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J
ust
, P
e aceful
and
I
nclusi v e
S
ocieties
Ensuring participatory and representative
decision-making at grassroots level in Sri Lanka
HM Thathsarani and HABR Yasarathna, Tutors, Department of Public Administration, University of Sri
Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
P
eople’s Participation can be defined as the active
participation in political decision making.
1
It can also
be defined as people’s involvement in the formulation
and implementation of public policies, or as community
participation. In this process, individuals and families take
responsibility by becoming agents of their own develop-
ment without being passive beneficiaries of development
aids. The participation process is one of the principles of
good governance as well as an essential ingredient for the
achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
As a third world country, the Sri Lankan government carries
out various kinds of development projects to enhance social
welfare. Those projects have drawbacks as well as beneficial
outcomes, but it is better to practice participatory decision-
making at grassroots level as those involved are the ones who
will finally benefit from these projects. Through the follow-
ing examples, the importance of effective participation and
representation in decision making by the people becomes
obvious. This article discusses two successful stories.
With the desire for good governance, the Sri Lankan
government has launched many participatory enhance-
ment programmes at grassroots level. One of the projects
was introduced by the Sri Lanka National Youth Service
Council, established under the ministry of national poli-
cies and economic affairs, to target island-wide youth clubs.
The project,
GamataKotiyak
, is being successfully imple-
mented, with the government-owned Independent Television
Network (ITN) as the main media sponsor. More than 1,500
youth clubs were involved, the government having initially
granted LKR 75,000 for each youth club with the delegated
authority to implement a suitable development project for
their village. As a result, nearly 1,500 development projects
were completed during the year 2016 with the collabora-
tion of particular villagers. Those projects included building
community wells, agro wells, rural roads and bridges, water
supply projects, schools and other facility developments. The
projects were implemented by the villagers by themselves.
The government evaluated the projects, selected one
outstanding example and awarded a
crore
for that village.
The youth club that won first place had built a bridge for
their village which they have named
Ridi Tharu Bridge
(Silver
Star Bridge). The total cost of that project was around LKR
5,000,000, although the government provided only 75,000
for each youth club, even though all of the projects were
valued at more than LKR 1,000,000. This shows the power
of people’s participation.
Most of the developing countries have failed to achieve
the intended development goals because of inefficient use of
public money and corruption. The above example demon-
strates how peoples’ participation can help reduce corruption
and other financial issues. If this project was implemented
by the government sector, there would be money wastage in
commission and bribery. But the above programmes carried
out by village youth clubs with the participation of villagers
and other interested parties have used the limited funds in
an efficient manner without wastage or corruption.
Another example is the
Gammadda
(middle of the village)
programme launched by Sirasa Television network, one of
the leading television channels in Sri Lanka. This initia-
tive, the first of its kind done by a media organization in
Sri Lanka, will get underway as a result of issues identified
during a door-to-door campaign which revealed a number
of challenges faced by rural Sri Lanka where there are
geographically isolated and less educated people who do not
have a stage to voice their needs
Sirasa TV has been at the forefront of media innovation in
Sri Lanka with particular emphasis on social responsibility.
The network initiated the
Gammadda
programme as its social
service offering in which “News 1st” has re-invigorated the
village council by taking it to the masses and strengthening
the fundamentals of democracy through instilling the ideal
that even the highest echelons of government are directly
responsible to the people.
Under this programme, Sirasa TV created a platform to
reveal to the country the living conditions of rural people and
their real needs. They conduct village group discussions and
gather villagers’ ideas, prioritizing them to identify their most
critical needs. Finally, they initiate a project to solve a chosen
problem by using their private funds and participants’ labour.
The general public can also contribute to these projects by
sending money or materials. Some have sent a small amount
of money such as LKR 100. The platform also provides access
to help people help each other within the country.
Under the participatory development programmes, a number
of projects have been carried out such as community halls;
water purifying; drainage systems, drinking water projects, and
the installation of a guiding signal lamp at the fisheries pier.
More than 100 projects have been completed so far. A
project in Mahawilachchiya, a rural village, involved the