FY-2003 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINATION FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002091

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-ISABELLE ZSOLDOS/DEBORAH THOMPSON,
ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; SA/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO OEXC
SUBJECT: FY-2003 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINATION FOR
MRP ON "SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION": JANUARY 9-30, 2003
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2003-0008

REF: (A) COLOMBO 01899 (B) STATE 126530 (C) STATE 50054


1. POST NOMINATES MS. ASHA DHANASIRI, SENIOR LEGAL
OFFICER, ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION LTD.,FOR
PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT PROJECT.


2. NOMINATION IS AS FOLLOWS:
EXPORT-SOURCE: USIS EVDB
VERSION: 3.0.0
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS Colombo
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA
START NOMINATION:
USIA-OFFICE: E/VGN
PROG-AGENCY-NAME:
POST-PROJ-ID: 63
USIA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2003-0008
PROJ-NAME: Sustainable Economic and Environmental
Development - January 9-30, 2003
START MEMO PROJ-DESC:

END MEMO PROJ-DESC:
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor
FY: 2003
DEPART-POST: 01/07/2003
SESSION-DATE: 01/09/2003
RETURN-POST: 02/02/2003
NO-OF-PART: 1
RANK-ORDER: 5
START MEMO POST-OBJ:
This project is in support of MPP strategic goal on
"Economic Development"
END MEMO POST-OBJ:
START MEMO POST-RCMD:

END MEMO POST-RCMD:
USIA-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: Economics (General)
START BIO:
PREFIX: Ms.
F-NAME: Asha
M-NAME:
L-NAME: DHANASIRI
SUFFIX:
PRINCIPAL?: Yes
M-ADDR1: Environmental Foundation Ltd.
M-ADDR2: 3 Campbell Terrace
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Colombo 10
M-STATE:
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
M-ZONE:
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: (94-74) 616-474
M-FAX: (94-1) 697-226
M-EMAIL:
M-CNTRY-ID: CE
M-ADDRTYPE: B
GENDER: F
DOB: 05/09/1973
MAR-STAT: S
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
START MEMO POSITION:
Senior Legal Officer, Environmental Foundation Ltd.
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:

END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
1998 - Law Officer, Environmental Foundation, Ltd.
1993-98 - Clerk, National Intellectual Property Office
in Sri Lanka
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:

END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:

END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
Attorney-at-Law, Sri Lanka Law College, 1998
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 strategic goal on
"Economic Development"
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: Teresa Manlowe
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Asha Dhanasiri is the Senior Legal Officer and head of
the legal division of the Environmental Foundation Ltd.
(EFL),a leading environmental NGO in Sri Lanka. Asha,
as head of the legal division, is the second most
senior officer at EFL and plays a key role in
administration and management of the foundation. The
section heads are involved in day to day
administration, fund raising, policy formulation,
litigation decisions and campaign issues. Asha is
responsible for environmental litigation and public
interest cases of the foundation.
EFL was founded in 1981. It is currently supported by
the Ford Foundation and Helvos. EFL is a member of the
"Friends of the Earth International," a leading
international NGO similar to Green Peace. EFL has 26
full time employees, including six lawyers, four
environmental scientists, and several science and
management graduates. It takes a visible and an active
role in all major environment related issues in Sri
Lanka such as bio-technology, environmental pollution
and protection, forestry, elephant conservation etc.
Most recently, EFL has been advocating against GM foods
and the U.S. tropical Forest Conservation Act as well
as the ADB funded wildlife and nature protection
project. EFL protests were in direct conflict with
U.S. commercial and diplomatic interests. For example,
a GM food ban will have an adverse effect on US food
exports to Sri Lanka and set a bad precedence on trade
policy. Similarly, a US company has recently won a
contract under the ADB funded wildlife project and
smooth implementation of the project is vital for the
US Company. EFL is likely to continue to play a key
role in environment policy formulation and litigation
in Sri Lanka.
Asha is fluent in English and has a strong legal
background. We expect her to play a key role in the
EFL management in the future. Asha has never traveled
to the U.S.


END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
NOM-OFF: Econ/Comm
SPEAKER?: No
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes
MEDIA?: No
HOME-STAY: Yes
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE:
NOMINEE-ID: 93
PERSON-ID: 97
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
END BIO:
END NOMINATION:


3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE NOMINATIONS.
WILLS