 Today @
Water’s Edge
New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance at The Grand Ballroom, Water’s Edge with ‘Misty &
Ultimate’ providing music for the night
Ceylon Continental Hotel
Dance all night to the enchanting music of ‘Friends’ to herald 2007 in real
style and class at Sapphire Ballroom, Ceylon Continental Hotel, Colombo
Hilton
Silver Ball 2006, New Year’s Eve diner dance at the Grand Ballroom, Hotel
Hilton, with ‘Pearl and Gypsies’
Holiday Inn
‘Blast Thru 2006’, 31st night dinner dance with ‘Kings’ and ‘Summerset’ at
Holiday Inn. The Guest artist and Compere will be Ronnie Leitch and Faizal
Bongso
Galadari
Grand Ballroom gala family dinner dance at Hotel Galadari. Music by ‘Heat’ &
Kismat.
Galleface
A ballroom dinner dance with the live band Chandani & Connection at the Jubilee
Room, Galleface Hotel.
Cinnamon Grand
A gala dinner dance on New Year’s Eve at The Oak Room, Cinnamon Grand Hotel.
Music by Wild Fire, Sohan and
X-periments with guest spots by Corrine
Mount Lavinia Hotel
An exclusive buffet at the Terrace, Mount Lavinia Hotel with the most happening
band in town, ‘Exit’
Trans Asia
‘Safri and section 8’, the resident band of the hotel will dish out music for
dinners at Summerfields, Royal Thai and Long Fen restraints, Trans Asia Hotel
Amaya Hills
New Year ‘Break Down’ at ‘Le Garage’, Amaya Hills featuring YES FM DJ’s and
Resident DJ’s Shiran – D and Nalin
Senani Hotels
‘Twilight Rays’ at Senani Hotels, Kandy with ‘Moon Bloom with Hiroshi’
 Curry Leaves Restaurant
‘New Year bash’ at Sports Pub, Piano Bar and the Happenings karaoke Lounge at
the Curry leaves Restaurant, Wellawatta
Flag & Whistle Restaurant
‘Harbour Lights’, at the Flag & Whistle Restaurant, (Setmil Maritime Centre) 5th
Floor 256, Srimath Ramanathan Mawatha Colombo 15, from 9.00 pm onwards
Blue Water Hotel
‘Breeze in to 2007’ at Blue Water Hotel, Wadduwa with ‘Super Pink and Purple’
Taj Airport Garden
‘Dive in to 2007 & Rock & Roll on the Ocean Floor’ at Taj Airport Garden with
‘Judy and Ecstasy
 Jackson Anthony addressing the gathering at the
launch of his book ‘Maha Sinhale Wansa Kathawa’ on December 19 at the BMICH
under the patronage of Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha.
****
‘DRV Award-2006’
Veteran diving instructor and coral
conservationist, Somadasa de Silva of International Diving School of Hikkaduwa
has been awarded the much coveted ‘DRV International Environmental Award-2006’
by German Travel Association (Deutscher Reise Verband) in recognition of
‘restoration of degraded coral reefs through coral transplantation’.
Mr. Somadasa worked tirelessly in replanting of corals as seventy five per cent
of the coral reefs in the Marine Sanctuary of Hikkaduwa were destroyed due to
the El Nino phenomenon in 1998, which caused the discolouring of reefs due to
rising temperature.
He has also published a booklet- ‘Sundara Gal Mal Surakimu’ at his own expense
to make school and university students aware of corals.
****
Pre-schools from Saviya
Seven pre-school buildings and children’s parks
constructed with the funding assistance of the Room to Read Organisation were
declared open and handed over in the Galle and Matara districts on December 26.
The above pre-schools are located at, Ahungalla, Galwehera, Dodanduwa, Ratgama,
Ahangama, Galle and Mirissa.
Under this project the pre-schools will receive school buildings, teaching
material and equipment, water supply, electricity, and a children’s play ground
with basic facilities. The pre-schools - ‘Tusitha’ (Galle), ‘Erandathi’ (Ahungama),
‘Siri Suguna’ (Mirissa), ‘Siri Dhammajothi’ (Bogahapitiya), ‘Peramaga’ (Ahugalla),
‘Wasana’ (Dodanduwa) and ‘Pahantharu’, (Rathgama) will benefit from donors and
several organisations from the United Kingdom.
****
International conference for teachers
The Academy of English and Drama in association
with the American Centre, the British Council, and the Rotary Club of Colombo,
Metropolitan Branch organised an international conference on developing the role
of English education in schools which was held on December 19 at the Galadari
Hotel.
