Organizations

The Noolaham Foundation collaborates with various organizations related to its projects. Collaboration does not necessarily mean that the Foundation endorse the activities, views or content of these organizations. Our mission is to recruit and support new organizations and to build strong relationships with cultural and educational institutions. We need your help in making this collaborative platform bigger, better and more useful. The following is the list of the organizations we collaborate with.

Archival Partners

Jaffna Public Library Jaffna Public Library The library was built in many stages starting from 1933, from a modest beginning as a private collection. Soon with the help of primarily local citizens, it became a full fledged library. The library also became a repository of archival material written in palm leaf manuscripts, original copies of regionally important historic documents in the contested Contest political history of Sri Lanka and newspapers that were published hundreds of years ago in the Jaffna peninsula. It thus became a place of historic and symbolic importance to the local minority Sri Lankan Tamil people An organized mob went on a rampage on the nights of May 31 to June 2, 1981, burning the Jaffna public library. The library at the time of destruction was one of the biggest in Asia containing over 97,000 unique books and unique manuscript. For more details visit: Jaffna Pulic Library

Colombo Tamil Sangam Colombo Tamil Sangam Colombo Tamil Sangam contributes towards the betterment of Tamil language, culture and Arts. Established in 1942, it operates a library with more than 45,000 books, publishes books and magazines, and conducts various events. For more details visit: colombotamilsangam.com

Project Partners

Womens' Education and Research Centre Women's Education and Research Center 1982 saw the inauguration of this organisation as the Women’s Education Centre (WEC). It was founded by a small group of feminist researchers and activists to highlight the status of women in the country and to publish material, which could be used by women in their struggle for liberation. The broad objectives of WEC were to increase women’s awareness, their resources and opportunities for effective participation in the economic, political and social life of the country. For more details visit: wercsl.org Noolaham collaborates with WERC in digitizing their publications and other women related publications. It should be pointed out that Noolaham's first ever collaborated project was carried out with WERC back in 2007. The project Report is included in the 2008 Annual Report

International Center for Ethnic Studies International Center for Ethnic Studies The International Centre for Ethnic Studies is a renowned international research centre located in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1982 with the support of the Ford Foundation by a team of Sri Lankan and International scholars. It is amongst the select few institutions that are both ‘local’ to the global South and ‘international’ in orientation. ICES is in ‘special category’ consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC. The mission of ICES is “to deepen the understanding of ethnicity, identity politics and conflict, and to foster conditions for an inclusive, just and peaceful society nationally, regionally and globally, through research, publication, dialogue, creative expression and knowledge transfer”. For more details visit: icescolombo.org Noolaham collaborates with ICES in digitizing their publications and other related publications.

Affiliated organizations

International Tamil Institute for Research and Analytical Activities The International Tamil Institute for Research and Analytical Activities [ I T I R A A ] is an initiative in Sri Lanka that would build links with researchers and scholars to bring the Srilankan Tamil speaking communities all over the globe closer to community based research and development. Due to the fact that Research and development is an area much neglected by these communities there is a syndrome in these communities to follow the same track of their predictors, where students and young researchers are compelled to pursue to known areas. The I T I R A A introduces a concept of a Virtual Research Environment [ VRE ] that involves and encourages the collaboration of different users online to enhance the knowledge base of the Srilankan Tamils worldwide. This institute would specifically provide structure to the research process, easy access to resources, guidance and tools to manage information assets, along with integrated collaboration services. For more details visit : itiraa.org

Ezhuna Media Foundation Ezhuna Media Foundation is a non - profit, charitable independent media organization founded in 2012 in India. The primary objective of this organization is to record the multiple voices of the people, especially those occupying the margins of society. Operating in the social spaces closely related to Sri Lanka’s Tamil speaking communities, Ezhuna Media Foundation aims at recording, preserving and engaging with the forms of arts and culture associated with these communities. As an independent body that is not affiliated with any political organization, Ezhuna will bring together different social groups, and organizations representing conflicting ideological positions, with a view to promoting a culture of publication. Ezhuna looks forward to collaborating with individuals and organizations that are interested in contributing to its endeavors in the domain of print and multimedia publishers. For more details visit : ezhunamedia.org

Other organizations

Viluthu - Center for Human Resource Development Viluthu Viluthu strives to promote a culture of democracy by facilitating changes in legislations, policies and institutional culture through building capacities and instilling values that underpin a democratic and inclusive society. For more details visit: viluthu.org Viluthu had provided office space and related facilities to Noolaham.

Cintanaikoodam - Jaffna Cintanaikoodam is a Jaffna based organisation founded by Prof R. Sivachandran. It aims to coordinate think tanks for social Development. The Foundation have collaborated with Cintanaikoodam in conducting awareness raising activities and workshops.