Sea Ecological Tourism

Alleppey backwaters tourism – May update Join today

Our work to develop a Code of Practice for houseboats in Alleppey, India continues to progress well. This is an important project, which promises to bring tangible benefits to the communities and environments of the backwaters. If you possibly can, please help us to continue this work by making a donation. We are entirely funded from donations made by our Members and supporters.

When I visited Kerala in April I was heartened by the enthusiasm shown for the initiative amongst all the stakeholders, including government departments and many of the houseboat operators. This has continued, with an understanding having recently been signed regarding the setting up of an Implementation and Monitoring Committee. It is proposed that it comprises a total of 16 representatives of stakeholder groups, including the houseboat owners themselves; government departments – including the Tourism Department, the Pollution Board of Control and Alleppey Municipality; NGOs representing fishing and farming communities; and the project partners: Tourism Concern and the Environmental Collaborative. The full list will be published later this month, when it has been finalised.

Currently we are consulting with stakeholders in order to define clear terms of reference for the committee – vital for keeping the project on track. This includes outlining the next steps and realistic timings for their completion. The role of the committee is to co-ordinate the consultative process, to collate the feedback and thoughts that emerge, to start to outline the code, and to consider what support might be required (training, facilities etc) and who might help with that provision. We hope to have a draft of the Code prepared in about two months time, with a view to being able to launch it in time for the next tourism season in the autumn.

Ideally the Kerala government would like ALL boats to sign up to the Code. This shows fantastic support for our work and represents a real commitment to change. However, we feel that the Code should represent a continual improvement process and believe that it is vital for boats to demonstrate genuine compliance with its principles. Realistically, relatively few boats will be able to do that in the short term. Our proposal is hence that boats initially enter the process voluntarily and are offered help – including one-to-one training – in return. We are also hoping that we may be able to have one or two ‘model’ boats, who demonstrate exemplary practices. Ongoing support and monitoring will also be required and it is likely that the Code will continue to evolve and standards to improve. We have further agreed with the Kerala government that those adopting the Code will also be promoted as ‘ethical operators’, including here in the UK.

In the UK the initiative is supported by the Association of Independent Tour Operators AITO), by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and by the Travel Foundation as well as by a number of individual Tour Operators who take guests to Kerala. Many of the houseboat operators these organisations use are already contributing to our work in India.

Graduates assist Indonesian homestay network Join today

3-Mau-Ponggo1-e1407112135361 Geography and Tourism Management graduates at UWE Bristol are putting their skills to the test on the beautiful Indonesian island of Flores, gaining invaluable experience as volunteers helping to develop a successful homestay network.

Founded in 2011, by the Eco Flores Foundation, the network promotes the island as a green tourist destination. Flores was recently voted as one of the top 50 green destinations in the world.

Supported by volunteers, villagers living in poverty in Flores have the opportunity to share in the benefits of international tourism through renting rooms in their homes to visitors.

For the past three years, upon completion of a module in International Tourism Development in their final year, new graduates have been offered the opportunity to volunteer in Flores, applying the knowledge acquired on the module to advise villagers on both the benefits and negative consequences of tourism growth.

The graduate volunteers have the expertise to advise the villagers on land rights, gender equality, leakages and linkages, waste management, disabilities, and basic finance for small businesses. Before joining villagers they attend a four day workshop to discuss these issues and to learn basic Bahasa, the local language.

The volunteers work with two or three villages for a period of one or two months to establish the homestays which must meet the agreed basic criteria including: waste management, working towards gender equality, providing a clean room with minimum facilities. Each village is marketed through the network and the volunteers regularly meet together to share good practice and report back to the project co-ordinator.

Such has been the success of the project, Network Supporter, Dr Stroma Cole, a senior lecturer in tourism geography at UWE Bristol, was recognised with the award for Tourism in Globalisation: Understanding global complexity through tourism at the Association of Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE) annual conference.

Explaining why the network is such an important learning tool for these graduates, Dr Stroma Cole, comments, “The experience is an excellent example of international service learning, you can learn the theory in the classroom, but the only way to really test out the extent of your knowledge and demonstrate your abilities to future employers is to apply it in a real life situation. What the graduate volunteers are taking away from their Flores experience is hugely beneficial to their professional and personal development.

“They learn not only how people build livelihoods in the majority of the world but also how to live in another culture and speak another language. They learn how to train and motivate, and to help manage the villagers’ problems, like recycling. One of the island’s biggest issues is waste; one student built a wooden press to compact plastic waste into bricks. These can then either be used for building public facilities or be taken by tourists to towns that have waste facilities for disposal. It’s a simple, practical solution that is making a real difference to these communities.

“Flores is a beautiful island and sometimes local assets, such as white sand beaches, caves and hot springs, are often overlooked by tourists. The graduates highlight these attractions on the website to invite tourists to remote parts of the island, spreading their interest in and economic support of these less visited areas. Together, the villagers and tourists connect, share and learn. Without a higher education in tourism this project could not function. It will enhance the lives of many of the poorer villagers, as well as the lives of the students that take this valuable opportunity to work with them.”
In the first two years of the project, nine graduate volunteers who studied International Tourism Development and thirty villagers from fifteen villages took part in the homestay network.

UWE Bristol graduate Gemma Sollis, completed her studies in Tourism and Management in July 2013. For the past nine months, she has been working as a volunteer for the Flores Homestay Network (FHN). Describing the challenges and highlights of her experience, she says, “I love volunteering here as we are making a difference to local people’s lives, to help them protect themselves from the negative side of tourism and to preserve their cultures and traditions.

“At first it was hard to think like a local, but you adapt quickly as you learn the culture and history. It takes a while for changes to be made in the communities, but the villagers’ appreciation of our visit is enough to make it all worth it.

“The main challenges I’ve faced is the difference in culture between Indonesia and Europe. Being a woman here is a challenge as the attitudes of local men towards woman are completely different to the attitudes of most men in Europe. I found it hard not being able to go places by myself, which is mostly likely because I’m a Western woman but now I understand they are trying to protect me. Being a Western woman, the men give me more respect than the local woman, but not the same respect as a Western man. The Flores Homestay Network’s work is so important, not only to develop the homestays, but also to develop the community as a whole through gender equality and land rights.

“Volunteering has allowed me to gain experience in the tourism industry which is where my passion lies, it’s a great opportunity to see how places adapt with tourism, as well as being able to work in beautiful surroundings and meet friendly local people who embrace you as one of the family. Learning from books and other people’s experiences is one thing, but to go out and use your knowledge and experience it for yourself is a different thing. During my university course I learnt about the positive and negative effects of tourism and the benefits of a sustainable and community based tourism. Sustainability is a very important concept, that I’ve been able to use during my time in Flores to help ensure the homestays are sustainable to protect the local people.

“From this opportunity, I’ll take away the experience of being on the front line to help communities build community based tourism and protect themselves from ending up like Bali. I’ve developed my skills through learning new languages and working with people who have different views and still maintain cultural traditions, which I will also take away. This will be useful for me in the future so I can work with people from around the world and understand our different ways of working and thinking. Finally, I will also take away my changed attitude and thinking that happiness can be found in the little everyday things, no matter if you have no money.”

Andy Bil studied Geography and Tourism and spent six months volunteering for the network. He adds, “Stroma’s lectures and the International tourism development module really prepared me for this experience. It simply takes all your knowledge from the class room and applies it to real life. What we are doing in Flores is the best practices in Community-based Tourism development. It’s not going to the destination to paint a boat, dig a hole in the ground or do any activities which locals probably could do better themselves i.e. voluntourism. It is meaningfully helping locals in poverty alleviation, waste management, education and empowering woman. It’s a real project, it is not a joke, volunteers must take responsibility for their community and invest all their effort to introduce and prepare locals for the project and work together to achieve project objectives.

“I loved the life I was living in Flores, super friendly people always smiling and approaching you to get to know you. I have been in places where ordinary tourists will never be. I shared good times and sad times with local community it was very emotional when I was going back to the UK. Some of the challenges were to adapt to the Indonesian/Flores culture, the lifestyle of the locals and to the weather. Nevertheless, the biggest challenge was the scope of the project, there was lots of job where other organisations would employ professionals. Due to a lack of education about the tourism sector in the community, I had to constantly monitor and ensure that the project was on the right path simultaneously motivating and tutoring participants of FHN.

