Collective for Historical Dialogue & Memory

Collective for Historical Dialogue & Memory The Collective for Historical Dialogue & Memory (CHDM) works with the past to create just futures for all peoples in Sri Lanka

The Collective for Historical Dialogue and Memory (CHDM) is pleased to announce its official launch. CHDM is an independent and specialist institution that devises and implements processes centred around interrogating, documenting and preserving forgotten and neglected aspects of Sri Lanka’s complex past. CHDM’s core pillars focus on archival work, history education, museums and historical dialogu

e. CHDM is committed to working in a collaborative and interdisciplinary manner. Our supporters and collaborators will be familiar with CHDM’s previous work through the Historical Dialogue and the Memory Culture Unit of the former GIZ-SRP programme, many activities of which will continue, including its popular memory walks, the travelling history museum and its interventions in history didactics. CHDM was founded by a group of practitioners from diverse fields to contribute to memory work and to strengthen the practices of archiving, museology and history education. Please check in with this page or contact us directly to find out more about our work and the events we have lined up.

Seeking Truths Through Historical Fiction brought together readers, writers, and history enthusiasts for an engaging con...
07/06/2026

Seeking Truths Through Historical Fiction brought together readers, writers, and history enthusiasts for an engaging conversation with V. V. Ganeshananthan on the relationship between history and fiction, and the ways storytelling helps us engage with memory, lived experience, and the past.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the discussion. We are especially grateful to V. V. Ganeshananthan for sharing her insights and reflections.

Our sincere thanks to The Gratiaen Trust for supporting this event and helping make this conversation possible.

We have successfully concluded the first round of our Feminism Reading Praxis! A heartfelt thank you to Hiranyada Dewasi...
07/06/2026

We have successfully concluded the first round of our Feminism Reading Praxis!

A heartfelt thank you to Hiranyada Dewasiri and Siva Malathy for their insightful inputs as resource persons and everyone who joined us, shared their thoughts, listened, questioned, and contributed to the conversations. Your participation made this reading circle a meaningful space for collective learning and reflection.

Stay tuned as we continue the Feminism Reading Praxis on a monthly basis from July onwards, exploring new themes, texts, and perspectives together.

Join us for an evening with author V.V. Ganeshananthan, exploring the relationship between history and fiction.Register ...
03/06/2026

Join us for an evening with author V.V. Ganeshananthan, exploring the relationship between history and fiction.

Register via bit.ly/discussionjune7

Mark your calendars for the events in June!Stay tuned for future updates!
02/06/2026

Mark your calendars for the events in June!
Stay tuned for future updates!

Under Mango Tree (2025) by Damaris Lüthi will be screened at Lakmahal Community Library on 4th of June 2026 from 5.30 pm...
27/05/2026

Under Mango Tree (2025) by Damaris Lüthi will be screened at Lakmahal Community Library on 4th of June 2026 from 5.30 pm onwards. The film will be followed by a discussion with Avanthi Kalansooriya, focusing on feminism and violence.

Avanthi Kalansooriya holds her PhD from Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa | National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at University of Otago. She has taught at the Department of Social Anthropology and College of Education at the University of Otago. She currently teaches as a visiting lecturer at a bachelor’s-level course at the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Kelaniya and a master’s-level course in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A new museum walk with Prof. Asoka de Zoysa on 23rd May 2026
20/05/2026

A new museum walk with Prof. Asoka de Zoysa on 23rd May 2026

In commemoration of International Museum Day, we are introducing a new themed museum walk: “Between Retention and Restit...
20/05/2026

In commemoration of International Museum Day, we are introducing a new themed museum walk: “Between Retention and Restitution.”

Focusing on pre-modern objects of worship, sacred manuscripts, weapons, and furniture from the Kandyan Palace, this guided walk explores the hidden burdens and legacies of Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial occupations.

As part of this week’s series, we look back at some of the ongoing and past activities of the Museums, Communities, and ...
18/05/2026

As part of this week’s series, we look back at some of the ongoing and past activities of the Museums, Communities, and Reparative Practices (MCRP) Programme at the Collective for Historical Dialogue and Memory to coincide with International Museum Day 2026.

Our first guest post by Varisha Narayanan reflects on her experience interning at Gunnersbury Park Museum, working on the exhibition “People Unite: How Southall Changed the Country.” The exhibition was community-curated to commemorate the 1979 Southall uprisings and stands as an important example of community-based curation and the role museums can play in representing voices from within communities.

Mark your calendars for the events in May!Stay tuned for future updates!
04/05/2026

Mark your calendars for the events in May!
Stay tuned for future updates!

01/05/2026

(Lanka-e-News -01.May.2026, 5.30 PM) Sri Lanka has lost one of its most courageous and enduring voices for human rights and social justice. Suriya Wickramasinghe, Secretary of the Civil Rights Movement of Sri Lanka (CRM), former Chair of the International

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25 Elibank Road
Maggona

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Monday 09:00 - 17:30
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:30
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:30
Thursday 09:00 - 17:30
Friday 09:00 - 17:30

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