Abstract:
This study investigates how adaptive gamification strategies can strengthen community resilience
and democratic engagement in post-conflict Sri Lanka, where prolonged ethnic division
has eroded civic trust and political participation. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and
participatory action research, the study employed a mixed-method sequential exploratory design.
Four structured online gamified sessions were conducted with 48 young adults (aged
18–30) drawn from Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Provinces, using interactive digital
platforms incorporating points, achievement badges, collaborative challenges, and polling
mechanisms. Thematic analysis of session data and engagement metrics identified key barriers
to civic participation, including institutional distrust, language accessibility challenges, and
limited professional digital literacy. Findings reveal that gamification significantly enhanced
cross-community dialogue and participant motivation, with 92% actively engaging in collaborative
tasks and 87% earning achievement badges. Unexpectedly, 50% of participants created
professional digital profiles for the first time during the sessions, indicating broader developmental
benefits. The study concludes that culturally adaptive, multilingual gamification platforms
offer a scalable intervention for bridging the gap between marginalized communities and governmental institutions in transitional societies.