“I could not have asked for more, this project taught me how to successfully implement and run a project on foreign soil, develop skills which will benefit my future career or prepare me in continuing my academic path. What is of a great importance for me, is that after 6 months I have been able to communicate freely in the Indonesian language and still continue to study it. I am most delighted that I was able to help the people of Flores to engage with the tourism industry and motivate them so they can also directly benefit from it. I believe that in the future FHN will be successfully running businesses which will improve local people’s living standards, generate greater economic benefits while protecting the environment.”

The Eco Flores Foundation hope to consolidate the project concentrating on the villages in the network and are looking for investors to take the project forward. Indonesian graduate volunteers are set to join the network, for the UWE graduates this presents an excellent opportunity to help each other with language and compare and develop experiences and skills.

Alleppey Backwaters Tourism – A New Way Forward Join today

kerela I have just returned from Alleppey in Kerala where, working with our Indian partners, we have made considerable progress with our project to develop a Code of Conduct for Houseboat Owners.

Houseboat cruises are a wonderful way to experience the beauty and tranquillity of the Kerala backwaters, and to get glimpses of the lives of people who are shaped by them. They are a unique travel experience and could/should be a sustainable form of tourism which provides real economic benefit to local people. In recent years, however, concerns have been expressed – including by tourists, tour operators and in a number of academic reports – about a range of issues that are threatening the sustainability of the industry and adversely affecting local communities and environments. These include pollution being produced by houseboats, health and safety issues, and disturbance of local peoples lives and livelihoods, not least due to the large number of boats now operating in the region.

It is of course important to recognise that some operators – including some used by UK Tour Operators – do already behave responsibly. I met with a few of these whilst in India. Some have their own high standards whilst others are responding to concerns; these operators will have a vital role to play in helping inform our project. Nonetheless, it is difficult for tourists to know whether any particular operator is behaving responsibly or not. The intention is therefore, not only to establish guidelines for best practice, but also to seek ways of monitoring compliance… and to support and promote those operators who sign up to the Code of Conduct.

I was heartened by the enthusiasm shown for the initiative amongst all the stakeholders, including government departments and many of the houseboat operators. We are confident that the ongoing consultation process can result in a meaningful yet practical code of conduct being launched later this year, with a credible monitoring process to help ensure compliance.

A lot of preparatory work took place during the first three months of 2015, investigating the issues in detail, looking at possible solutions, and also at potential challenges to their adoption. It was vital to talk to all concerned parties and ensure that their views were taken into account. We are extremely grateful to our partner organisation – the Environmental Collaborative – whose Director Sudha Soni has worked hard, including to establish trust in the process and in the ultimate goals of the project. On Monday 13th a highly successful meeting was held in Alleppey, attended by over 40 people, including the Director of Tourism – who presided over the meeting – the Chairman of the Pollution Board of Control, the Disrict Collector, the Department of Tourism Planning Officer,

NGO representatives and more than 25 boat owners and leaders of Boat Owners Associations. There was broad agreement to support the initiative and on the ten principles it seeks to address (see below). Discussions included provision of additional sewage pump out and treatment facilities; ways of collecting and recycling waste, including composting facilities; classification of boats; training of staff; enforcement of existing Port Authority rules on health and safety; and provision of information (do’s and don’ts), including an orientation video, for all guests.

In its current form the proposed code seeks to address the following ten issues:

Avoiding pollution of waters by sewage
Disposal and recycling of general waste
Avoiding engine oil and other effluents polluting the waters
Restricting the total number of boats and alleviating congestion
Objective assessment of the condition of each boat
Ensuring there are adequate health and safety measures
Training of staff
Zero tolerance of drug use, sex tourism, drunkenness and abusive behaviour by guests
Ensuring guests are given adequate information prior to departure
Fair pay and working conditions for all staff

Importantly there were detailed discussions about setting up a monitoring committee under the auspices of the Department of Tourism and including representatives of government departments; NGOs representing fishing and farming communities; houseboat operators; as well as the project partners: Tourism Concern and the Environmental Collaborative. There are also a wide range of specific issues faced by individual boats and their owners. The government has promised to have a lok adalat – a large meeting where houseboat concerns and disputes can be resolved in a court-like forum, where redressal should be immediate. This will further help develop trust and confidence in our project and the good intentions of the Tourism Department in supporting it.

