Neela Marikkar
Sri Lanka

Neela Marikkar is a spokesperson for Sri Lanka First, a powerful group of business leaders that advocates for peace and regional stability through a negotiated settlement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). She and others founded the group following a devastating terrorist attack on the country's international airport in July 2001. Ms. Marikkar coordinated Sri Lanka First's recent three-week campaign to educate civil society about the human and economic costs of the 18-year war. The organization asked Sri Lankans to take a visible stand for peace and pressure political leaders to put aside their own agendas and begin negotiations. On September 19, 2001, more than one million people across the country stood and held hands for peace at midday-clearly demonstrating to politicians the overwhelming desire of the people for an end to the conflict. A new round of talks between Sri Lanka's government and the LTTE began October 31. A prominent member of Sri Lanka's influential business community, Ms. Marikkar is also Managing Director of Grant McCann-Erickson, a member of the international network McCann Erickson Worldwide, USA, and has more than 20 years of experience in advertising, promotions, and public relations.

Ms. Marikkar's peace-building activities include:

• developing educational campaigns through Sri Lanka First to create awareness about the peace process and keep civil society committed to it-she is now working on a series of TV programs to educate civil society about the issues that will arise during peace talks and build support for the compromises both sides will have to make to ensure a sustainable peace;
• working with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Government of Sri Lanka, and the Chamber of Commerce to promote peace, stability, and development to revive the country's war-torn economy and increase foreign investment in the country-she recently spearheaded the bicommunal meeting organized by Sri Lanka First for some 100 members of the Sri Lankan Diaspora in New York City (coinciding with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's visit to New York to address the UN General Assembly), and was also an active participant at the UNDP program "Invest in Peace," which was organized together with the Sri Lankan government and business community for selected Fortune 500 CEOs; and
• participating in a meeting of representatives of Sri Lankan women's organizations to make recommendations regarding women, conflict, and the peace process and prepare a memorandum calling for the inclusion of women in negotiations.
  

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