Our Programs
Sri Lanka Project
We at DVA send Metta to all the Sri Lankan people. May you all be healthy and safe.
The island nation of Sri Lanka has the longest, uninterrupted history of Buddhism of any country in the world. Today about 16 million Buddhists live in Sri Lanka out of a total population of 22 million.
For the past several years, Dharma Voices for Animals (DVA) has been engaged in a Project throughout the country to encourage compassionate diets through presentations, youth art, photography, oratory contests, cooking contests, VegFests, a live TV cooking show, a radio show, and the release of thousands of cookbooks and calendars. DVA also has a very active Sri Lankan Facebook page, moving Sri Lankans to a plant-based diet as we reach well over one million people annually. You can like us on our Facebook page and get updates on nutrition, great food, and DVA activities throughout Sri Lanka.
Dhamma (Sunday) School Program
DVA has been making presentations at Dhamma (Sunday) schools, where approximately 80% of Sri Lankan Buddhist children attend.
We talk directly to the children, their parents, and the teachers about the benefits of taking animal flesh and animal products out of their diet.
The live programs feature a PowerPoint presentation and a showing of our short film: Dharma Voices for Animals Sri Lanka Project: Heart or Tongue. We include the history of how Sri Lanka was largely a vegetarian island before the invasion and occupation by European powers and a call to Sri Lankans to return to their culture of non-harming and compassion. Our team also hands out six-page brochures in Sinhala introducing DVA and explaining why Sri Lankans should adopt a plant-based diet, including:
To practice the Buddha’s teachings of compassion and non-harming
To improve the health of children, families, and individuals
To lessen the impact of environmental disasters such as global warming.
Our team presentations have also focused on medical doctors, soldiers, police officers, women’s groups, factory workers, university students, and farmers.
There are 17 Regional Coordinators all over the island nation.Mr. K. D. G. Rathnayake - Mr. Kurunegala, Mr. Chandrathilak - Gampaha, Mrs. Prasadi Hettiarachchi - Nuwara, Mr. Jayaranjan - Batticaloa, Ms. Vaishnavi - Jaffna, Mr. Chaminda Wickramarachchi - Nuwara Eliya, Mr. Sujeeva Krishantha - Nuwara, Mrs. Subani Senarath - Kurunegala, Mr. Suranga Udaya Kumara, and many others have also contributed to being a voice for the animals in Sri Lanka.
Vet Care Program
DVA’s Sri Lanka Project team includes a group of veterinarians who provide free treatment to animals living at temples and monasteries while also giving presentations at Dhamma schools.
A Look Back…
After we made several presentations to the GMOA (Government Medical Officer’s Association), a prestigious organization of physicians in 2020, they recommended a fully vegetarian diet for all Sri Lankans during a widely viewed press conference.
Presentations to Sri Lankan Soldiers
In 2018, DVA delivered our first presentation to over 1,200 soldiers at a Sri Lankan army post. After the presentation, nearly all the soldiers indicated, with a show of hands, their intention to adopt a compassionate diet.
The second army post presentation took place on October 10, 2019, at the renowned Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre in central Colombo, Sri Lanka, for soldiers in the Sri Lankan army. For over three hours, more than 1,300 soldiers attentively listened to DVA presenters discuss the benefits of a plant-based diet. The audience's response exceeded even our highest expectations.
Dog Feeding
Many dogs in Sri Lanka are starving, a crisis that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic when our dog feeding program first began. DVA’s staff, supported by dedicated volunteers, continued the program even after the pandemic ended, feeding countless dogs in need. Our Regional Coordinators prepare meals and serve them on leaves used as plates, while also encouraging local communities to get involved by organizing their own dog feeding events.
Photography Contest
In 2023, DVA held a photography contest to support the country’s Animal Welfare Bill. After DVA received a total of 1695 photographs from the initial entries, we selected 945 for the final judging. Contestants won cash and other prizes, and their entries were featured in local media which helped raise awareness for protection of animals around the Island Nation.
Art Contest
During DVA’s recent trip to Sri Lanka in December 2024, we held a multi-medium art competition open to children and young adults. The participants attended compassionate eating presentations given by our Regional Coordinator, Sujeewa Krishantha, and were asked to write a story, poem or create art to express the connection between humans and non-human animals. One student drew a powerful image of a pig, which depicted the two ways they are viewed: one was a happy being in nature and the other was divided into food products with an industrial slaughterhouse behind them. (Third photo below.) The participants painted a group image (shown in middle photo) which they presented to DVA President Bob Isaacson and Operations Director Andrea Diaz. Awards were given to all participants.
