The international community marks the International Day for Dialogue among Civilisations on June 10 each year. While civilisations themselves do not engage in dialogue, they embody the values around which people communicate and cooperate.
Meaningful dialogue is not achieved by debating religious, ethnic, or cultural particularities, where the goal often becomes proving one’s own position and challenging that of others.
Rather, it flourishes when attention shifts to shared human values such as justice, knowledge, freedom, dignity, and equality. The question then becomes how different communities can work together to realise these values, each from its own cultural perspective.
Every nation contains religious, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Such diversity is natural and healthy. Problems emerge when these identities move beyond their constructive role within society and become competing sources of division. At that point, diversity ceases to enrich national life and instead becomes a driver of conflict.
Sri Lanka offers a useful example. The country is home to a Sinhalese Buddhist majority and a Tamil minority composed largely of Hindus, alongside Muslims and Christians.
Other communities include the Moors, who trace their origins to Arab, Indian, and Sri Lankan ancestry, as well as smaller groups such as Burghers, Malays, and the indigenous Vedda people.
Following independence in 1948, political power became concentrated in the hands of the Sinhalese majority. Many Tamils felt increasingly marginalised, particularly after the Sinhala Only Act of 1956 established Sinhala as the principal official language. These tensions contributed to a prolonged civil war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which lasted from 1983 until 2009. The conflict inflicted heavy costs on the country, undermining stability, economic development, tourism, and social cohesion.
After the war, Sri Lanka sought to strengthen national unity and rebuild state institutions. Significant investments were made in infrastructure, public services, security, and tourism. The country also consolidated its democratic system, with elected presidents, parliamentary representation, and an independent judiciary forming the foundations of governance.
Yet challenges remain. Many minorities continue to express concerns about unequal opportunities and the enduring influence of Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism.
While ethnic conflict has diminished, economic difficulties have become a new source of tension affecting all sections of society.
Large-scale borrowing to finance development projects, combined with the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism, contributed to a major economic crisis.
Inflation, currency depreciation, fuel shortages, and rising public debt triggered widespread protests that led to the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022.
Political change followed, but the episode demonstrated how economic pressures can deepen existing social divisions.
Visitors to Sri Lanka are often struck not by these tensions but by the country’s extraordinary natural beauty and the warmth of its people.
Beneath the surface, however, Sri Lanka continues its effort to transform ethnic diversity from a source of conflict into a source of national strength. The goal is not to erase differences but to ensure that they contribute to society rather than undermine it.
This is precisely why dialogue among communities matters. People should remain free to practise their beliefs, preserve their cultures, and express their identities. At the same time, they share common interests rooted in human dignity, equal citizenship, justice, and fair access to opportunities. These shared values provide the basis for coexistence within diverse societies.
The lesson extends far beyond Sri Lanka. In every country, dialogue becomes meaningful when it rises above competing identities and focuses on the broader values that unite people. Societies that succeed in doing so are better equipped to transform diversity into a source of creativity, resilience, and progress.
The true purpose of dialogue, therefore, is not to eliminate differences but to prevent them from becoming destructive. When diversity is guided by shared values and mutual respect, it becomes a force for renewal and development. When it is shaped by exclusion and rivalry, it risks becoming an obstacle to peace and nation-building.
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
The original version of this article was published in Arabic in the print edition of the Oman newspaper on June 10.
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