Kaush Weerakoon is a seasoned Development Justice professional with a decade of experience in fostering social justice across Sri Lanka and the broader South Asian region as a dedicated peacebuilder. With a robust foundation in peacebuilding, gender equality, and social inclusion, Kaush brings practitioner-level expertise to her impactful work. Her primary areas of specialization encompass interfaith peacebuilding through the lenses of promoting religious freedom, pluralism, gender equality and social inclusion.
Kaush has played pivotal roles in pioneering peacebuilding organizations in Sri Lanka, notably with the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, where she has excelled as a peacebuilding program professional and facilitator. Her consultancy work extends to various esteemed projects, where she has offered her expertise as a training facilitator and researcher for organizations such as the Center for Development Research and Interventions, Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya and National Christian Evangelical Association. On a regional and international scale, Kaush has collaborated with prominent institutions like KAICIID International Dialogue Center, USAID Asia, FHI 360, the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP), and the Peacemaker Network (Thailand) as a peacebuilder. She is recognized by her community as an interfaith peacebuilder, adept at engaging with faith leaders from all communities to create safe spaces for religious coexistence.
Academically, Kaush has distinguished herself with both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Colombo. Her research has focused on the intersection of mass media and transitional justice processes in Sri Lanka, a subject she thoroughly examined during her BA in Mass Media and continued to explore in her MA in Development Studies, particularly emphasizing the development impacts of reparation mechanisms in transitional justice processes.
Kaush actively engages with a diverse array of stakeholders, including community-based organizations, NGOs, INGOs, and donor organizations. She fosters dialogue and collaboration with youth, faith leaders, state officials, women, and civil society leaders, promoting inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding solutions as a committed community peacebuilder.
Kaush has found spirituality as a foundation for her evolving contributions to social justice. She now serves as the Program Lead at SANDHARA, committing to the greater purpose of the journey that is yet to unfold by SANDHARA.