Our Vision

Achieving a just, equitable, democratically pluralist and socio-economically stable Sri Lanka

Our Mission

To provide a trusted & resourceful platform for finding middle ground for competing policy interests of political stakeholders through sustained dialogue at National/Provincial/District Levels

Organizational Strategy

To generate consensual policy options (‘One-Text’ documents) through problem solving approach & critical thinking in facilitated dialogues supported by action research, capacity building, expert inputs (technical), advocacy & lobbying to eliminate data, value, relationship, structural and interest related conflicts

Overall Objective

Promoting a national policy framework for creating unity in diversity through state building, democratic governance, adherence to rule of law, human rights and sustained economic growth.

Specific objectives

• facilitating the discourse on social change brought about by a developing market economy
• creating enabling environment to promote State’s duty to protect and corporate responsibility to uphold human rights

Shared Values

In their participation in the OTI process, the Stakeholders agree to share the following values:-

• Respect for dignity based on protection of liberty & equality of all peoples
• Tolerance for ethnic, religious, cultural and opinion related differences
• Respect & uphold multi-culturalism
• Respect for the sovereignty that rests with the People of Sri Lanka and support for the effective and meaningful exercise of sovereignty by the People.
• Commitment to overcome the majoritarian attitudes
• Accept all as equal partners in finding inclusive solutions
• Engage in the OTI process on the premise of co-ownership

Guiding Principles

The participation of the Stakeholders in the OTI dialogue process is guided by their commitment to the basic ideals of Justice and Democracy which particularly include, inter alia:

• Respect for equality in dignity and rights and for diverse cultural identities
• Respect for international Human Rights standards and the principles of participatory democracy.

Principles of Engagement

All stakeholders interact among themselves and with other actors subject to following Principles of engagements:

• providing equal opportunity for all stakeholders to share their concerns and aspirations
• preserving collective and inclusive nature of the dialogue
• upholding the principles of conflict sensitivity
• observing Chatham House Principles in dialogue
• ensuring transparency in the transactions and inter-actions in the process
• enabling the right of dissent to be articulated in a manner that will not undermine the larger collective interest to pursue the dialogue process
• acquiring new knowledge (capacity building/research) and technical inputs to facilitate transforming misconceived attitudes

Process Design