International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES),

Established in 1982, ICES’ goal is to contribute towards relevant rigorous intellectual traditions that recognize our common humanity, promote diverse identities, and generate ideas that inform and guide policies and institutions in order to promote justice, equity and peaceful coexistence.  The unique mission of ICES is to deepen the understanding of ethnicity, identity politics, conflict and gender, and to foster conditions for an inclusive, just and peaceful society, nationally, regionally and globally, through research, publication, dialogue, creative expression and knowledge transfer.  Since its establishment, ICES has been an important player in the areas of reconciliation, justice, gender and human rights and has been particularly influential in shaping policy on issues of gender equality, ethnic diversity, religious coexistence, and constitutional reform in Sri Lanka. ICES works towards its goals through research, policy advocacy and by providing space for dialogue. It has also used creative arts to ignite the public imagination and promote truth, beauty, diversity and reconciliation. Following extensive academic, legal and political involvement in the constitutional process and policy formulation in Sri Lanka through the 1980s and 1990s, and strong advocacy in the areas of gender, human and rights, and social inclusion, ICES has established a strong reputation for its capacity to generate high quality research that is politically relevant nationally, regionally and globally.