23 March 2017 12:00 am
In celebration of 60 years since the signature of the Rome Treaties, the first step towards a united Europe, a documentary on the impact of the European Union’s development cooperation under the European Union Support to the District Development Programme (EU-SDDP) will be telecast this week.
Titled ‘Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Livelihoods’, the twenty-five minute documentary will be shown on two national TV channels – Rupavahini and ITN in Sinhala and two regional channels – Vasantham and Dan TV in Tamil. EU-SDDP is a EUR 60 million programme implemented by five UN Agencies – UNDP, UNOPS, UNICEF, FAO and ILO together with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. The documentary chronicles the perseverance of individuals and communities, reflecting on the strong partnerships that have been built over the years between the communities, the Government of Sri Lanka, the EU, UN agencies and IFC.
The documentary showcases stories from the districts of Batticaloa, Ampara, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura and Mannar, and demonstrates how EU-SDDP has made a tangible and sustainable contribution towards improving the lives of people in these communities.