From Chimney to Classroom: Sri Lankan Peace Scholar Finds Refuge and Purpose in Berlin
Berlin, Germany – A Sri Lankan academic, forced to flee his homeland after the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, is continuing his life’s work of promoting peace and reconciliation from a new base in Berlin.The scholar, who experienced the trauma of ethnic violence as a teenager in 1990, now teaches and researches conflict resolution while carrying the weight of his past and a commitment to preventing future tragedies.
His journey began in the villages of Pavatkulam and Thelambugalla, Sri Lanka, where he witnessed firsthand the escalating tensions that erupted into decades of civil war. In 1990, as a teenager, he narrowly escaped a violent attack, hiding in a chimney to survive. This formative experience fueled a lifelong dedication to understanding and preventing conflict.
Returning to Sri Lanka in 2010 after academic pursuits abroad, he embarked on a mission to contribute to peace. He dedicated himself to teaching Peace and Conflict Studies, lecturing to nearly 600 postgraduate students over the years – future scholars and policymakers.He collaborated with NGOs, participated in reconciliation programs, and used media platforms to advocate for healing. “Every word carried the weight of what I had seen in 1990,” he recalls, firmly believing “that education is the strongest weapon for peace.”
The fragile peace was shattered again on April 21, 2019, with the Easter Sunday bombings. As a Muslim scholar, he experienced a profound sense of shame and sorrow. Fearing for the safety of his wife and two daughters amidst rising suspicion,the family made the challenging decision to leave Sri Lanka. He secured a fellowship in Germany and relocated to Berlin with his family four years and eight months ago.
Today,he works as a peace scholar in Berlin,teaching part-time at a university and continuing his research. While acknowledging the stark contrast between his current life and his upbringing in Sri Lanka – where his daughters now attend school without fear and his wife has found a supportive community - he remains deeply connected to his past.”I remain, however, two people at onc. I am still that teenage boy hiding in a chimney to escape death. But I am also a father,a teacher,a researcher,and,above all,a witness,” he states.
He shares his story not to dwell on past suffering, but to underscore the human cost of war. “It is not just fought on battlefields-it is lived in homes, in villages, in the lives of children who run, hide, and grieve.” He emphasizes that peace is “fragile, but possible,” and worth striving for, dedicating his work to the memory of those lost and the hope for a future free from violence. Remembering, he believes, is the crucial first step towards preventing repetition.
