taught me to embrace the unknown, while traveling and conducting my research, as well as to look for the familiar and the new no matter where I end up.