The trauma of war still lingers with Sri Lankans whether they have been affected directly or not, an activist from the country told a meeting at the UN.

The Indian Ocean island nation is recovering from a 25 year old conflict that pitted government forces against the so-called Tamil Tigers ended in 2009

The society is also deeply divided along religious, ethnic and linguistic lines.

Nine years after the war, people are still wary of sitting next to a stranger in a bus, especially if he carries a bag because of the country’s history with bombs.

Thevuni Kotigala works with a youth group, Open House, that seeks to replace what it describes as a “culture of divisiveness” with hope and reconciliation.

Jocelyne Sambira began by asking how the war affected her.

Duration: 3'02"