Ramon Magsaysay Award

A Look into Asia's Nobel Prize

Bhumika Ghimire, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Aug 9, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

The Magsaysay award, also know as Asia's Nobel Prize is named after Ramon Magsaysay. Third president of the after the Second World War, Magsaysay was a great leader. His style of leadership, his service to the people of his country was admired worldwide. After his death in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation was established to honor his memory and those who follow in his path of leadership with integrity, public service and international understanding.

Established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Magsaysay Foundation is a non-profit organization responsible for awarding the Ramon Magsaysay Award every year. The foundation has nine Philippine citizens serving as trustees; each with a four year term. The current president of the foundation is Carmencita T. Abella.

Presented annually on 31^st of August in the Philippine capital Manila, the award is open to anyone living inAsia. In the beginning the award was given in five categories but 2001 the sixth category was added.

Distinguished service in public interest in any branch of government is honored with the Government service award. This includes the military and judiciary. Past honorees include Kiran Bedi of (1994), Miriam Santiago of (1988).

Public service honors a private citizen's effort for the benefit of the public. Asma Jahangir, who is renowned for her work in women and human rights in , received this award in 1995.

Community Leadership honors community leaders who have worked to ensure better living conditions, more opportunities for the marginalized. Dalai Lama, the Tibetan leader was given the Community Leadership award in 1959.

Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts, honors artists, writers, journalists, musicians who use their art for public good. Legendary Nepali journalist Mahesh Chandra Regmi was given this award in 1977.

Peace and International Understanding is awarded to recognize the contribution towards achieving greater understanding among nations, spreading the message of tolerance, mutual respect and friendship in order to achieve sustainable growth and development. Mother Teresa received this award in 1962.

Emergent Leadership is the new category added in 2001. It was established to honor individuals under 40 years of age, whose work has initiated a social in his/her community, but whose work is not recognized yet outside his/her community. Yoon Hye-Ran of received this award in 2005. In her award citation, the Ramon Magsaysay board of trustees said, "In electing Hye-Ran Yoon to receive the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership, the board of trustees recognizes her catalytic role in enabling Cheonan's civil society to exercise its social responsibilities dynamically and democratically." (Ramon Magsaysay Award citation for Yoon Hye-Ran, 2005).

The process of nomination and who is eligible to nominate is explained at the Code of Procedure, which can be found at http://www.rmaf.org.ph/index.php?opt=303. The winners get, "Each Award shall carry an inscribed certificate and medal bearing the likeness of Ramon Magsaysay and a prize of US$50,000. In the Emergent Leadership Award category, half of the prize money will be applied to the awardee's project". (Code of Procedure, Ramon Magsaysay Award). Prize money is divided equally among the winners, if more than person is declared a recipient. So are you ready for this year's winners? Here are the people who have worked tirelessly to improve lives in

Asia. Congratulations and thank you.