The conference brought together more than 400 teachers from a variety of Sri
Lankan schools and institutions and amongst the speakers was Principal Examiner
and trainer for English O Level in Malaysia, as well as a Chief Coursework
Moderator for English Language GCSE examinations in the UK Barry Childs, from
University of Cambridge international Examinations (CIE).
As part of the event CIE held the English for Teachers forum, which gave
teachers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the current methodology
and practices, and provided a forum where they could seek practical solutions to
the problems they frequently face in the classroom.
The workshop was chaired by William Bickerdike, CIE’s Regional Manager, South
Asia.
****
 Artlink 2007
The annual artlink project is a 10-year-old
collaboration among the British Council, Goethe Institute, Alliance Francaise
and the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts. The project aims to attract young,
innovative amateur artists and designers looking to cross boundaries between
visual and fine arts and performing arts. This is achieved through an exchange
programme that gives a selected number of local participants the opportunity of
working with British, French and German artistes representing the partner
countries over a period of 10 days.
This year’s project will offer an opportunity to 15 Sri Lankan and 3 European
puppeteers to share their experiences, expertise and ideas and to encourage
creativity in developing puppetry in Sri Lanka.
The ten-day workshop will be held at the Piliyandala Puppet Centre from 6 to 16
January which will culminate with two shows.
****
UAE 35th National Day
 A.A.Mohammed Nagoorpichai, Life General
Secretary of the Central Tennekumbura Y.M.M.A., Kandy, wishing UAE Ambassador,
Mohmood Mohammed Al-Mahmood, on the occasion of the UAE 35th National Day, held
at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo with the participation of Alhaj.A.L.Habeeb
Lebbe, JP., Chairman and Co-ordinator, Shahul Hameed Shifan and Anfaz Naveer and
Members of the Association.
****
 Aramie International School at Minuwangoda
Aramie International School, Wattala recently
opened another branch at Minuwangoda. In the photo, Principal and Director of
Education, Mrs. Yvonne Dias, Administrator, Mrs. Penny De Bruyn and the Chief
Guest, Mrs. Bobby Adams sharing a piece of ‘kiribath’ at the auspicious time.
****
Lanka’s first Muslim Rheumatologist
Dr. Kaleel Cassim MBBS, MD (Medicine) created
history when he became the first doctor from the Muslim community in Sri Lanka
to be Board Certified as a Specialist in Rheumatology & Rehabilitation by the
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM). University of Colombo.
Dr. Cassim pursued a career in Medicine by gaining entry to the North Colombo
Medical College, where he passed out with second class honours in 1994, After
having passed the MD (Medicine) Part 1 exam conducted by the PGIM, he trained as
Registrar in General Medicine at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital (SJGH) &
National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL). On passing the MD (Medicine) Part 2 exam
he decided to specialise in Rheumatology & Rehabilitation. He then trained as
Senior Registrar in Rheumatology & Rehabilitation at the NHSL after which he was
awarded a scholarship by the Government of Sri Lanka to undergo his overseas
training in the United Kingdom.
 In the UK he was trained at the prestigious Department of Rheumatology, Dudley
Group of Hospitals NHS Trust where he excelled in both clinical & research
activities During his stay in Dudley he developed a special interest in the
latest treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and was involved in 2 major research
projects on Anti-TNF therapy, which were presented at the prestigious British
Society of Rheumatology (BSR) sessions and European league Against Rheumatism (EULAR)
sessions in 2005. This same research study was published as the main article in
the September 2006 issue of the well known Musculoskeletal care journal in the
UK. Dr. Cassim is the first rheumatologist from Sri Lanka to have his research:
presented and published at the above mentioned sessions and journal. Dr. Cassim
has also been instrumental in arranging places for his junior postgraduate
trainees to go across to Dudley and train in its prestigious Rheumatology unit.
****
Remembering the Ven. Medagama Vajiragnana
Britain – The Most Ven. Dr. Medagama
Vajiragnana, head of the London Buddhist Vihara and the Chief Sangha Nayaka of
Britain, passed away on 15 December 2006 at 09.15 am (London time) at
Hammersmith Hospital, London. He was 78.
The Most Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana was born in Sri Lanka in 1928. He was ordained a
novice monk (samanera) in the village temple of Hippola on 23 March 1943 at the
age of 14. He received his higher ordination when 20 years old at the Malwatu
Vihara in Kandy on 11 May 1949. The Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana received his initial
monastic education at Hippola, before proceeding to the Pratiraja Pirivena in
Agalawatte for two years of further studies. He then studied for nine years at
the Vidyodaya Pirivena in Colombo.
