Justice & Nationhood: Eelam Tamil Question

An International Conference — 2026 London

(Parallel venues in Trincomalee, Chennai & Toronto)

Justice · Nationhood · Global Solidarity

Across decades of conflict and displacement, the nation of Eelam Tamils has carried an enduring call for justice, dignity, and self-determination.

Justice and Nationhood: The Eelam Tamil Question is a global gathering that brings together scholars, legal experts, activists, and community voices to explore pathways toward a just political solution and international accountability.

Sixteen years after the end of the war, this conference seeks not only to revisit history but to shape a collective future that recognises the truth, renews intellectual leadership, and restores faith in justice.

📍 Lead Venue: London, United Kingdom
📍 Parallel Hubs: Trincomalee | Chennai | Toronto
📅 Date: To be announced (2026)
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Message from the Convenors

The conference was born from a shared conviction that moral clarity and intellectual rigour can realign a fragmented struggle and renew collective purpose.

Initiated in London in late 2024 by a small circle of Tamil professionals, activists, and thinkers, this process has evolved into a collaborative effort by individuals working together with shared responsibility, guided by inclusivity, independence, and integrity.

The conference seeks to bring together Tamil scholars, youth, community leaders, and organisations across the homeland and diaspora, alongside international experts and friends of justice. It is both an invitation and an inspiration, a space to think, deliberate, and act with the wisdom of experience and the courage of conviction.

Our aim is to strengthen coherence, rebuild confidence, and cultivate the statesmanship required to guide the nation of Eelam Tamils toward a just and lasting solution.

About the Conference

In the sixteen years since the genocidal war, the nation of Eelam Tamils has faced fragmentation and the absence of a unified direction. This conference seeks to transform that condition by fostering a collective, coherent, and future-oriented engagement.

By bringing together leading international experts and Tamil voices from the homeland, the diaspora, and Tamil Nadu, it aims to clearly and credibly articulate to the world the common position and aspirations of the Eelam Tamils regarding a just political solution to their national question.

The conference aspires to produce guiding principles and roadmaps that serve all Tamil organisations and advocates working toward justice, self-determination, and lasting peace, while strengthening the moral and intellectual foundations for a collective Tamil position at the global level.

Current Phase of the Process

The initiative for this conference originated through online deliberations in December 2024, driven by the necessity for an independent and inclusive process to address the national question of the Eelam Tamils.

A first planning meeting took place in London in mid-2025, bringing together the convenor and the three initiators, who agreed on preparatory work guided by the principle: "If you build it, they will come."

Since then, a set of milestones has been established. The preparatory phase now underway includes:

  • Gathering key documents and establishing a shared digital working environment.
  • Engaging international experts and preparing briefing materials on constitutional discourse, international justice, and related themes.
  • Encouraging Tamil organisations, youth, and professionals worldwide to participate in Working Groups that demonstrate inclusive and practical collaboration.
  • Laying the groundwork for the formation of a Steering Committee and an Advisory Panel to oversee the next stages of the process.

The second milestone meeting, planned for December 2025, will review the preparatory work, showcase progress, and finalise the framework for formal organising.

The conference itself, scheduled for 2026, will be the culmination of this process. It aims to crystallise the collective insights and positions developed during the preparatory stages, presenting them in a clear and principled form before the world.

Conference Themes

The conference will engage with a broad spectrum of interrelated themes central to justice, nationhood, and political transformation for the nation of Eelam Tamils.

These represent key areas of focus, but the scope of the conference is not confined to the topics listed below; original, comparative, and cross-disciplinary contributions are warmly encouraged.

The deliberations will also reflect on the realities and dilemmas faced by Tamil political stakeholders, balancing principled aspirations with practical pathways and navigating the constraints and opportunities shaped by geopolitics. Beyond policy and process, the effort also seeks to clarify, shape, and renew the shared vision, values, and guiding principles that underpin the Tamil national struggle, cultivating unity of purpose rooted in justice and human dignity.

Five Key Areas of Reflection and Action

Outlined by the convenor, initiators, and policy planners, and to be further refined by the Steering Committee and Advisory Panel, these five interlinked areas provide the overarching framework of the conference:

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International Justice

Advancing accountability, truth, and redress through global mechanisms and civil-society initiatives.

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Political Leverage

Developing strategic capacity and coherent self-determination frameworks that enhance Tamil agency.

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Economic Position

Addressing the foundations of sustainable development, equity, and self-reliance.

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International Relations & Global Solidarity

Engaging with a changing world order through people-centred alliances and alternative narratives.

