FY-2004 RP "CIVIC EDUCATION IN RELIGIOUS

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 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