The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) is an international Buddhist organization established since B.E. 2493 (1950) in Sri Lanka by the initiation of Dr. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, a famous Sri Lankan Pali scholar, who inspired a Buddhist meeting leading to the founding of a world organization. His brilliant thoughts were responded to beyond expectation. Buddhist delegates from Asia, Europe and North America (including Hawaii) agreed to participate in a conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Apart from Sri Lankan participants, there were 129 Buddhist delegates from 27 countries. At this historic meeting, the World Fellowship of Buddhists was founded. It marked the first event in Buddhist history when Buddhists (laity and sangha) of nearly all sects in the world represented and gathering for the same purpose for the progress of Buddhism.