Voices from the Roots: Federation of Ceylonese Young Greens (FCYG)

Federation of Ceylonese Young Greens formed in December, 2006 and operating as the Sri Lankan young group for the network of Global Young Greens. FCYG consider its values as  sharing knowledge, education and networking with the goal of which is to be a youth platform to develop a Green Party in Sri Lanka within next 5 years. FCYG leads with its sister organization which is Sri Lanka Green Alliance (SLGA) and it is the network of all green groups in Sri Lanka.

FCYG works on following Green principles:

Sustainability – We respect to sustainable use of renewable resources and responsible use of non renewable resources attributable to limited expansion of those resources in human society. Also we encourage maintaining the biodiversity to meet human needs in every minute, in every, in every year.

Environment – In Sri Lanka we consider maintaining and protecting the natural environment as a main principle to obtain a sustainable healthy planet due to regional and international issues occur every day.

Social justice – We agreed there is no social justice without environmental justice, and no environmental justice without social justice. Hence the equitable distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally to meet basic human needs unconditionally and to ensure that all Sri Lankans have full opportunities for personal and social development.

Grassroots democracy – We support to the power and responsibility are concentrated in local and regional communities and devolved only where essential to higher level of governance. All Sri Lankans must have the right to express their views and are able to directly participate in the environmental, economic, social and political decisions which affect their lives.

Peace – We are against with war, terrorism, organized crimes and deliberate large scale abuses of human rights and arms trade within the country. Especially in Sri Lanka peace as a green principle has a major role to play in strengthening the links between communities which represent all nations including majority Sinhalese after having 30 years old war with a terrorists group. The peoples imagination worked separately during the war time due to they were living unconnectedly from North to South and South to North. Now it is the time we thinks as one nation with establishing the peace everywhere.

FCYG mainly works on above principles and willing to support any other country or an organization on above areas at any time.

When we look at back to 2006, the FCYG has achieved a high status in domestically and internationally. Basically our 1st stage campaigns worked on Act against Climate Change, Protect Sri Lanka heritage – Elephants, Don’t kill tusk elephants, Protect Bengali tigers, Protect Whales, Don’t eat Canadian Sea foods and save Seal babies, Against LTTE terrorist and killing civilians. Local privet companies, government, NGOs and some privet Medias supported to implement these campaigns at an appropriate level. Also we have basically done large scale online campaigns twice a week. We continue to placing paper articles on some local publications as well as online.

Internationally FCYG works with different countries on different campaigns like Justice for Khojaly with Brazil& Azerbaijan and online and designing support to some different international campaigns.

The members of the organization have lots of international exposure on Green activities as an example the FCYG founder Sanka Chandima Abayawardane has elected as a member of APGN coordination committee at APGN 2010.

In January 2010, The Sri Lanka Green Alliance established to network all green groups in Sri Lanka which heads by FCYG. Both organizations worked for the last presidential and general election by introducing Green political principles to the candidates. We initiated the youth and green platform in to Sri Lankan political structure in a way like members were participating to the press conferences, TV programs, some paper articles and different level localized political events island wide.

Now we are working on some green issues are made due to the development process and unlimited, unnecessary political authority with in the country. Online, media and some ground level campaigns is the arm of FCYG to create awareness and make public into action.

We continue encouraging the government to change the constitution in a suitable manner with an establishment for a fair election system to elect appropriate candidates who work on the democracy of all communities in Sri Lanka.

As the fresh concept we will be starting the Green consulting to the localized entrepreneur companies and encourage them for a green economy and fair trade.

At GYG 2010, I, the treasurer & head of campaigns of FCYG motivates broadly to discuss on Food rights of Youth (Food security) and Biodiversity of Asia Pacific region ( Human – Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka).

Kalpana. R. Ambepitiya

Treasurer & Head of Campaigns FCYG

Secretary – Sri Lanka Green Alliance

Campaign.fcyg@gmail.com

kalpana.ambepitiya@gmail.com

0094 777 612155

www.surakimusrilanka.net

Like this article?

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Linkdin
Share on Pinterest