Charani Patabendige, Acting Research Analyst and Research Assistant at the Institute of National Security Studies, Sri Lanka, has been awarded the Best Poster Presentation Award at the International Research Conference 2024, organized by General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. Her poster, titled "The Role of Information Warfare in Exacerbating Ethnic Tensions: A Case Study of Sinhala-Muslim Dynamics in Sri Lanka," was recognized under the Defence and Strategic Studies track.
The research delved into how Information Warfare (IW) exploits existing ethnic tensions, focusing on the Sinhala-Muslim dynamics in Sri Lanka. Through qualitative analysis and social media research, Charani highlighted how IW fuels societal division by manipulating historical and religious grievances, posing a critical threat to national security and social harmony.
Her study emphasized the need for regulatory, educational, and community-based approaches to effectively counter the growing threat of IW.