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The issue, no. 4 (2013) of the journal International Development Policy on religion and development, edited by Moncef Kartas and Kalinga Tudor Silva, includes two articles on Sri Lanka:Wim van Daele, The Political Desire of Ritual and Activism in Sri LankaAmidst the complexity of the development-religion nexus, this chapter examines desire and its varying expressions as fundamental concerns of many religions motivating both development and alternatives to development. In Sri Lanka, as people deal with social change, the neoliberal and globalised development is understood and re-interpreted through local idioms and formations of desire. The neoliberal economy cultivates desire and, as such, leads to a perceived increase in the presence of pretas (greedy, hungry ghosts) that occasionally emerge when people die. The hungry ghosts, as fetishised formations of desire, resonate with consumers and entrepreneurs, who exhibit an insatiable hunger for ever more material wealth. Hence, the ritual appeasement of hungry ghosts and the social activism of groups such as the Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform are clearly linked by their mutual concern with the existential insecurity of fellow human and non-human beings caused by excessive and unbalanced desire. However, the explicit articulation of specific concerns regarding desire diverges between ritual action and social activism. Ritual materialises and condenses the anxiety related to desire, whereas social activism describes the fetishisation of desire in more abstract economic, political and scientific terms.Indika Bulankulame, Convictions Beyond the Bomb: Interplays between Violence, Religion and Development in Sri LankaPrior to the conclusion of 30 years of civil war, many ordinary Sri Lankans were caught in bombings intended to disrupt daily life. This occurred not only in the war zone, but also in urban areas, primarily the capital of Colombo. While many lost their lives, others survived – scarred, disabled and traumatised. This chapter explores the meaning of ‘survival’ as experienced in newly-formed role of ‘bomb victim’. In doing so, this chapter questions the capacity of survivors to be productive as breadwinners and/or deal with the severe economic dislocations resulting from the drastic changes in their lives’ trajectories. Overall, the chapter finds that the loss of income and inability to fully participate in the market economy isolating the survivors from the main discourses of development, and purported opportunities offered therein. The end of hostilities has marked a clear drive to develop Sri Lanka, and in this important post-war stage, it is important to note the various ways in which religion is used to address survival needs. This chapter thus highlights the dynamic interplay between religion, political violence and development. In doing so, the chapter examines religious responses to (neo) liberal, market-driven globalisation, the experience of terror and violence, and the interaction thereof.For more details on the publication, go to http://poldev.revues.orgSource: AISLS