Teaching global issues through magic
by Elmo Leonard

Magician Sumangala Silva is all smiles with two trophies he holds.
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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.
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