US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO811

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000811 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/M ISABELLE ZSOLDOS/SEQUITA ROBINSON; 
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 
"RELIGION AND THE COMMUNITY", JULY 21-AUGUST 11, 2005. 
PROJECT NO. E/VM-2005-0034 
 
REF: COLOMBO 00765 
 
1. Post nominates Ven. M. "Mangala" Bhikku, Lecturer, 
University of Ruhuna, 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: 121 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VM-2005-0034 
PROJ-NAME: Religion and the Community - July 21-August 11, 
2005 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 07/19/2005 
SESSION-DATE: 07/21/2005 
RETURN-POST: 08/13/2005 
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: U 
SUBJ-DISC: Religion 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: 
F-NAME: Ven. Makola 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: MANGALA, Thero 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 219 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Sri Sudharshanarama Purana Viharaya 
M-ADDR2: Kiribathgoda 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Makola 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-11) 291-0695 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 10/06/1961 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Lecturer, University of Ruhuna, 2002- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Student Counsellor, 2002- to date 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
2000-2001 - Assistant Lecturer, University of Kelaniya 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
India - 1999 - Pilgrimate 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
M. Phil (Buddhist Philosophy) - 2001; M.A. (Buddhist 
Philosophy) - 2002, University of Kelaniya 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
Specialities of Lord Buddha by the Ministry of Buddha 
Sasana in 2002 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
Strict vegetarian 
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: 
Ven. Mangala, a respected senior lecturer in Buddhism at an 
important Sri Lankan university, has an extensive 
background in community service as the student counsellor 
of the University of Ruhuna.  As an academic and religous 
leader, he would gain experience and the knowledge through 
the pariticpation in "Religion and the Community" program 
that could be disseminated to a wider audience --young and 
old -- in southern Sri Lanka.  Providing an opportunity to 
a person of Ven. Mangala's caliber to expose himself to the 
religious freedom in the U.S., role in the community and 
the cooperative efforts with leaders of other religions, 
would cement his ties to the U.S. and further our goal for 
better relations with Buddhists. 
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: 160 
PERSON-ID: 167 
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: 38.0299 
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