Dr Thiyagaraja Waradas
(He/Him)
Community Welfare and Development Fund
Sri Lanka / UK
About Thiyagaraja
Dr. Thiyagaraja Waradas is an openly queer Sri Lankan academic and activist working on gender and sexuality in conflict-affected countries focusing on Sri Lanka. He is a lecturer in International Development at the University of Bath, UK. Previously he has taught at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka and Paarami University of Myanmar. His research on LGBT organisations and queer mobilisations has been published in various international publishers and journals. He also served as an expert for Sri Lankan government ministries. He co-founded Sri Lanka’s first LGBT Fund, the Community Welfare and Development Fund (CWDF) a rapid response initiative to provide LGBT persons facing violence with medical and legal aid, and psycho-social support. He contributed to decentralising the SOGIESC movement in Sri Lanka by cocreating regional SOGIESC groups in war-affected Jaffna and Eastern province- Jaffna Sangam and Anichcham Eastern Queer Collective. His persistent advocacy with political parties resulted in one of the key political parties of Sri Lanka, the National Peoples’ power publicly endorsing the SOGIESC rights and decriminalisation.
Thiyagaraja is passionate about supporting LGBTIQA+ persons subject to SGBV, he co-created the Community Welfare and Development Fund(CWDF), the only dedicated rapid deployment emergency fund targeting precarious LGBTIQA+ persons to support them from SGBV. CWDF provides immediate relief such as food, temporary shelter, medical, mental and legal support for the victims. He has been lobbying for addressing the SGBV and discrimination agaisnt SOGIESC persons and continue to engage with politicians and pressure groups in Sri Lanka. He has written on queer mobilizations, pandemic and peacebuilding in Sri Lanka.
About Community Welfare and Development Fund
The Community Welfare and Development Fund (CWDF) is a registered non-profit organization based in Sri Lanka, working towards creating a society where individuals and communities are free from legal and social discrimination and oppression based on their diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Expressions and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC). Through research, advocacy, welfare and community mobilization, the CWDF addresses both the immediate and long-term needs of the LGBTQIA+ communities of Sri Lanka. It is also the major emergency deployment fund in Sri Lanka to help LGBTQIA+ community members in precarious conditions due to prevailing legal, social, political, economic and cultural discrimination in the society.
Thiyagaraja & Community Welfare and Development Fund can provide:
Thiyagaraja is capable of producing policy reports, policy research and situation assessments. Interested in providing translations in Sinhalese, Tamil and English. He has led projects related LGBT rights and advocacy programs. Providing technical inputs about LGBT rights and intersectional justice to government and civil society organisations. Also good in conducting awareness raising workshops and training on SRHR and Sexuality, Gender and peacebuilding. Can be contacted at contactwaradas@gmail.com