On 21 April 2008 the High Commissioner to South Africa for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, H.E. Anura Rajakaruna, visited ACCORD House. The High Commissioner previously visited ACCORD in April 2007 when he accompanied two political leaders from the Government of Sri Lanka, the Honourable Mr. Veerasingham Anandasangaree and the Honourable Mr. Douglas Devananda to ACCORD House.
In April 2005 ACCORD hosted a visiting delegation from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who were being hosted by the Government of South Africa on a study Tour of South Africa. ACCORD was one of the conflict management organisations which they visited, especially to learn more about ACCORD’s work with former rebel groups in Burundi and the DRC.
In February 2006 Mr. Gounden was invited by The Foundation for Co-existence, based in Colombo, to be a presenter at their symposium entitled: ‘Peace Negotiations in Sri Lanka’, where he participated in a session focusing on international experiences, providing an overview of the South African peace process as well as the role of civil society. In April 2006 he was then invited to be a resource person at a seminar entitled ‘Envisioning New Trajectories for Peace in Sri Lanka’, which was held in Zurich, Switzerland, where he formed part of the final panel session focussing on the topic ‘Re-envisioning Sri Lanka – Lessons learned & Challenges and Opportunities’. Mr. Gounden’s contribution focused on ‘Re-envisioning Sri Lanka – ways forward and breaking the dead-lock’.
In April 2007 ACCORD hosted The Honourable M.K. Eelaventhan, a Member of Parliament and the Secretary General for the Tamil Eelam Liberation Front and in August 2007 representatives from the Sri-Lanka based initiative for Political and Conflict Transformation (INPACT).
