The Sri Lankan Parliament is considering the proposed Anti-Conversion Bill which has now passed its 2 nd Reading. Presently, the 'Prohibition of Forcible Conversions Bill' is being considered by a Standing Committee of Parliamentarians.

      On the 23rd of May 2006, a three member delegation from NCEASL made oral and written submissions to the Parliamentary Standing Committee which is considering this Bill, objecting to the entire Bill.

      The Bill will next be taken up for voting in Parliament, where it can be passed and made law with a simple majority (majority of one vote).

It is also learned that there are attempts to introduce other alternate legislation which will also regulate propagation and religious conversions.

      As it is, with no such law in place, there is wide spread harassment and intimidation of Christians, forced closure of Churches and physical attacks on Christian citizens.

      Such a law will only serve to legitimize rampant harassment of minority Christians and violation of the right to religion and worship.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently released a report entitled The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts which found that many students leave school because of boredom and lack of motivation.  The students reported that had there been necessary academic and social supports they would have been more likely to succeed.  In YWAP's eighth year we are seeing kids who entered the program as junior highers now moving into the final stages of high school.  Our goal is to provide those students with the academic and social supports they need when more conventional methods fail.