On Friday, 21 August, Urban Citizens, a charity organisation dedicated to social betterment in the areas of security, environment, law and order, efficient public service, and sexual harassment will be hosting a candlelight vigil to further their cause of “Action Against Child Abuse” at the Independence Square starting 6 p.m.
We spoke to Urban Citizens Treasurer Naren Senaratna, who is also the principal organiser of the event together with Sharmila Gonawala, with regards to what the primary goal is behind the public event and what community participants can expect. He shared that they have invited a number of VIPs to take part in the event, including former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, MPs Namal Rajapaksa, Jeevan Thondaman, and Ali Sabry PC, and also Major General Kamal Gunaratne, Varuni Amunugama, and others.
Urban Citizens has tied up with Kanthasaviya to proceed with the event. Naren shared that there will be several other organisations coming on board as well in order to create awareness with regards to this issue and to further promote quick action.
He shared that at the event, they hope to feature a large banner where all participants would place their palm prints. They would also have the invitees signing off on their banners, as a pledge to stand against child abuse in Sri Lanka. He said that they hope that they are able to draw the attention of the international community as well with regards to their cause, particularly in the area of funding.
Naren said that they hope to also push for the strengthening of laws and force the Government to take stringent legal action in order to prevent heinous acts against children going unpunished. He said that they are hopeful that in publically getting the endorsements of lawmakers, they can effect real change.
The vigil will take place on Friday and they hope that the public will show their support as the issue of child abuse has been spiralling out of control. Naren shared that it is time we say enough is enough. There is a larger community-level responsibility that should be at play here, said Naren, sharing that the governing bodies have a responsibility to give more prominence to the issue and make real-time change. In conducting community events such as this candlelight vigil they are hosting, they hope to create sufficient awareness amongst the wider public with regards to the importance of taking action against child abuse.
