The document summarizes activities from Savisthri, a non-profit organization, in July 2012. Key points include: 1) Savisthri is restarting its monthly newsletter, which will now be distributed by email instead of print. They seek reader comments to improve quality. 2) District committees are being strengthened to empower local community-based organizations. Two new mini societies were also started in inland areas of Galle district. 3) A workshop discussed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report and increasing issues like land grabbing and crimes against women and children.

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Savisthri
Women in Development Alternatives
Monthly news bulletin of Savisthri July 2012
Vol. 1 No. 1
Re-starting Savisthri News Bulletin
Savisthri is happy to announce the re-start of its
monthly news bulletin Savisthare’ following a
gap of almost 09 months since September 2011.
From this issue onwards , the bulletin will reach
the readers on e-mail instead of the previous
hard copy . As well, Savisthri decided to
continue the publication remaining within the
resources available at the National Office
Participants preparing activity plans.
without relying on the services of external
resource persons. Savisthri appreciates
comments from readers which will be of
importance to improve the quality.
Sharing a meal
prepared by
Strengthening of District Committees participants from their
contributions.
Intruducting District In the meantime CBOs are developing their own
Committees. projects catering to felt needs in their
communities to be implemented within the
resources available to them and with minimal or
no support from Savisthri National office.
Women’s Action for Social Justice
(WASJ) is attentive about the increasing
wave of crime against women
In its monthly meeting held on 16.07.2012 at
Process of empowering CBOs. Savisthri National Office, WASJ focused on the
increasing wave of rape, child abuse, sexual
The District Committees of Savisthri which are harassment and sexual violence against women
comprised of representatives of Savisthri CBOs and children. During the meeting, the following
functional in each working district are being activities were planned:
strengthened to make the CBOs autonomous  To present views for enriching the pro
within the district network. Each CBO is in the
visions of the proposed Probation and
process of updating its office according to
criteria introduced during a recent evaluation of Child Protection Act.
Savisthri activities.

2.  To develop a document that could be month of June 2012. One programme was for
presented to relevant parties the members of Shramabhimanie Organization,
demanding early action on crimes one for Savisthri and the third was held for
against women and children. For this, persons living with HIV to assist them in their
the participants agreed to collect facts self employment projects.
and meet again on the 30th inst.
Demonstrations included the preparation of a
Representatives from eight organizations of series of spicy and sweet snacks, using the
WASJ network attended this meeting. bulbs and the seeds and the proper way of
preparing traditional items such as polos embul.
Workshop on Lessons Learnt and
Savisthri is ready to provide a resource person
Reconciliation Commission (LLRC)
for the organizations interested in learning
about jak fruit preparations.
This workshop was held on 17th of July 2012 at
Savisthri Nation Office. Mr. S G Punchihewa,
Attorney at Law was the resource person. There
were 24 participants that included the members
and staff of Savisthri and those from different
networks such as WASJ and several other
NGOs.
The discussions were focused to introduce the
nature of LLRC and the report which was the Demonstration on preparing food items out of jak
outcome and validity of the recommendations to bulbs and seeds.
address current political, social and economic
issues of the country. Reasonable attention was Galle district moves to interior locations
paid to land grabbing, resettlement of IDPs, and
increasing crimes against children and women. Two new Savisthri Mini Societies were started
Emphasis was paid to the requirement of civil in two interior locations of the district. All the
societies for collective action to urge authorities previous Punchi Samajas were distributed along
to implement recommendations of the report. the coastal belt but the new ones are 04 km
However, some participants commented about interior. One location is a village called
the non-availability of the report in local Akkaravissa comprising of 893 families. At the
languages, Sinhalese and Tamil. Finally the need moment there are 16 women in the Mini Society.
for holding village level seminars to raise The other group comes from a tsunami
awareness of grassroots level population about settlement of 104 families called Sirikandura.
the LLRC was highlighted. The main livelihood of the latter is fishing. In
both locations, the participants are housewives
keen about activities to develop their
communities.
WASJ meeting in progress
Popularizing jak fruit
CBOs members making decisions
Savisthri is in the process of promoting jak fruit
as a supplementary food as a support to ensure
food sovereignty and food security. Already
three demonstrations had been held during the
Savisthri, 997/43. Park lane, Rajagiriya. Sri Lanka.
Tel/Fax:-.011-2865084, Email:-sasthri@sltnet.lk, Web:www.savisthri.blogspot.com