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About the SLB

The Sri Lanka Barometer (SLB) is a research initiative to deepen the understanding of how Sri Lankans perceive reconciliation and its most salient dimensions, as well as to track progress in each of these dimensions.

The Sri Lanka Barometer Initiative

The Sri Lanka Barometer initiative (SLB) consists of three components: nationally representative public opinion surveys conducted every two years; complementary research to further explore the findings of the surveys, primarily using qualitative methods; and communcations and outreach work. The overarching objective of the SLB is to inform public discourse and policymaking in the country’s pursuit of greater unity and inclusion.

The SLB was piloted under the Strengthening Reconciliation Processes in Sri Lanka (SRP) program between 2018 and 2022 and supported by the program Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) between 2022 and 2025. Both SRP and SCOPE are co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by GIZ, in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka Barometer Partners

Operating through strategic partnerships with diverse national and international entities, a broad range of perspectives and expertise enrich and inform the SLB’s work. This collaborative setup not only enhances methodological robustness but also safeguards the initiative's objectivity and impartiality. Currently, core SLB partners include the Insights Initiative (Insights), the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in South Africa, and Search for Common Ground (SFCG).

The Insights Initiative (Insights) is a local non-profit research organisation, established in 2025 as the institutional home of the Sri Lanka Barometer. Insights is responsible for the overall design, steering, implementation, and dissemination of the Sri Lanka Barometer and its findings, working closely with relevant partners across sectors. Through this work, Insights ensures the Sri Lanka Barometer’s continuity, methodological rigour, and relevance to national policy and public discourse.

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in South Africa has implemented the South African Reconciliation Barometer for over two decades, making it the longest-running reconciliation barometer in the world. IJR has supported the establishment of the Sri Lanka Barometer from its inception, providing guidance on its conceptual design, methodology, and strategic direction, drawing on its technical expertise and long-standing experience in reconciliation research and practice.

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is a global peacebuilding organisation that supports the strengthening of systems and networks around the Sri Lanka Barometer. With a long-standing presence in Sri Lanka, SFCG draws its experience with local networks to deepen connections between national, sub-national, and local actors, helping to ensure the Sri Lanka Barometer’s institutional resilience and long-term viability as a platform for inclusive dialogue and evidence-based policy engagement.

Beyond its core partners, the Sri Lanka Barometer is supported by a wider network of organisations and individuals who contribute to its implementation and outreach. The Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) led the Sri Lanka Barometer Young Researchers Programme, which mentored early-career researchers in reconciliation-focused research; the National Peace Council (NPC) faciliated broad-based community outreach initiatives; and Verité Research partnered on workshops with media professionals and student journalists on ethical journalism. In addition, the SLB benefits from the involvement of a growing network of academics, practitioners, and volunteers committed to advancing inclusive dialogue and policymaking across Sri Lanka.

Conceptualising the Sri Lanka Barometer

During its inception, the SLB organised discussions with researchers and other experts in the field of reconciliation and held community consultations across the country to ensure that the SLB's theoretical framework both reflected the relevant academic discussion and remained grounded in the lived realities of Sri Lankans.

The community consultations showed that people’s thoughts and experiences on reconciliation are diverse, dynamic, context-specific, and very personal. Based on this, the SLB does not follow one fixed definition of reconciliation but rather understands it as 8 interlinked dimensions identified as relevant in the Sri Lankan context through community consultations and expert discussions. These 8 dimensions were further established in eight concept notes.

  • Dealing with the past

  • Justice for all

  • Identity and Belonging

  • Interpersonal, social, and political trust

  • Equality of Opportunity

  • Active Citizenship

  • Accountable governance

  • Security and Wellbeing

Concept Notes

Download our concept notes to learn more abut the 8 dimensions of reconciliation identified by the SLB as relevant for Sri Lanka through community consultations and expert discussions.

Dealing with
the Past

This concept note by Nilakshi de Silva explores the "Dealing with the Past" domain.

Download PDF

Identity
& Belonging

This concept note by Kalinga Tudor Silva explores the "Identity & Belonging" domain.

Download PDF

Equality of Opportunity

This concept note by Gehan Gunatilleke explores the "Equality of Opportunity" domain.

Download PDF

Security
& Wellbeing

This concept note by
Kusala Wettesinghe
explores the "Security & Wellbeing" domain.

Download PDF

Interpersonal, social and political trust

This concept note by Ramesh Ramasamy explores the "Trust"
domain.

Download PDF

Active
Citizenship

This concept note by
Mario Gomez explores the “Active Citizenship”
domain.

Download PDF

Justice
for All

This concept note by Ambika Satkunanathan explores the "Justice for All" domain.

Download PDF

Accountable Governance

This concept note by Shakti Sri Devapura explores the "Accountable Governance" domain.

Download PDF
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