Madame Chair, I thank the Forum for this opportunity and here I like to speak on the topic of The Realties of Minority Women’s Political Participation in Sri Lanka- The Forming of the Other as the Moral Self . Sri Lanka was once known for its mix of tradition, modernity and peaceful coexistence of its diverse cultures. The Sri Lankan state ended a bloody thirty year civil war in 2009, affecting many lives, especially in the North and East, resulting in a total figure of displacement at over one million. This is no longer only an “ethnic” affair but rather a “post war scenario,” sustained by many factors including the national question, rural poverty, and unemployment. Today it denotes South Asia‟s most dramatic failure at modern nation building The political culture that has evolved out of the war in Sri Lanka has provided undue advantages to people in power while limiting opportunities for citizens to make informed choices through political participation. The war has also contributed to the destruction of checks and balances at local and national levels of government and other institutions. Marginalized communities in Sri Lanka have been made passive and dependant on handouts by the war. They have made to lose motivation for advancement, giving way to a “learned helplessness,” with a culture of suspicion and mistrust. The local government structures were severely compromised during the war, completely unable to function in many areas. Many communities were completely displaced during the course of the war, losing their ability to participate politically. As communities return and are resettled in the North and East, they are unfamiliar with or distrustful of local governance bodies. The communities are not aware or trusting of the opportunities they have to advocate for themselves and gain access to services that they are entitled to. The end of the war is an opportunity to create a vibrant civil society at regional and grassroots level to advocate for democratic participation and the respect for human rights. Although Sri Lankan women record a high-level of literacy, social development, participation in local-level of associational engagement, political representation at local or provincial or national levels continues to