About US

The formation

Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) was the first organized body of journalists, writers and human rights defenders who had been forced to flee the island of Sri Lanka due to work related persecution. The group was formed on the 18th of July 2009 at a meeting held in Berlin, Germany.  

The work

The genesis of the JDS reflected the irrepressible desire among the exiles to continue their fight for justice and fundamental rights regardless of the unfamiliar circumstances. It provided a common platform for action for journalists, writers and human rights defenders across ethnic borders. The JDS was instrumental in exposing some of the gravest human rights violations, triggering an international outcry over atrocities committed during the final stages of Sri Lanka's war.

Furthermore, the JDS plays an important role in helping fellow journalists and rights activists who are under threat of persecution. It serves as a primary liaison between international media rights groups and threatened journalists, helping the latter to find safe locations. Since 2011, JDS is functioning also as the Sri Lankan partner organization of Paris based international media rights group, Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The website

The JDS maintained a news blog with aggregated web content related to Sri Lanka since August 2009, providing a unique information space for concerned groups and individuals. In 2011, with the assistance received from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of which Reporters Without Borders is a beneficiary, the JDS started to work on a new website with the aim of drawing out the creative journalistic skills of the exiled journalists. In accordance with the initial agreement, JDS received a total of 3,820 Euros to cover the basic technical implementation and training costs.

The entire journalistic contributions to the website are made on a voluntary basis.

Fair Use

If you wish to reproduce or republish content from this website,  please read our Fair Use Notice.

Submission guidelines

The JDS welcome unsolicited submission of articles, commentaries, reviews, poetry and prose. All contributions should be sent preferably by email, to the address below. Before sending your submissions, please familiarize yourself with the content of the JDS website. The article should include (1) the author’s name, (2) the title of the article  (3) a brief bio with professional and/or institutional background and (4) contact e-mail addresses. Generally, the articles should range from 800 to 1200 words . But submissions which slightly exceed that limit may be acceptable upon special consideration.

Place "Submission:" followed by your name in the subject line of your email.

All article submissions should be sent to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All photo submissions should be sent to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow us on Twitter: @JDSLanka & Facebook: facebook.com/jdslanka