US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1147

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001147 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/R/N-SANA ABED-KOTOB/LARRY MOODY 
INFO: SA/PPD-SHARON E. HUDSON-DEAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2004 RP "CIVIC EDUCATION IN RELIGIOUS 
SCHOOLS, SEPTEMBER 20-OCTOBER 8, 2004: 
SRI LANKAN NOMINATION 
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VGN-2004-0108 
 
REF: STATE 073087 
 
1. POST NOMINATES REV.BADDEGAMA SAMITHA THERO, DEPUTY 
CHIEF INCUMBENT, SRIPADA CHAITHTHYARAMA TEMPLE, 
GOTHATUWA, BADDEGAMA FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE 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: 142 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VGN-2004-0108 
PROJ-NAME: Civic Education in Religious Schools - 
September 20-October 8, 2004 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 9/18/2004 
SESSION-DATE: 9/20/2004 
RETURN-POST: 10/10/2004 
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: RP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: U 
SUBJ-DISC: Civics Education 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: 
F-NAME: Ven. Baddegama 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: SAMITHA, Thero 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 350 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Dutugamunu Viharaya 
M-ADDR2: 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Baddegama 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-91) 229-3204 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 09/14/1952 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Galle 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
President, Sri Saranankara Development Foundation, 
Baddegama, 1998-2001 and 2004 April- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Deputy Chief Incumbent, Sripada Chaiththyarama Temple, 
Gothatuwa, Baddegama 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
Member, Southern Provincial Council, 1993-99 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
None 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
B.A. Lancaster University, U.K., 1989 
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: unknown 
ENGL-READ: 0 
ENGL-SPEAK: 0 
ENGL-COMP: 0 
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: Angela Gemza 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Ven. Samitha, a well-respected Buddhist monk from the 
southern province of Sri Lanka, is a strong social and 
community service worker. To promote religious freedom 
and to address challenges faced in social issues, he 
entered Sri Lankan politics in 1991 winning a seat in 
the 'Pradeshiya Sabha' (Town Council) elections.  In 
2001 he became the first Buddhist monk to be elected a 
Member of Parliament. He has established evening 
classes at his temple for local children repeating the 
day's school lessons in English. Ven. Samitha is 
dedicated to the betterment of education and religious 
institutions in Sri Lanka and through his political 
work seeks to develop a sound and fair education 
system. Exposing Ven. Samitha to the religious freedom 
in the U.S., the separation of church and state and 
role in the religious institutions in education would 
provide him with more tools for influencing educators 
and religious leaders throughout Sri Lanka. 
This nomination has "full Country Team approval." 
 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: PAS 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 185 
PERSON-ID: 191 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: 
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