Sri Lankan professor initiates tsunami scholarships

Dr. Patrick Mendis, a Sri Lankan-born former American diplomat and advisor to the US Delegation to the United Nations, is donating the proceeds of his book to set up tsunami scholarships and a peace prize in Sri Lanka.

The book-- "Globalization: The Human Side of Globalization as If the Washington Consensus Mattered"-- is an analysis of how the Washington Consensus influences global policies around the world.

In his book, which is available at Lulu.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble, Dr. Mendis has surveyed the impact on these policies-- particularly at the time he served as a visiting professor of the University of Pittsburgh's 'Semester at Sea' programme in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Dr. Patrick Mendis's personal accounts of growing up in Polonnaruwa and Minnesota serves as an introduction to the subject of globalization-- which he calls "glocalization."

The "Peace Prize for Compassionate Minds" is to be given annually to a person or organization working towards peace in Sri Lanka. The two Tsunami scholarships have been established at Sarvodaya.

Dr. Mendis teaches MA courses in international relations courses to the US military in the Washington DC area. He presented a copy of the Sri Lankan edition to White House Chief of State Andy Card in Washington DC.

A First Class Honours graduate of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Dr Mendis had previously endowed two scholarships in his alma mater from the sales of his previous books and awards in 1993.

Later, he establised another scholarship in honour of his American mentor Ambassador Harland Cleveland at the University of Moratuwa's Sir Arthur C. Clarke Centre for Modern Technologies.

Former UN Undersecretary General Jayantha Dhanapala wrote: "Trained in the discipline of geography, Dr. Mendis' book is a multi- disciplinary analysis that is both stimulating and eminently readable."

And in his Foreword to the book, British-born Sir Arthur Clarke wrote: "We share a lot more than just our passion for Sri Lanka. He and I are both Fellows of the World Academy of Art and Science - I first got to know Patrick when he visited me with his American mentor, Ambassador Harland Cleveland, who was President of the Academy for several years.