On 6 September 2023, Modern Diplomacy published NESA Center alumna Charani Patabendige's latest article on political literacy and human rights titled "Unleashing the Potential of Political Literacy for Informed Participation: Lessons Learned from 'Aragalaya 2022.'"

"...political literacy empowers individuals to influence the governing system for the better. An example of people demanding their rights can be seen in the first half of ‘Aragalaya 2022’ [English term is “struggle”] in Sri Lanka, which was driven by the best interest in demanding justice. In the initial part of ‘Aragalaya 2022,’ a peaceful protest occurred where people, irrespective of their social class, status, religion, or ethnicity, took to the streets to demand answers regarding the fate of their money, protest against financial mismanagement, and address the economic crisis," writes Patabendige.

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About the Author

Charani Patabendige is a Research Assistant and an Acting Research Analyst at the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS), the premier think tank on National Security established under the Ministry of Defence. The opinion expressed is her own and not necessarily reflective of the institute, the Ministry of Defence, or the NESA Center.

About the Publisher

Modern Diplomacy is an online journal that assesses and evaluates complex international issues that are often outside the boundaries of mainstream Western media and academia. It provides qualitative analysis in the form of political commentary, policy inquiry, in-depth interviews, special reports, and commissioned research.

The views presented in this article are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.