The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) Grand Medal of Honour was presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (16 Nov) at the closing ceremony of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the WFB, held at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

The medal was presented in recognition of the President's contribution to peace and the efforts at propagating Buddhist unity.

The WFB yesterday concluded its 25th General Conference and 60th Anniversary celebrations which began on November 14 amidst a colorful cultural event depicting Buddhist culture and its significant moments. The theme of the conference was “Reconciliation through the teachings of Buddha”. The conference complemented the dawn of peace in the country.

The WFB was founded by the then President of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Professor Gunapala Malalasekera in 1950, to promote fellowship among Buddhists of various schools of thought.

The conference is being held in 2010 after 26 years. Lay delegates and monks representing 32 countries participated in the event.

The event was hosted by the Government with the support of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress.