The very name Sri Lanka conjures up many a different image. A pear shaped island fringed by golden beaches, lush greenery, a variety of wild life and a rich heritage that dates back to the ancient civilizations.
The diversity within this little island is apparent in the quick access from the verdant hill country of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, to the historical cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the lush jungles and rain forests of Yala and Singharaja, to the tranquil beaches of the Southern coast. Sri Lanka has adventures waiting to be experienced and has something to suit every taste.
With a population of 20 million people, Sri Lanka has an ethnic mix of 74% Sinhalese, 18% Tamil, 7% Muslim, Moor & Malay and 1% other. The official languages are Sinhalese and Tamil with English as a link language.
Three decades of war waged by terrorists against the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) came to an end on May 18th 2009.
This has certainly lifted the spirits of the entire country. There is new hope. All Sri Lankans are eager to embrace a new dawn where Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burger and all races, religions and creeds unite as one, around our undivided island. People are beginning to experience the air of tranquility as the guns have fallen silent in the North.
There is great confidence in the resurgence of the economy in the corporate and private sectors.
The government has set in place a 180-day nation building programme to rebuild the North. Massive plans to provide relief, rehabilitate and relocate the displaced out of the IDP camps are now in progress.
CCS will help with relief initially and will explore opportunities to assist the internally displaced by partnering with an INGO that has access that has access to these areas.
