Creating new social imaginaries and critical democratic communities in post-war Sri Lanka through traditional culture and art

该网络将把学者、艺术家、活动家和当地社区聚集在一起，探讨传统艺术、文化习俗和仪式如何有助于促进斯里兰卡的人权和民主。它解决了人权教育目前的局限性，侧重于抽象的道德和法律原则以及正式机构(如法院和联合国)，而这些机构对社会中的许多群体来说是非常遥远和无法接触到的。它还面临着如何实现必要的社会和文化转型，以便在日常生活中实现人权和民主的问题。该网络将为以下方面制定研究战略：1.确定被遗忘、被低估和/或边缘的传统和艺术，这些传统和艺术可能有助于对文化及其更平等和更具包容性的潜力的新想法；2.与社区合作，以挑战社会不公正的方式重新想象现有的神话、故事、传统和文化习俗，并促进更大的性别和社会平等；3.将以前被边缘化的群体的观点、做法和知识纳入正式的教育空间和发展和人权实践；4.探索艺术和政治与传统/文化和权利之间的联系。

This network will bring together scholars, artists, activists and local communities to explore how traditional arts, cultural practices and rituals can help with the promotion of human rights and democracy in Sri Lanka. It addresses a current limitation of human rights education that focuses on abstract moral and legal principles and formal institutions (like courts and the UN) which are very distant and inaccessible to many groups within society. It also confronts the question of how to achieve the necessary social and cultural transformation for human rights and democracy to be realised in everyday life.The network will develop research strategies for:1. Identifying forgotten, under-valued and/or peripheral traditions and arts that might contribute to new ideas about the culture and its potential to be more equal and inclusive;2. Working with communities to re-imagine existing myths, stories, traditions and cultural practices in ways that challenge social injustice and promote greater gender and social equality;3. Incorporating previously marginalised groups' views, practices and knowledge into formal educational spaces and development and human rights practice;4. Exploring the links between the arts and politics and tradition/culture and rights.