In 1955 the Ven. Doctor attained the degree of Pandit from the Oriental Studies
Society. He then studied for two years at the Pirivena Teachers’ Training
College in Ratmalana, after which he became Principal of the Parama Dhamma
Cetiya Pirivena in Ratmalana.
In 1961 he continued his education in India, completing a two-year diploma
course at the Sanskrit University of Benares, and an M.A. in Sanskrit at the
Jadavpur University of Calcutta. He returned to Sri Lanka to teach at the
Pirivena Teachers’ Training College in Ratmalana, where he once studied.
In 1966 the Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana went to London where he was appointed as the
Assistant Head of the London Buddhist Vihara, by the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust.
The trust, incidentally, is the oldest Buddhist monastic institution in the
West.
He was then faced with the considerable challenge of teaching Buddhism in what
was, for him, a foreign language (English) in a country where Buddhism was
little known, less understood and certainly not the dominant force it was in Sri
Lanka. Despite many cultural and linguistic differences the Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana
established a programme of classes in Buddhism and the Pali language which
attracted much interest from native Britons who were not born as Buddhists.
1974 saw him become the Religious Director of the British Buddhist Association.
Six years later ‘80 he returned to Sri Lanka as the Principal of the Pirivena
Teachers’ Training College in Ratmalana. But the call of Buddhism for the West
soon beckoned him and in 1984 he was in Britain as Head of the London Buddhist
Vihara.
One of his first duties in London was to revive and expand the teaching
programme. By 1986 he had started teaching a course on Buddhism at Birkbeck
College, which is the extra-mural department of the University of London.
Throughout his time in Britain, Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana worked tirelessly to spread
the Buddha’s teachings throughout the Western world. He constantly emphasised
the Buddhist virtues of tolerance, compassion and respect for the beliefs of
others.
In 1987 he became a founder member of the Inter-Faith Network for the U.K.
The aim of the Network is to promote and develop mutual tolerance and respect
among those varied British communities espousing very different faiths and
philosophies.
The Inter-Faith Network incorporates nine major religions, given here in alpha
order: Bah’aism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism,
Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.
The Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana was one who lead the thrust to network over 80
organisations in the inter-faith enterprise at local, regional and national
levels.
Thus representative bodies of all the above-stated religions came to a new
understanding of the universal spirit of their faiths.
 Having helped found the Inter-Faith Network in Britain, Co-Vice-Chairman in Ven.
Doctor was also an ex-co member and trustee. Most importantly in recognition of
his dedicated service, and he was appointed Co-Vice-Chairman of the network
which he regarded as one of the most important roles he held in his work.
For 20 years, The Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana he represented the Buddhist faith at the
annual Commonwealth Day Observance in Westminster Abbey. He had also been
invited to represent the Buddhistic Community at royal functions, such as the
celebration of H.M the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the 100th birthday
celebrations of H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
He was a guest at the enthronement of the Rt. Rev. George Carey as Archbishop of
Canterbury in 1991, the opening Service of the 13th Lambeth Conference in
Canterbury in 1998 and had many, informal meetings with Dr. Carey to discuss
interfaith matters. The Ven. Doctor was also invited by Prime Minister Rt. Hon.
Tony Blair, MP, to attend an emergency meeting of religious leaders to discuss
matters relating to 9/11 and its after math.
He also represented the Buddhist community at the annual Remembrance Day service
at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
The Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana was in constant demand as a speaker not only in Britain
but also in many other countries. In 1987 he was invited to an Interfaith
Seminar on Peace in Rome organised by the Catholic Church.
In 1996 he attended the Gethsemane Encounter - a dialogue on the spiritual life
between Buddhist and Christian Monastics in Gethsemane Abbey, Kentucky, USA. He
attended many meetings of the Buddhist-Christian Dialogue at the University of
Purdue in Kentucky, USA.
The late Ven. Dr. Vajiragnana was instrumental in founding The Rahula Trust, in
1999. This is a charity aimed at helping deserving children receive a good
education, no matter what their culture or religion. The Trust now helps several
hundred children in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Kenya. The Ven. Doctor -- the author of
much literature on all aspects of Buddhism.
In the New Year’s Honours List 2006, the Ven. Dr. M. Vajiragnana was awarded the
O.B.E. for his inter-faith services.
May be attain Nibbana with the same speediness that all his work on earth was
endowed with.
(Issued by the London Buddhist Vihara, the Avenue, London W4 1UD)
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