We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed to this campaign so far – however there is still a lot of work to do, especially in Kerala; we need a further £3000 to help pay our partners in India to continue their excellent work engaging with all the community, government and boat operators.

Donate to this campaign

Maldives: Tourists urged to avoid resorts linked to human rights abuses Join today

anni1-400x250 A new checklist of ‘resorts to avoid’ in the Maldives is published today with tourists being asked to avoid island resorts across the country that are linked to human rights abuses.

The Ethical Maldives Alliance advocates the consideration of human rights issues when choosing where to stay in the Maldives by providing a traffic light-style guidance on resorts linked with key regime figures. They are urging travellers to carefully consider their choice of resort and business, avoiding those that directly or indirectly contribute towards rights abuses. There is plenty of choice available and tourists can make a real difference to the struggle to protect the country’s nascent democracy.

The list, published by Ethical Maldives, coincides with growing international criticism over the sentencing of the former President and leader of the opposition Mohamed Nasheed to 13 years in prison last month. Just this week, former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim was also sentenced to 11 years in prison with similar issues raised over judicial process.

Nasheed’s jail sentence has been widely condemned by the International community and branded a ‘travesty of justice’ by Amnesty International and ‘grossly unfair’ by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). It followed his ousting from office in 2012 in what was widely accepted as a coup and a three year period of upheaval in the islands. The convictions of Nasheed and Nazim have sparked widespread protests and unrest in the Maldives.

Even outside of the country’s tumultuous politics, migrant workers – largely individuals trafficked from Bangladesh – are facing deportation if caught taking part in a planned mass-protest against their treatment and recent violent attacks on foreign nationals that has seen two men die last month.

Tourists are now being urged to consult a new traffic light system ethical resorts list before booking their holidays. The list ranks resorts and destinations based on their owners’ support for and complicity in human rights abuses, police brutality and suppression of civil liberties.

The system works as follows:

Green: resorts and businesses are low-risk to visit, and EM urges you to use these on your holiday.
Amber: resorts and businesses are under consideration for listing in the EM based on links to human rights abuses.
Red: These resorts and businesses should be avoided altogether and are dubbed ‘high risk’.

A statement from Ethical Maldives:

“The Maldives has a long and sad history of political oppression and human rights abuses. Most tourists to the islands remain blissfully unaware of the realities of life for the local population.

Former President Nasheed’s imprisonment, the show trial of ex-defense minister Nazim and the ongoing campaign of political violence against local people are just three examples of why tourists should ‘know before they go’.

Money from tourism provides the bulwark of support to a government with a known record of intimidation and oppression. Resorts that support the thuggish Yameen regime should be called out. The EM website and list of resorts to avoid is a first step in that direction.”

The Ethical Maldives list of ‘Red Resorts’ can be found on their website: www.ethicalmaldives.com

Chermoula tofu and roasted vegetables

Ingredients

To chermoula tofu

25 g / 1 oz finely chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed

1 lemon, finely grated zest

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

250g / 9 oz tofu

For the roasted vegetables

2 red onions, quartered

2 zucchini, cut into thick slices

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced

2 yellow peppers, seeded and sliced

1 small eggplant, cut into thick slices

low calorie cooking spray

pinch of salt

Method of Preparation

Preheat oven to 200C / 180C Fan / Gas 6.

To chermoula, combine the cilantro, garlic, cumin, lemon zest and pepper with olive oil and a little salt in a small bowl.

Pat the tofu dry on kitchen paper and cut it in half. Cut each half horizontally into thin slices. Spread generously chermoula at the edges.

Spread the vegetables in a roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Bake for about 45 minutes, until lightly browned, turning once or twice during cooking ingredients.

Place tofu slices on vehicles, side propagation of the highest chermoula and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tofu is lightly colored.

Divide the tofu and vegetables among four plates and serve.

45 Baby Names that Mean Music

For some parents, the definition of a name is just as important as the sound. Music is universal and names with musical definitions make great choices for your little ones. Musical names come from many countries and heritages. They have simple and creative spellings and various sound options. Let's take a look at the great name options that have musical definitions.

(1) Shira: (female) Shira is Hebrew for song. I love the sound of Shira!

(2) Apollo: (male) Meaning God of music and poetry, this Greek name is a strong choice for a baby boy.

(3) Ranit: (male or female) Hebrew for song, Ranit is a great choice for a little boy or girl.

