In late 2006, unanticipated torrential rains that were the outcome of the existing climate instability caused massive landslides in the Walapane area of the Central Province. Whole villages that had stood for years on the hillsides were damaged beyond repair by the disaster.

Two activists of the GMSL - Ishikawa from Japan and Keerthi from Sri Lanka had been working for months helping the victims of these disasters. They were astonishingly successful in their activities although they didn't subscribe to any "known" methods of "participation based community rehabilitation".

Instead of workshops or "community mobilization" they simply engaged individuals or families on a one-on-one basis giving them a sense of "community" from an individual perspective and a mental urgency to see that things were done .and these individuals sprung to action through an amazing commitment and energy of their own which these two young activists has kindled in them. Every single person in the community pitched in - not as a collective but rather by doing what each could do best.

As the two of them told us later, they simply enabled the victims to "share responsibility for suitable action" and that phrase and its acronym (SRSA) became the strap line of our entire effort for Sri Lanka.

Many people who have picked it up and run with it owe thanks to Ishi and Kiththa for opening their eyes to a unique and high impact method of community engagement.