Special Calendar Events
Our Regional Coordinators host special events across Sri Lanka to highlight the animal suffering linked to practices within the Buddhist community. These events are promoted through our highly sought-after calendar, which is widely distributed to temples and individuals. Our message now reaches thousands of temples, homes, and offices across Sri Lanka, with the calendar becoming a central feature in many Sri Lankan households.
DVA Works to Pass a Modern Animal Welfare Bill
The sad truth is that Sri Lanka ranks dead last in protecting innocent animals among the countries that celebrate democracy in the world. The current animal welfare law called the “Preventing of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance” was passed in 1907 and is barely two pages long. With penalties for abusing animals set to less than a dollar, it is no longer relevant. After 116 years, it is time for Sri Lanka, a nation where DVA has been very warmly received to join the other democracies in the world and finally pass a modern animal welfare law.
DVA has been working for a number of years behind the scenes to encourage the passage of a modern law that has been languishing since 2006. Since 2020, we have been educating the Sri Lankan public and decision makers about the benefits of the bill, and we are optimistic that it will pass soon. We are all very grateful to the visionary and compassionate political leaders in Sri Lanka who have publicly supported this proposed law.
DVA recently published a press release to put pressure on the Sri Lankan parliament to pass the bill.
DVA has also launched a fast-growing Facebook page with 107,000 followers, dedicated to passing the Animal Welfare Bill. Be sure to follow this page to get the latest updates regarding the passage of this important legislation.
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Shanika Gamage has worked for DVA since 2018 as Dhamma School Coordinator and then National Events Supervisor. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Colombo in 2016 and has completed substantial work on a master’s degree in sociology with an emphasis on research and psychology in Australia.
Under her supervision, DVA has made over 750 presentations at Dhamma schools and other venues all over Sri Lanka. While she was growing up Shanika experienced her country’s Dhamma School program firsthand, finishing an eleven-year course at the age of eighteen.
Shanika Gamage is vegan, a practicing Buddhist and, whenever possible, attends Dhamma meditation retreats. Shanika has a passion to share her own practice of ahimsa toward ALL beings as she leads DVA by example to advocate for a compassionate diet.
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Bhante Sathi is a Sri Lankan-American monk, who along with being the co-director of our Sri Lanka Project and a member of DVA’s Board of Directors. Bhante has been instrumental in getting our message out to Sri Lankans in the newspapers and on television.
Bhante Santhi is also the head Abbott of the Triple Gem of the North in Minnesota which is one of the few fully vegan US centers.
Bhante Sathi also hosts DVA’s Meditation and Mindfulness Sangha and Retreat which are held the last Sunday of every month.
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Sujeewa Krishantha started working with DVA as the Kandy Regional Coordinator and over the time due to his dedicated work, was promoted to Project Manager.
He completed his studies in Kandy Sarawasi Uyana School and Dharmaraja College. Krishantha is very well educated about Buddhist principals and uses his knowledge to advocate for compassion to animals through diet-change. In addition to being one of the Sri Lanka Projects top presenters, Sujeewa also organizes, manages, and executes special events around Sri Lanka.
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Ms. Prasangika Samanmalie Jayaweera is a distinguished BSc Engineer and alumn of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. With a master’s degree in business administration, she has cultivated a successful career as a Director and Consultant in Engineering Services, showcasing expertise and leadership in her field.
Beyond her professional achievements, Ms. Jayaweera is a passionate advocate for social and environmental welfare. She dedicates her time and efforts to initiatives supporting animal rights, child and elder care, counseling, rainforest conservation, and reforestation.
An unwavering advocate for ethical living, she follows a "pure vegetarian" (vegan) lifestyle and integrates Buddhist practices such as mindfulness (sati) and meditation into her daily routine. She firmly believes that these practices not only enhance her personal growth but also drive her commitment to fostering harmony among humans, animals, and the natural world.
Ms. Jayaweera envisions a world where all living beings, including humans, animals, and trees, coexist in comfort and peace. Her aspiration is to create an environment where compassion and sustainability thrive, ensuring well-being for all.
Contact the Sri Lanka Team
If you would like to volunteer to help DVA help animals and/or have questions or suggestions, please contact DVA’s Sri Lanka Project Director Shanika Gamage: shanika@dharmavoicesforanimals.org.