The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards for 2019 have been announced.
Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab from the Philippines, Kim Jong-Ki from South Korea, Ravish Kumar from India, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand, and Ko Swe Win from Myanmar have been awarded the honour.
These are the five recipients of Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. #RamonMagsaysayAward pic.twitter.com/HrLG1qVt6L
— Ramon Magsaysay Award (@MagsaysayAward) August 2, 2019
What are the Ramon Magsaysay Awards?
The Ramon Magsaysay Awards, also called the Nobel Prize of Asia, are Asia’s most prestigious awards that celebrate the “greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia.” According to the website, “The Award is given to persons—regardless of race, nationality, creed or gender—who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions which have transformed their societies for the better.”
It has been named after Ramon Magsaysay, the esteemed President of the Philippines to celebrate his legacy. It is his values and ideologies inspired the creation of the awards in 1957.
The award is presented to the recipients on 31st August annually in Manila, Phillippines, which is the birth anniversary of Ramon Magsaysay.
About the award winners for 2019
Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab from the Phillippines
Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab has been bestowed with the honour for “nurturing the gift and unifying power of music.”
A conductor, composer, pianist, singer, and arranger, he has been notable for composing pieces that have defined Filipino popular music across generations. He is also famous for promoting and mentoring new Filipino talents. For his immense contribution to Filipino music, he was awarded the National Artist of the Phillippines in 2018.
Kim Jong-Ki from South Korea
Kim Jong-Ki has received the honour for “stemming the destructive tide of youth violence.”
Jong-Ki is the founder of an NGO called ‘The Foundation for Preventing Youth Violence,’ an organization which was the first-ever organized effort in South Korea to address the issues of school violence and bullying. Through this organization, he has pioneered many initiatives to reduce the effects of bullying on both, the victims and perpetrators.
Ravish Kumar from India
Ravish Kumar has been awarded the honour for “harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless.”
Kumar is a journalist, TV presenter, anchor, and media personality who has been renowned for his journalism. He is currently the executive director of the New Delhi Television Network. He has won many national awards for his ethical and truthful journalism.
Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand
Angkhana Neelapaijit has been awarded the prestigious prize for “championing justice, case after painful case.”
Neelapaijit is the founder of ‘Justice for Peace Foundation,’ an organization that raises awareness about and pressurises the government to look into cases of human rights abuse.
Ko Swe Win from Myanmar
Ko Swe Win has been awarded the Magsaysay Award for “building the quality and force of media’s truth-telling.”
He is the editor-in-chief of ‘Myanmar Now’, an investigative news outlet that is known for its balance and quality of reporting on matters such as human rights abuse, corruption, and investigative journalism.
