Artist Group Founded By Priest Recognized For Peace Efforts
July 17, 2007 |


COLOMBO (UCAN) -- A national network of arts centers has promoted peace and unity as well as artistic excellence, a Buddhist monk and others said at an anniversary celebration for the founder's ordination as a Jesuit priest.

Venerable Dhammakithi Thero told artists, priests, nuns and others on July 1 that true art portrays the reality of a society.

The celebration at the De La Salle Brothers center in Colombo recognized the work of the Centre for Performing Arts (CPA) network while marking the 45th ordination anniversary of its founder, Father Nicholapillai Maria Saveri.

"Their art form addresses racism, removes hate, forms unity among people, so it attracted me very much," Venerable Dhammakithi said. "It resembles not only Catholic tradition but other religions," the chief monk of Sri Sarananda Buddhist Center in Anuradhapura added, describing the centers as standing above all differences in religion, language, caste and creed.

More than 300 people of various faiths attended the daylong celebration at the seafront center, which included traditional dance.

One of the oldest performers used folk music to narrate the history of the CPA and its founder. Father Saveri began the center in 1965 with a few artists in Jaffna, on the northern tip of the island. He later changed to the current name from the original, Thirumarai Kalamanram (art center of the Gospel), to show it was not exclusively Catholic.

It expanded its network around the country and today has 3,500 members belonging to all major religions and ethnic groups, affiliated through 20 branches. It trains artists and performers in traditional art forms including dance, drama, literature, music and painting, as well as in staging performances and displays that promote interreligious and interethnic harmony.

Venerable Dhammakithi sat in the front row of the De La Salle center's chapel for the Mass Father Saveri celebrated. The Buddhist monk is a patron of the CPA branch in Anuradhapura, central Sri Lanka.

Others also praised the Tamil priest's work.

Colombarachige Hansamala, 49, a Buddhist, told UCA News of the pride she feels that her son is now a well-known traditional dancer, an example of how the center brought youths from the villages and trained them. Her son now dances professionally and her two other children are involved with the CPA too, she said.

Sepali Ranasinghe, 39, CPA deputy director, told UCA News, "We act to dress the wounds of people traumatized by civil war, the tsunami and by social injustices."

The civil war, which began in 1983, pits Tamil rebels against forces of the Sinhalese-led government. It has killed more than 70,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. But it also has widened ethnic and religious divisions in the country, where Sinhalese Buddhists form almost 70 percent of the people and Tamil Hindus are the largest minority at close to 15 percent.

The CPA contributes to the peace process by trying to enlighten people on the real causes of the conflict.

For one of its initiatives, artists from different ethnic groups travel the country putting on plays even during times of increased violence. Street dramas explain how communities are divided and how people suffer. The plays stress the values of unity and religion.

"It is a form of therapy for children and youth," CPA project officer Francis Solomontine told UCA News. The CPA tries in particular to engage refugees, widows and orphans in productive ways.

Attorney Sugath Handunge serves as adviser to the network. "The CPA has good rapport among the communities and promotes a mission of peace, equality and justice amongst races, healing the wounds of civil war and traumatic natural disasters, and eliminating discrimination."

Tom Singarayer, a Catholic and former classmate of Father Saveri, recalled watching the Passion play performed by the CPA with a "Lankan flavor" a few years ago. He told UCA News he had "never seen such a good play with such a large crowd in an open-air theater in my 67 years of life." He called the actors "peace ambassadors."

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