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Sara
Wallagoda Arachchige Saranee Gunathilaka
Wallagoda Arachchige Saranee Gunathilaka

I believe in mediation and its ability to transform people and their relationships. As such I strive towards the promotion of use mediation as a dispute resolution mechanism in Sri Lanka, with the aim of ensuring efficient and effective dispute resolution for all.


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Young Mediator
Sri Lanka
English, Sinhala
SMC - Singapore Mediation Centre
Mediation Profile

I love to see people happy.  I strongly believe in the value of relationships.  It is my understanding of the world that  we should live in harmony the short time we have as human beings.  I became a lawyer, because I thought that I will be able to help people who are suffering and people who face injustice. I thought my argumentation skills will help people to be happy. However, during law school, when I participated at my first mediation competition, I realised that litigation is not the best way. More than that I understood that, mediation can make everyone happy, and save relationships , unlike litigation. Unfortunately in Sri Lanka, mediation has not yet gone to the people in its full force. I am motivated  to  promote mediation in Sri Lanka, due to my belief that everyone deserves to be happy and relationships' do matter, if we are to make this world a better place. 

I am Saranee Gunathilaka from Sri Lanka. I am an Attorney-at-Law, currently practicing as  counsel  in the Appellate Courts of Sri Lanka.  I joined the Bar in January 2017.  I obtained my LLB from the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo in 2015.  My enthusiasm to promote mediation in Sri Lanka is further extended through my role as the ADR Specialist to a USAID project in Sri Lanka, where I design programs to promote ADR in Sri Lanka. 
 
My passion for Mediation grew, since I first participated in a mediation competition organized by the IANDR  in Dubai 2012.  Since then My aim has been to promote mediation practice in Sri Lanka. 
 
Hence I went to India and got my accreditation from IICA in August 2017. In 2018 I completed part I of the SMC mediation training . I  co-founded “UDecide SL” Sri Lanka’s first ever youth mediation platform and organized Sri Lanka’s first ever conference on mediation in December 2018 . Through UDecide, we carried out mediation awareness programmes , school and university training on peer mediation. You can visit our Facebook page and see more information on our programmes . https://www.facebook.com/udecideSL
 
 
As a lecturer at APIIT law school Sri Lanka , I co- founded the mock mediation club and I train undergraduates for mock mediation competitions Including the IMSG and ICC . I have also trained the students of University of Peradeniya and University of Colombo Sri Lanka for mediation competitions . I trained the University of Colombo mediation and negotiation teams for the first ever International Investment Mediation Competition 2021, and the teams respectively won the awards for best mediation management and best opening statements. 
 
I successfully completed my Masters in Human Rights and Democratization in 2019, and my thesis was  on  “ Transitional Justice and Mediation “. I’m currently reading for my MPhil in Law and my focus is on Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and Mediation . I have also written several articles and research papers on Mediation as set out below . 
 
However in Sri Lanka we rarely get the opportunity to engage in professional mediation  . My attempt is to change this culture . I am looking for exposure and experience in the field of mediation, so that I can more effectively promote mediation in Sri Lanka . I strongly believe that Young Mediators Initiative will be the ideal platform for me to learn from and I have no doubt that I  am able to contribute to the initiative.  I am truly very much excited to meet  and connect with young people who love mediation

 

In Sri Lanka, we do not get professional mediation opportunities. As of today there is only one professional ADR centre, which focus on commercial mediation , and even that institute has not yet commenced provision of commercial mediation. 

However,  I have mediated conflicts between my students at the University and disputes among my friends. I also provide services as a mediation advocate at out of court settlement conferences.  I also gain experience by training undergraduates and school children in mediation. 

I am an active member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and I am also an advisor to the Law Students Association of Sri Lanka. 

1) Mr. Thomas Valenti
email: tpv@valentilaw.com

2) Dr. Chintha Dissanayake
email: chinthadissan@hotmail.com

Training and Education

I received my first ever Mediation Training in 2013 from IANDR, at the Dubai Invitational Mediation Competition, and then I once again received their training at the Chicago Mediation Championship in 2014. 

Once I graduated from the University, I got my accreditation from IICA in August 2017. In 2017, I also received training at the young peace makers mediation training held in Sri Lanka.  In August 2018 I completed part I of the SMC mediation training . I also received Mediation Training in October 2018, at the training programme organised by the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce together with the CLDP, USA.  I completed the Negotiation Master Class offered by Harvard Law School- Programme on Negotiation (PON) in April 2021 and Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) offered by  Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) in July 2021.  

 

 

 

 

Publications

Academic Research Papers  

  • “Mediation in Sri Lanka: its efficacy in dispute resolution”, published at the APIIT Business, Law & Technology  Conference, 2017 July 20th, 2017 | Colombo, Sri Lanka ISBN978-955-7678-02-3  
  • “ Commercial Mediation : An Important Tool for Sri Lanka’s Economic Growth”, University of Colombo, Colombo Law Journal, Vol.3, Issue 1, 2018, pages 85-108 , ISSN 2513-2881 
  • Court of Appeal ( Mediation in Appeals) Rule 1990: A Case for the Establishment of the Court of Appeal - Mediation Court, The Bar Association Law Journal 2020, Vol.25,  pages 101-112, ISBN 1391-1198
  • Mediation : The Myth about Compromise, Hulftsdorp Law Journal 2021/2022, Colombo Law Society, pages 177-181

 NewsPaper Articles and Blog Posts 

  • “Mediation helps you save time, money and health” , DailyFT,10 October, 2017  
  • “Should we mediate before litigate”, DailyFT, 16 October, 2017  
  • “Is Domestic Criminal Law suitable to prosecute War Crimes?”, Part I,II and III, Samabima, Issue 70,71 and 72,  October-November 2016( Pg 30-31), December 2016(Pg14-15) and January-February 2017 (Pg18-19) (Sinhala)  • “Importance of Constitutional Reforms in Transitional Justice”, Part I and II, Samabima, Issue 73 and 74, March  2017 (Pg 18-19), April (Pg 8-9) (Sinhala)  
  • “Victim and Witness Protection in Sri Lanka”, Part I and II, Samabima, Issue 75 and 76, June 2017 (Pg28-29), July August (Pg34-35) (Sinhala)  

Blog Posts  

• “Utility of Mediation in Sri Lanka”, Valenti Law, 2016 <https://valentilaw.com/2016/01/24/guest-blog-utility-of mediation- in-sri-lanka-a-brief-analysis-by-saranee-gunathilaka/> 

Contact
Wallagoda Arachchige Saranee
Gunathilaka
Sara
-
Attorney-at-Law / Visiting Lecturer
UDecide
Sri Lanka
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