On May 15, 2018, the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research held a Book Release for ‘Stories of Mullivaikkal’ at Jaffna Public Library. ‘Stories of Mullivaikkaal’ is a project by ACPR presenting alternative narratives from survivors of Mullivaikkaal which does not narrow their lived experiences to helpless victimhood but rather promotes and accepts their agency. Stories of Mullivaikkaal is part of the ‘Stories of Resilience’ project by ACPR which aims to document and share stories of strength, courage and resilience of Tamil communities before, during and after the armed conflict.
The event started with moment of silence to honour all those lost during the armed conflict and in particular those killed during the last phase in Mullivaikkaal.
The book was introduced by ACPR’s Research Director, Dharsha Jegatheeswaran and ACPR Senior Researcher, Anushani Alagarajah, who coordinated and lead this project.
Copies of the book were presented first to our guests of honour, mothers of the disappeared from the Kilinochchi Families of the Disappeared protest, and a representative from the displaced Valikamam North community.
Speakers at the event included: Sukanthini Theiventhiram, a disappearances activist and member of the Centre for Human Rights and Development; Ranitha Mayoorani, lawyer at CHRD; and Shalin Uthayarasa, Jaffna-based journalist. The speakers spoke about the importance for documenting the Tamil community’s struggles and pursuing accountability and justice for the crimes that had occurred.
We hope that this series will raise awareness about the struggle and resilience of the survivors of the last phase of the war and broaden the conversation about assisting those who suffered mass atrocities during the end of the war.
Stories can be read online in English here: www.storiesofresilience.com . If you would like a copy of the book, please contact us at info@adayaalam.org. The book is in English and Tamil.
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