In Sri Lanka, grassroots organizations fight for human rights amidst interconnected challenges, including the dire effects of climate emergencies, an ongoing economic crisis and generations of oppression of ethnic minorities. Communities in Sri Lanka’s Northeast region have suffered decades of discrimination and violence, which has resulted in social exclusion and severe poverty exacerbated by the economic crisis today. AJWS supports social change organizations to protect and empower these communities and offer emergency aid and relief.
AJWS also supports communities fighting for land rights in Sri Lanka. National regulations have pushed farmers to depend on mechanized agriculture, fertilizers and pesticides, forcing many farmers into debt-traps and poverty. Further, vast swaths of land have been sold to foreign companies for mining and development. Our grantees organize communities, especially small-scale farmers and fishers, to protect their farmland and coastal areas from land grabs and industrial development — and to develop more sustainable forms of agriculture.
