AHM Noman Khan n Magsaysay Award AHM Noman Khan, founder and executive director of Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), has won Ramon Magsaysay Award 2010 for his relentless efforts for the rights of the challenged. Six other Asians -- Tadatoshi Akiba of Japan, Christopher Bernido and Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido of the Philippines, and Huo Daishan, Pan Yue and Fu Oiping of China -- have also received the prestigious award this year for their contribution in different fields. Noman Khan is the ninth Bangladeshi to win the award regarded as Asia's equivalent to Nobel prize. The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation featured Noman Khan as a pioneer mainstreaming the challenged in the development process of Bangladesh and working vigorously with all sectors to build a society that is truly inclusive and barrier free. There are around 13 million physically and mentally challenged people in Bangladesh, a country where being challenged is considered a charity or social welfare issue, not rights, the foundation observed. In his first reaction to winning the award, Noman Khan told The Daily Star, "It was a surprise. This is an achievement of my organisation as we the members of CDD work like a family." "The award will promote rights of the challenged and encourage those who work in the field," said an elated Noman, adding that perhaps this was the first time that the award had focused on the challenged. In a meeting with his colleagues at CDD, Noman Khan announced to donate the prize money for the welfare of the challenged through his organisation. "The money will be spent for the welfare of the disabled and we will sort out a way to use the fund," said Noman. The prize money is $50,000, worth about Tk 34 lakh. Noman founded CDD in 1996 along with seven colleagues in the development field based on the concept "community-based rehabilitation" (CBR). Later, the organisation devised a strategy Community Approaches to Handicap in Development (CAHD) to encourage communities to address the needs and rights of a challenged person and capacity building of NGOs to include these issues in their development work. CAHD has been adopted in Nepal, India and the Philippines. CDD has also shared the strategy with organisations from Pakistan, Cambodia, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, England, Germany, and many more countries. Besides training development workers, CDD has developed Bangla Braille software and sign language. The organisation produces low-cost books and slate for the visually impaired and campaigns for the challenged people's access to information and communication technology. The other Ramon Magsaysay laureates include Prof Muhammad Yunus, Editor of the daily Prothom Alo Matiur Rahman, Brac Chairman Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed and Jafarullah Chowdhury . OTHER RECIPIENTS Tadatoshi Akiba has won the prize for his campaign to create a world free of nuclear war while Christopher Bernido and Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido jointly for ensuring innovative, low cost and effective basic education even under Filipino condition of great scarcity and daunting poverty. Huo Daishan was awarded the prize for his relentless effort to save the river Huai in China and the people dependant on it while Pan Yue and Fu Oiping for their exemplary vision and zeal in advocating the inseparability of development and improving Chinese people's standard of living. AHM Noman Khan, a citizen of Bangladesh, is among the seven individuals who were awarded Asia's premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2010. The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) on Monday made the announcement saying that this year seven individuals from Bangladesh, China, Japan, and the Philippines will receive the prestigious award. The Awardees are: AHM Noman Khan, from Bangladesh. He is being recognised for "his pioneering leadership in mainstreaming persons with disabilities in the development process of Bangladesh, and in working vigorously with all sectors to build a society that is truly inclusive and barrier-free. " Tadatoshi Akiba, from Japan. He is being recognised for "his principled and determined leadership in a sustained global campaign to mobilize citizens, pressure governments, and build the political will to create a world free from the perils of nuclear war." Christopher Bernido and Ma Victoria Carpio-Bernido, from the Philippines. They are being recognised for "their purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost, and effective basic education even under Philippine conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty." Huo Daishan, from China. He is being recognised for "his selfless and unrelenting efforts, despite formidable odds, to save China's great river Huai and the numerous communities who draw life from it." Pan Yue and Fu Qiping, from China. They are being recognised for "their exemplary vision and zeal, as public servants at two levels of the state bureaucracy, in advocating the inseparability of development and the environment in uplifting the lives of the Chinese people." Specifically, Pan Yue is being cited for "his bold pursuit of a national environmental program, insisting on state and private accountability, encouraging state-citizen dialogue, and raising the environment as an issue of urgent national concern." Fu Qiping is being cited in particular for "his enterprising leadership and undeniable success in demonstrating how village-level economic development can be achieved without damage to the environment. " Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honour and is widely regarded as the region's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president, and is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same sense of selfless service that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader. "The Magsaysay awardees of 2010," says RMAF President Carmencita T Abella, "are seven remarkable individuals deeply engaged in reinventing the future for a better Asia, tapping into and strengthening the power of community. Working on critical issues that impact not only their respective countries, but indeed, all of Asia, they are showing how commitment, competence, and collaborative leadership can truly transform individual lives and galvanize community action." "Their concerns are clearly quite diverse - nuclear disarmament, basic education, river pollution, disability in development, environmental protection, village prosperity. But there is one thing this year's Magsaysay laureates share: a greatness of spirit which infuses their leadership for change. They all build collaboration and seek consensus wherever possible. They all refuse to give up, despite adversity and opposition." "Three of the awardees share a passionate concern for the environment, which the Foundation continues to give special attention to at this time." The seven 2010 Magsaysay awardees join 277 other laureates who have received Asia's highest honor to date. This year's Magsaysay Award winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late president, and a cash prize. They will be formally conferred the Magsaysay Award during the Presentation Ceremonies to be held on 31 August 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, to which the public is cordially invited. S M Nazer Hossain, Central EC Member, Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh(ADAB) 1/E(1st floor) Uttar Adabor, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Tel: 880-2-9126358, Fax: 880-2-8117756, 01713110054, 01726757788(Director) |
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