[{"bbox": [83, 106, 1146, 158], "category": "Text", "text": "3. Increased incentives and opportunities for inter-ethnic collaboration and equitable access to resources for men and women in all their diversity and with a focus on the green economic sector."}, {"bbox": [83, 171, 1146, 251], "category": "Text", "text": "These results are intended to advance social cohesion by contributing to its three core dimensions of social relations, connectedness, and a focus on the common good (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2013). In order to ensure sustainability of the action, enhancing institutional capacities will be a guiding principle of this action's intervention logic."}, {"bbox": [83, 263, 1146, 423], "category": "Text", "text": "Groups and persons living in vulnerable situations, such as women and youths from minority communities as well as persons with disabilities and LGBTIQ+ who are often subject to intersectional discrimination and exclusion, will constitute primary target groups. By contributing to more inclusive institutions and a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous society, this action contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 16, 5, 8, 1 and 10. Moreover, it contributes to consequent fulfilment of economic and social rights, and gender equality, in line with Sri Lanka's international human rights commitments."}, {"bbox": [83, 435, 1146, 514], "category": "Text", "text": "Additionally, the action contributes to the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III thematic areas of engagement 1) Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women; and 2) - Ensuring freedom from all forms of gender-based violence."}, {"bbox": [72, 556, 301, 588], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2. RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [87, 619, 220, 646], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1. Context"}, {"bbox": [83, 661, 1146, 875], "category": "Text", "text": "Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious island, with a population of 21 million inhabitants, which has been downgraded from middle income to lower middle-income country in 2020. Having overcome in 2009 three decades of civil war, the country that managed to experience periods of up to a 7% per year economic growth in the past years. However, in financial year 2020 the economy contracted by 3.6% due to terrorist attacks in 2019 and COVID-19 pandemic leaving many with a daily struggle for their livelihoods and disproportionally affecting women. Access to GSP+ has been restored in 2017, providing the EU with substantial leverage in the political and economic domain. Significant balance of payment issues as well as non-sustainability of external debt are major concerns in the absence of an IMF program and constrain the country's ability to accept loans from donors."}, {"bbox": [83, 886, 1146, 994], "category": "Text", "text": "Over a decade after the end of the armed conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government, conflicts along ethno-religious fault lines remain deeply ingrained in the country's social fabric. While the Sri Lankan people long for peace and harmony, socio-economic disparities, lingering trauma and widespread mistrust continue to hinder substantial progress towards an inclusive, peaceful and prosperous society."}, {"bbox": [83, 1006, 1146, 1135], "category": "Text", "text": "Serious constraints in developing institutional capacities over the past decades have left the country unable to effectively and sustainably respond to these manifold challenges. After tentative efforts were made to address long-standing grievances and underlying drivers of conflict under the previous regime between 2015 and 2019, the Presidential elections in November 2019 and a parliamentary election in August 2020 have changed the political arena."}, {"bbox": [83, 1150, 1146, 1390], "category": "Text", "text": "The new government withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council's landmark Resolution 30/1 and rejected UNHRC Resolution 46/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. While international actors are deeply concerned about an erosion of democratic institutions, shrinking space for civil society and a deteriorating human rights situation under the new regime, the Sri Lankan government claims to remain committed to a \"domestically designed and executed process\" to work towards reconciliation and justice for the Sri Lankan people. In a society that is still scarred from decades of conflict and hostility, and where multiple identity groups share the same geographic space, strengthening social cohesion is crucial. Social cohesion fosters strong relations between individuals and societal groups of all kinds, shapes a sense of belonging, promotes a positive feeling of connectedness with the country, and a focus on the common good."}, {"bbox": [87, 1430, 325, 1460], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2. Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [83, 1472, 1146, 1633], "category": "Text", "text": "Sri Lanka is a deeply divided society. After decades of conflict and over 25 years of civil war, its ethnic relations are severely polarised, and its political institutions severely weakened. The deep divisions are rooted in a pluralistic cultural setup: Of roughly 21 million Sri Lankans, 75% are Sinhalese, 11% Sri Lankan Tamils, 9% Sri Lankan Moors, and 4% Tamils of Indian origin. In addition, there are other, smaller minorities. Most Sinhalese are (Theravada) Buddhists, most Tamils are Hindu (mainly Shaivite) and most Moors are Muslim (mainly Sunni). Linguistic and religious cleavages hence reinforce each other, giving rise to sharp identity differences."}, {"bbox": [1051, 1663, 1158, 1687], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 20"}]