(4) Nazim: (male) Nazim is Indian for song and has a great sound. Naz is a great nickname as well.

(5) Alahya: (female) This Indian name means musical tone or color. It's so beautiful and I love the spelling.

(6) Lirit: (female) This Hebrew name means lyrical and has a great simple sound. It's like a better Merrit.

(7) Dewon: (male) Dewon is Irish for song and fits right into the popular sound for boys names today.

(8) Melody: (female) Melody is of Greek origin and is a wonderful choice. The melody is the most important part of a song!

(9) Roni: (male or female) Hebrew for song, Roni could work on a little boy or girl.

(10) Saron: (male or female) Meaning his song in Hebrew, Saron has a wonderful sound to it.

(11) Aria: (female) This English name means gentle music. It's more of an obvious choice musically speaking, but still beautiful.

(12) Philomela: (female) This Greek name means lover of music. It is a bit of a mouthful, but fits right in with Gabriella or Isabella.

(13) Leron: (male) The Arabic meaning of Leron means the song is mine. It's a wonderful definition for your child and has a great, modern sound.

(14) Sora: (female) Sora is Native American for chirping songbird. It's a softer Zora and has such a pretty sound.

(15) Brage: (male) This is the Norwegian name for the god of music. It has a really cool sound.

(16) Rina: (female) Rina is Hebrew for joyous song. It's beautiful and is a great choice for parents who don't like nicknames.

(17) Alima: (female) Alima is an Arabic name that means learned in dance or music. It has a simple spelling and a pretty sound to it.

(18) Lark: (male or female) The American meaning of Lark is songbird. I think it could work on a boy or girl.

(19) Ranim: (male or female) Arabic for reciting in a sing song voice, Ranim is a wonderful choice for your baby boy or girl.

(20) Cadence: (female) This American name means musical beat. It another choice that is a bit more obvious, but has such a great sound and energy to it.

(21) Philyra: (female) Like Philomela, Philyra means lover of music. It is a simpler spelling, so much more relate-able for modern parents.

(22) Chantal: (female) From the French verb to sing, Chantal is a beautiful name with many alternate spelling choices.

(23) Binali: (female) With the cute nickname Nali, the Hindi name Binali is a beautiful choice. It means musical instrument.

(24) Piper: (male or female) Piper literally means a flute player. It's gender bending, so you can consider it for your baby boy or girl.

(25) Lyric: (female) Lyric is Greek for melodic word. While it is obvious, I love this name!

(26) Aika: (male or female) Aika means love song in Japanese. It has such a great definition and a very unique sound.

(27) Ruana: (female) This Hindi name means musical instrument and the nickname Ru is absolutely adorable.

(28) Musetta: (female) Musetta is French for a song. It is a really pretty name and frilly as well. I like Muse and Etta as nicknames.

(29) Bethany: (female) This is a recognizable name that means house of music in Hebrew. It's a great way to honor music and your daughter, without the name being that out there.

(30) Charmaine: (female) In Latin, Charmaine means to sing. It has a pretty sound and is definitely a bold choice.

(31) Harper: (male or female) This name literally means harp player. It's gaining popularity and can be used on a little boy or girl.

(32) Carol: (female) The French meaning of Carol is melody and song. You could also do Carolyn, Caroline, or Carollie.

(33) Daina: (female) Daina means song in Lithuania. It's a cooler spelling then Dana, and is easy to say.

(34) Jaron: (male) Meaning to shout and sing in Hebrew, Jaron is a really cool choice for your baby boy. It is much cooler than Jayden!

(35) Gita: (female) Gita is Hindi for song and has such a cute energy and sound.

(36) Kotone: (male) Kotone means harp sound in Japanese. I really like the cool sound to this name. It's very strong.

(37) Mavis: (female) This name has a very unique sound, but is super easy to spell. It is the name of a bird that means song thrush.

(38) Carmen: (female) The Latin and Spanish definition of Carmen is song. It's also the name of a beautiful opera.

(39) Riya: (female) Riya means singer in Hindi. It can also be spelled Ria, but I really love it with the "y."

(40) Zamir: (male) Hebrew for songbird, Zamir is an awesome choice for your baby boy. I love Z names, and this is a great way to take a departure from Zachary.

