Our second Ceremonial delivery of testimonies for the year 2010 took place on the 27th November at Carmel Hill Montessori Hall at 3.00 p.m. The place was befitting for the occasion surrounded by a safe conducive and peaceful environment with healing vibrations. Around 60 participants took part in the celebration. We were happy to have the Vicar General of the Diocese of Kandy Very Rev. Fr. Milroy Fonseka with us for the occasion. There were around 06 priests, religious formators and religious sisters as well. Paul McAdams and Bing of Equitas Canada were the guests of honor. Some of the survivors who already have gone through the process of testimony therapy were also with us. Their presence was an encouragement and added more healing presence for the therapeutic intervention. The members of the support group, the family counselors and many other well wishers were with us for the occasion.
Benedict This particular testimony therapy is quite significant for the fact that it is the first time we had a ceremonial delivery of testimonies for the ex-prisoner survivors and their family members. It is also a unique experience for them, being Tamil survivor families living around the vicinity of Kandy town.
The ceremony was highlighted with Tamil cultural rituals and elements. The survivors were welcomed with Pottu, highlighting its meaning “We are with you” and with a Bharatha Natiyam. Like many others, in these two cases too, it was very obvious that they were innocent and living very ordinary lives with their families.
It was the day of the survivor families. The lighting of oil lamp was done by the survivors and their family members. The lamps were created in the form of a prison cell to honor their freedom and liberation.
The ceremony was highlighted with Tamil cultural rituals and elements. The survivors were welcomed with Pottu, highlighting its meaning “We are with you” and with a Bharatha Natiyam. Like many others, in these two cases too, it was very obvious that they were innocent and living very ordinary lives with their families.
It was the day of the survivor families. The lighting of oil lamp was done by the survivors and their family members. The lamps were created in the form of a prison cell to honor their freedom and liberation.
|  For these two cases, as an innovation, we presented visuals of their pre-trauma stories. Benedict, a survivor who comes from a very poor family was a three wheeler driver and Chithrakumar a marathon runner who went for daily practice, had taken part in local and international events and won medals as well. With the traumatic event, his whole life completely collapsed taking a backward turn and ending up in a prison cell. To have a better understanding of the mind of a prisoner, before the reading of the testimonies, the real life story of a famous prisoner accused of a murder, who was in the same prison , waiting in the death row, was presented in a form of a song with visuals. The lyrics of this song were based on the poems he had written with his own hand on the walls of his cell. He was the last prisoner to be executed in Sri Lanka, before capital punishment was discontinued. |
 The main features of the occasion were the reading of the testimonies of the survivor, the presentation of the testimonies and giving encouragement to the survivors. All of these functions were done by the 05 couples who were trained as Family counselors during the course of the year 2010 – and are now meeting the survivors, in their family environments, listening to them and encouraging them. We were happy to present the testimonies of the survivors in Tamil - in their own language. The survivors were very much taken up with our efforts in safeguarding their rights. The testimonies were stressful and traumatizing. With the reading of the testimonies, to bring back the participants to a relaxed mood, songs, music and dances were added to the ceremony. | 
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| Fr. Nandana shared his vision and his experiences of the prison ministry. He encouraged the survivors and their families and pledged his support. | 
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The climax was when all the participants greeted the survivors and their family members. It was a touching moment, when the former survivors met and greeted the new survivors. It was also a joyful moment. An atmosphere of celebration prevailed, while joyful songs were played. The participants commended the survivors for their steadfastness and courage, and assured them of their continued support. Visuals were then presented on the prison activities of the Human Rights office. The whole group shared refreshments and together with the survivors.
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