The sight of smoke billowing from a burning building; the sound of explosions near and far; the feeling of sweat dripping down my body as we endured the hour-long power cuts – these are my memories of a childhood spent in a country ravaged by ethnic conflict. Although I was largely sheltered from the front lines of the war, the conflict still permeated every aspect of my daily life. In school, my days were consumed by simulations of bomb drills and at home, my nights were spent around the dining table listening to my grandfather recall the first nights of the violent anti-Tamil riots of July 1983. His recollections of those events are so vividly etched in my memory, I frequently forget that these memories are not my own.

In Sri Lanka, the …show more content…
Where the divisions in Sri Lanka often invoked tension and anxiety, Mount Holyoke’s diversity strengthened the fabric of our community – and most rewardingly for me, sensitized me to the real value of cognitive empathy. Be it lunchtime conversations on third-world feminism or classroom debates on models for economic development, Mount Holyoke’s diverse intellectual community challenged me to see myself a citizen of the world and to appreciate the value of multiple global perspectives. Furthermore, Mount Holyoke’s historic focus on women’s empowerment shaped own understanding of the importance of including women’s experiences in public policy – an understanding that subsequently transformed my academic and professional …show more content…
Although the hostilities have ended, it is hard to ignore the deep, and widely unaddressed, tensions that continue to undercut prospects for lasting peace. Living and working in a post-war state has convinced me of the need for substantive reforms that include the perspectives of diverse communities – including ethnic minorities and women – to secure lasting peace in the