(41) Chyna: (female) Chyna means musical instrument. If you are a music lover who loves place names, this could be your top choice.

(42) Harmony: (female) Another obvious choice, Harmony is a great option for parents who want a recognizable musical choice.

(43) Kousan: (male) In Armenian, Kousan means singer. I really love the sound of this name, and think it should be on any music lovers list of possiblities.

(44) Zimri: (male) Zimri means my music in Hebrew. It has a really cool, unique sound and would make a great choice!

(45) Calliope: (female) Meaning beautiful voice in Greek, Calliope has such a cool sound and a great nickname in Calli.

Sri Lanka: Human rights violations in the holiday paradise

sre-lanka The Society for Threatened Peoples Switzerland (STP) is today (1st March) publishing its report “Dark Clouds over the Sunshine Paradise – Tourism and Human Rights in Sri Lanka“. The report shows that systematic human rights abuses have been taking place as a result of tourism development in the country: fishermen have seen their access to the sea blocked, land grabbing has taken place and the local population are insufficiently, if at all, informed about planned tourism projects. In the regions that were examined, more than 1200 families were directly affected.

In 2011 Tourism Concern investigated tourism development in post-conflict Sri Lanka and its implications for human rights, sustainable development and peacebuilding and supports the STP and Sri Lanka Campaign in demanding that travel agencies exercise their due diligence with regards to human rights.

More than 1.5 million tourists travelled to Sri Lanka in 2014. The British were the largest Western European tourist group, with 144,168 visitors, followed by the Germans with 102,977 tourists. With more than 20,000 visitors, the Swiss made up the fifth largest tourist group from Western Europe. While the Sri Lankan government has spread the image of a country that has returned to normality, the reality appears much more disturbing.

The STP report looks at whether, and to what extent, human rights abuses relating to tourism development have taken place in the three newly developed tourist regions of Kuchchaveli, Passikudah and Kalpitiya, as well as the degree to which the local population can actually profit from the tourism boom. The results are sobering: in these regions, hotels and resorts block fishermen’s access to the sea, which pose a major threat to the economic livelihoods of entire families. There have been instances of land grabbing and only a small section of the local population is able make a living through tourism.

Moreover, the military is increasingly focusing its budget on tourism with the army, navy and air force opening hotels all over the country and increasingly offering tourist activities. The provision of tourism services by the military is problematic since it deprives the local population of a valuable income source. It also raises major concerns with regards to transparency.

Travel agencies are responsible

Despite the troubling human rights situation, at least 49 German and 21 Swiss travel agencies and their British subsidiaries offer hotels in the three tourist regions. Whilst the current voluntary efforts of some individual travel agencies to better exercise their due diligence concerning human rights is welcomed, the report shows clearly that, in the case of Sri Lanka, these efforts are not sufficient to prevent lacking consultation processes, land grabbing, displacements and restrictions on access to the sea.

Demands

Travel agencies must not offer hotels that are built on grabbed land, that restrict the access of local fishermen to the sea, that discriminate against women and minorities and that forbid or restrict unionisation of employees.
Travel agencies must not offer hotels which are managed by the military or which offer tourist activities provided by the military as long as it cannot be proven that this was not based on illegal land grabbing or other human rights abuses.
Travel agencies must regularly monitor and ensure the exercise of due diligence concerning human rights throughout their entire value-added chain, including the hotels and other tourist activities that they offer, and guarantee that no human rights are abused through the activities of their suppliers and service providers.
Travel agencies should introduce grievance mechanisms that are available to the affected population. Human rights violations in tourism must be counteracted through concrete means and abuses must be remedied.

In addition, Tourism Concern, the STP and Sri Lanka Campaign demand that the Sri Lankan government changes its tourism strategy, that it enforces the relevant laws and guidelines and that it protects the population, including all minorities, from human rights abuses. Sri Lanka needs economic development in tourism. However, this must not come at the cost of human rights abuses, land grabbing or displacements. It is demanded that Swiss travel agencies pay closer attention and exercise their due diligence with regards to human rights.

You can download a summary of the report here

Other reports:

Study of the issues on Land Grabbing and its Socio-Cultural, Economic and Political Implications on Kalpitiya Island Communities (2013)
Globalised Tourism Development in Sri Lanka: Implications for Human Rights, Sustainable Development and Peacebuilding (2011)