Right to Life Human Rights Centre, in partnership with the Uva Shakthi Foundation and the Anuradhapura District Citizen Committee, is proud to announce the launch of our latest initiative: “Sustaining Civic Resilience: Social Entrepreneurship for Human Rights First Aid Centres in Sri Lanka”.
Supported by UNOPS under the Vriddhi grant project, this seven-month initiative marks a turning point for grassroots human rights defenders in Sri Lanka. As civic space shrinks and traditional funding landscapes shift, it has become vital to find new, sustainable ways to continue our work protecting the vulnerable.
A New Model for Justice
This project aims to transform Human Rights First Aid Centres (HRFACs) across six districts, including Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Kegalle and Puttalam into self-sustaining units. By equipping our coordinators with social entrepreneurship skills, we are enabling them to design and pilot ethical business models that serve their communities.
Key activities include:
- Capacity Building: Intensive training for all HRFAC coordinators in business planning and social innovation.
- Community Opportunity Mapping: Participatory workshops to identify local resources and traditional knowledge that can be turned into viable products.
- The Ethical Hub: The establishment of a dedicated retail and exhibition space in our Colombo head office to connect rural producers with urban consumers.
“This project is not just about income generation; it is about resilience,” says Philip Dissanayake, Executive Director of Right to Life Human Rights Centre. “When communities are economically empowered, they are better positioned to defend their rights. By linking economic activity directly to our human rights mandate, we ensure that our desks remain open to victims of torture and injustice, regardless of external challenges”.
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