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Nation-Building

Renewing collective identity, leadership ethics, and democratic coherence for the nation of Eelam Tamils.

These focal points also recognise the need to harness technology and participatory democratic systems to broaden inclusion and invite grassroots engagement.

The initiators envision a process that encourages collaborative platforms and digital ecosystems through which communities can deliberate, co-create, and work collectively on a Manifesto-based model that inspires programs and projects capable of course-correcting and direction-setting the long-term journey of the nation of Eelam Tamils.

Indicative Topics for Papers and Panels

Submissions and discussions may explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:

  • International Justice and Accountability
  • Unified Ultimatum for a Political Solution
  • Political Leverage and Self-Determination Frameworks
  • Defining Self-Determination
  • Economic Position and Developmental Vision
  • People-Centred International Solidarity
  • Unique Characteristics of Eelam Tamil Nationhood
  • Democratic Structure and Consensus Decision-Making

Programme Overview

Three-Day Programme Overview (Indicative)

Day 1

Global Reflections

Keynotes by international experts on constitutional design, self-determination, and justice frameworks.

Day 2

Stakeholder Papers and Panels

Presentations and discussions by homeland, diaspora, and Tamil Nadu stakeholders, as well as invited experts and solidarity partners, exploring key conference themes and proposals.

Day 3

Core Principles and Declarations

Collective sessions to review findings, finalise agreed Core Principles, and issue public statements and next-step resolutions.

Venues

Venues: London (lead), Toronto, Trincomalee, and Chennai, interlinked through digital platforms.

Lead Venue

London

Parallel Hub

Trincomalee

Parallel Hub

Chennai

Parallel Hub

Toronto

மாநாட்டின் நோக்கம்

இன அழிப்புப் போரின் 16 ஆண்டுகளின் பின்னான சூழலில் ஈழத்தமிழர் தம்முள் பலவாகச் சிதறுண்டுள்ள நிலையை மாற்றியமைத்து; அவர்தம் பெரும்பான்மை நிலைப்பாட்டை தெள்ளத் தெளிவாக உலகறியச் செய்யும் பொருட்டு சர்வதேசப் பேராளர்களின் ஆலோசனைகளையும் அவதானிப்புகளையும் குவியப்படுத்தி; ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசியக் கேள்விக்கான அரசியல் தீர்வு தொடர்பான ஐயந்திரிபற்ற நிலைப்பாட்டைத் தாயக, புலம்பெயர் ஈழத் தமிழர்களும், தமிழ்நாட்டு ஆதரவாளர்களும் சர்வதேச மட்டத்தில் ஒன்று கூடித் தீர்மானித்து உரிய வடிவில் வெளியிடுவதோடு; இது தொடர்பில் அனைத்துவித தமிழ் அமைப்பினருக்கும் பலனளிக்கும் வகையிலான வழிகாட்டிக் கோட்பாடுகளையும் நிலைப்பாடுகளையும் வழிவரைபடங்களையும் தகுந்த முறைப்படி முன்வைக்கச் செய்தல்.

Call for Papers

We welcome submissions addressing any aspect of the Eelam Tamil national question and its intersections with international law, justice, and political transformation.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Abstract (maximum 400 words) and a short bio (up to 150 words)
  • Deadline: TBA (2026)
  • Notification of Acceptance: TBA
  • Full Paper Deadline: TBA
  • Language: English or Tamil
  • Send to: cfp@tamilconference.org

Abstracts should clearly outline the research topic, significance, and primary question. The Academic Committee will review papers.

Panel Proposals

We invite proposals for collaborative panels exploring key themes of justice, nationhood, and international engagement.

Each proposal should include:

  • A 300-word description of the panel theme
  • A list of proposed participants
  • Short bios (up to 150 words each)
  • Submission Deadline: TBA (2026)
  • Notification of Acceptance: TBA
  • Send to: panels@tamilconference.org

Indicative panel themes: Right of Self-Determination, Political Solution Roadmap, Nation-Building, International Solidarity, Justice for International Crimes.

Process and Participation

The conference is a self-mobilised and independent process, not owned by any organisation. Its organising team consists of individuals working collectively to create a credible, inclusive, and forward-looking platform for all Tamil stakeholders and their partners in justice.

Core Principles: Independence · Inclusivity · Integrity · Collaboration · Youth Engagement

Contact

📧

General Inquiries

For general questions and information

info@tamilconference.org
Phone (WhatsApp): +44 7983 330979
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Paper Submissions

Submit your research abstracts

cfp@tamilconference.org
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Panel Proposals

Propose collaborative panels

panels@tamilconference.org