In this original interview done for PREE’s special issue on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and storytelling, Laura Tovar, a conflict transformation specialist from Colombia speaks with Thurka Krishansamy, a development practitioner from Sri Lanka. Thurka is a Sri Lankan Tamil and a survivor of the country’s prolonged civil war during which she experienced displacement, extreme poverty, and lost her father and her voice. She talks about familial dysfunctions and structural violence in Sri Lanka and how her early experiences continue to affect her life.
Thurka Krishnasamy is a development practitioner from Sri Lanka. She has 15 years of experience working at International NGOs and holds an MA in Peace, Resilience and Social Justice from the University of Bradford, UK. Thurka is a Sri Lankan Tamil and a survivor of the country’s prolonged civil war. Studying in the UK and writing an autoethnographic dissertation on her lived experiences of voicelessness and powerlessness helped her to understand and overcome some of the impacts of her early trauma.
Laura Tovar is Colombian. She holds an MA in Peace, Conflict, and Development from the University of Bradford, UK. She works at the National Center for Historical Memory, reporting and analysing the consequences of Colombian armed conflicts on individuals, communities and the natural environment. She is interested in peacebuilding, gender studies, conflict transformation, and Theatre of the Oppressed.
Image credit: Thurka Krishnasamy