US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO806

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000806 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/M MARGERY BENSON/DEBORAH THOMPSON; INFO 
ECA/PE/V/R/N/-LARRY A. MOODY, SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT:  FY 05 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINEE FOR MRP 
"LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR WOMEN", MARCH 3-24, 2005. 
PROJECT NO. E/VM-2005-0015 
 
REF: COLOMBO 00765 
 
1. Post nominates Pushpika G. "Weerakoon", Research Intern, 
Ministry of Justice, for participation in subject project. 
Post confirms that this nomination has "full country team 
approval." 
 
2. Nomination is as follows: 
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): 
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables 
: automated processing in Washington and should not be 
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. 
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.7 
POST-EMAIL: tilakawardenac@state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
ECA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 127 
ECA-PROJ-NO: e/VM-2005-0015 
PROJ-NAME: Leadership Development for Women - March 3-24, 
2005 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 03/01/2005 
SESSION-DATE: 03/03/2005 
RETURN-POST: 03/26/2005 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 0 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on "Democratic 
Systems and Practices" 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: Women's Rights 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Ms. 
F-NAME: Pushpika 
M-NAME: Ganganie 
L-NAME: WEERAKOON 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 100 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: 27/14 Rosmead Place 
M-ADDR2: 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Colombo 7 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-11) 269-4549 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: pushpisweet@hotmail.com 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: F 
DOB: 05/08/1979 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Research Intern, Ministry of Justice, June 2003- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
January-May 2003 - Trainee Counsellor/Adviser, Brent Victim 
Support Scheme, UK 
May-December 2002 - Legal Secretary, Fernando Co. 
Solicitors, UK 
1989-99 - Radio Presenter, Asia Broadcasting Network, Sri 
Lanka 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
2000 - Short visit on holiday 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
United Kingdom - 1999-2003 - For Studies 
India - Jan. 1999 - Holiday 
France - Sept. 1999 - Holiday 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
LL.B., University of Buckingham, U.K., 2001 
LL.M. University of Buckingham, U.K., 2003 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on "Democratic 
Systems and Practices" 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Joseph Novak 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Ms. Weerakoon is a well rounded, young and dynamic lawyer 
and a civil servant with tremendous leadership potential, 
as evidenced by her numerous involvement in student 
associations.  Currently working as a researcher in the Sri 
Lankan Ministry of Justice in Law Reform, she also serves 
as a justice of peace.  Exposure to U.S. strategies of 
leadership development for women would broaden her 
perspective and enable her to augment her proven leadership 
potential. 
This nomination has "full Country Team approval." 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Political 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 167 
PERSON-ID: 173 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 05.0207 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: DOS 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: DOS 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 8000 
USGOVT-AGENCY2: 
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 
INTL-ORG1: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 
INTL-ORG2: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 
COMMISSION: 0 
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-CAT: 5 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: 
 
3. Please advise acceptance of this nomination. 
Lunstead