Teaching global issues through magic

by Elmo Leonard

Renowned Sri Lankan magician, Sumangala Silva has returned home at age 37. Being no black magician, sorcerer, exponent of the voodoo cult or wizard, rather, a witch doctor of good sort, he wishes to use his magic to shock young minds into the realities of indulging in tobacco, alcohol and preventing AIDS.

His methodology is the creation of illusions whereby young people will understand the bad effects upon planet Earth, brought about by wrong environmental practices. Sumangala hails from Kalutara South and attended three schools, including Kalutara Maha Vidyalaya.

He became a part-time magician, while being engaged in computer forms manufacture, in a subsidiary of Bartleet and Company, Colombo.

From 1993, Sumangala turned full-time magician when his teacher, Noel Wickremasinghe accompanied him to the Maldives. Up to October, last, Sumangala worked in the Maldivian tourists hotels, dramatising his magic. He also took time to get to Malaysia and teach manipulative magic at a school of magicians, called Allen and Friends Studio, Selangore, Malaysia. Besides, Sumangala conducted commercial magic shows in Singapore.

While in the Maldives, Sumangala offered his services to raise funds for the charity organisation, SHE - Society for Health Education, in the presence of that archipelago's First Lady, Nasreena Gayoom.

Sumangala Silva is a member of the Sri Lanka Magic Circle and International Brotherhood of Magicians, USA. He won the Sri Lanka National Magic Championship in 2003 and 2005, the Sri Lanka Master Magician's Competition, and the Magician of the Year contests. "Some contests can be won by one person, only once," he said. Besides, Sumangala won the Best Sleight of Hands, five times.

He is also the winner of the first Suwarnawahini Challenge Trophy for the National Magic Championship. It is for the first time in Sri Lanka, that a magician has come out with a performance to teach people the hazards of global warming.

More specifically, his magic makes it easy for people to understand the repercussions of global warming as the rising sea level, destruction to coral reefs and deforestation. Also, inevitable are problems like a global water crisis, at a date, not very far away, he said. Another, is the threat faced by endangered animals.

"Half of the world is currently without water," he explained in faultless English. And, from where had he obtained his data? From UNICEF, WHO, the United Nations, IUCN, IPCC, sounding simple but convincing.

Other global issues he wishes to make people aware of through magic are the hazards of AIDS, smoking and alcoholism. Watching Sumanngala perform in the Maldives, Rev Dodampahala Rahua Thera of the Vidyalankara Pirivana was impressed.

Now, this Buddhist monk wants to persuade the Minister of Eduction to teach schoolgoers, through Sumangala Silva's magic skills, to refrain from taking drugs and all other good human practices referred to above. At the end of this month, Sumangala intends performing what he calls an Earth Show, with bad environmental objectives, at the Vidyalankara Pirivana, Kelaniya.