Cablegate: Fy-2004 Rp "Civic Education in Religious

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

090600Z Jul 04

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

© Scoop Media