US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1133

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001133 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR MARGERY BENSON/ SEQUITA ROBINSON; 
INFO: ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2004 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINATION FOR 
MRP ON "PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION": 
APRIL 29-MAY 20, 2004 
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VGN-2004-0022 
 
REF: (A) STATE 079203, (B) COLOMBO 0676 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MR. W. UPUL JOSEPH FERNANDO, 
DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION, FOR 
PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT PROJECT. 
 
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: 3.0.5 
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.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: 95 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2004-0022 
PROJ-NAME: Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution 
- April 29-May 20, 2004 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 04/27/2004 
SESSION-DATE: 04/29/2004 
RETURN-POST: 05/23/2004 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 11 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on 
"Democracy" 
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: Conflict Resolution 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: W. Upul 
M-NAME: Joseph 
L-NAME: FERNANDO 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 0 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: National Academy for Political Education 
M-ADDR2: Cambridge Terrace 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Colombo 3 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-75) 551-219 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 10/20/1967 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Ja-Ela 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Director, National Academy for Political Education, 
2003- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Journalist/Political columnist, Lankadeepa (Sinhala 
daily newspaper) 1993- to date 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1990-92 - Research Assistant, Institute of Fundamental 
Studies 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
1999 (one week) - participated in a Voluntary Visitor 
program 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
LL.B., Open University of Sri Lanka, 1995 
B.A., University of Colombo, 1996 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
Member of the Sri Lanka Journalists' Association. 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
Is a regular contributor to the national newspapers on 
politics and society. 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 3 
ENGL-SPEAK: 3 
ENGL-COMP: 3 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on 
"Democracy" 
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: Bruce A. Lohof 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Mr. Upul Joseph Fernando has been a reputed political 
coulmnist in the Sinhala press for the past ten years. 
 His interests in politics, especially in conflict 
studies, has allowed him to head the National Academy 
for Political Education (NAPE), which is affiliated to 
the ruling United National Party.  NAPE conducts 
training for budding politicians such as grassroot 
level political activists, local government and 
provincial council politicians.  Therefore, Mr. 
Fernando's role as its director is vital to the 
country's future leaders.  In addition to his work at 
NAPE, he continues to regularly write for the Sinhala 
press on current political issues, especially on 
conflict resolution and the peace process. 
Although he has had a short experience in the U.S. in 
1999, this promising young researcher cum journalist 
should have a properly structured exposure to the U.S. 
through an IV program such as "Preventive Diplomacy and 
Conflict Resolution." 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 129 
PERSON-ID: 132 
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: 0 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 30.0501 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0 
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. 
CAMP