Yudara Bernard

The community has always been a large part of who I am. Growing up in a rural village in Sri Lanka, life was characterized by frequent gatherings of friends and neighbors. Community events were the highlight of my years growing up. Working together, village leaders organized activities that united people to communicate, cooperate and celebrate together. Village traditions were proudly passed down from generation to generation. Now, however, villages like the one in which I grew up are becoming rarer. Only through conscious and diligent effort can Sri Lanka ensure that its villages, and the cooperative model of community they represent, endure. My passion for seeing local communities from my childhood thrive led me to work in the field of community development, education, training, and international development.

I possess practical and educational experience in education, training, education in emergencies, project management, stakeholder communications, organizational development, research, and funding generation/ management in Sri Lanka, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand including policy formulations and planning experience to South and South East Asian Countries.