AwandeeUndates for 2006 DOMPET DHUAFA\ May - Noy. 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Ana Bob atiNews and Updates on the Magsaeay Avandes (Period covering May to November 2016) Source: Various internet websites and email from Awardees Post-Awards Reflections of 2016 Magsaysay Awardees ISMAIL A. SAID - Executive Chairman DOMPET DHUAFA "The Ramon Magsaysay Award presented to Dompet Dhuafa is not just the pride of our organization, but more than that, itis the pride of the people of Indone- sia, as shown by the extensive media coverage on the award. No less than 25 media in Indonesia - from newspaper, magazine, television and online media - published the report on the bestowal of Ramon Magsaysay Award to Dompet Dhuafa. Moreover, their pride was also reflected in the society's warm welcome tous. Anumber of community and oldest NGOs in indonesia, arranged a special event called “Powerfull Lunch” to welcome us. This award is a recognition of the roles of civilians (not only Dompet Dhuafa) to uplift the dignity of the poor people in Indonesia. With so many media coverage, of course, this award shall further elevate Dompet Dhuafa’s reputation. This international recognition has added public confidence to Dompet Dhuafa and also loyalty of our donors. The award also motivates us to always maintain our performance, both in terms of management and services, in helping the poor in Indonesia. Dompet Dhuafa will continue to uphold and develop its roles to be more optimal, not only on a national scale, but also globally. Our participation in a series of events held by RMAF has left us with deep impres- sion, Starting from the warm welcome at the airport, Welcome dinner, Staff Dinner, seminars and dialogue, up to private reception. All showed RMAF’s professionalism and experiences in managing this event. The entire board members, management and staff, especially the coordinators who always accompanied us and all the awardees also showed their friendliness and warmth gestures. As an organization, we learned a lot about the well-arranged and well-organized event management done by RMAF. We were amazed by the RMAF’s communicationstrategy execution. Awardees presence in Manila days before the presentation ceremonies began, has proved to have high communication value. This is evident by the massive media coverage, both locally and internationally. Many times we have to attend interview requests from national media of the Philippines. in addition, the enthusiastic welcome of the Filipino people also impressed us and made us proud. The presence of thousands of invitees in the pre~ sentation ceremonies show how prestigious the event was. We and the rest of the awardees were treated asif we were world celebrities. Many people DOMPET were asking for group photos and also our signa- DHUAFA tures, An experience that cannot be forgotten, The opportunity given to deliver presentations and discussions with several parties, especially the aca- demic communities and the church, is a momentum that is very valuable and useful to exchange experiences and learn the advantages and disadvantages of each. At the same time, it created a more intimate relationship in the future between the parties involved. Similarly, the interaction among the awardees has given us lessons on a lot of things, while allowing the establishment of networking among these humanitarian and empower- ment actors in Asia in particular. Collaboration is certainly very beneficial in the future. Last but not least, we also learn from the RMAF how a foundation can manage the endowment and social business in a smart way. Not surprisingly, RMAF is able to continue sponsoring this international class event for decades.” PARNI HADI ~ Founding Chairman, DOMPET DHUAFA. “" feel greatly honoured for the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016 bestowed upon Dompet Dhuafa (DD). Though | was unable to attend the August celebrations due to my health condition, | could imagine how joyful and wonderful the celebrations were. Brother Ismail, Bro. Ahmad Juwaini and Bro. Imam. have reported to me that you have accorded to them special treatments like VIPs, They told me that they have had learned a lot from you about how to organize an international event of world class. In Indonesia, DD has received many congratu- lations and best wishes from various circles: partners, do- nors and beneficiaries, The media have given ample reports to the prestigious event. To make our reflections alive forever, | have suggested the DD Executive Board to make use of the money you have granted to us as a seed capital for a health clinicto serve the poor in nearby Jakarta. | hope you could attend the opening of the clinic scheduled early 2017. Continuing concrete actions, | believe, will enliven our recollections of what we have done together for humanity.”KENICHI KUBOTA - Japan Over- seas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) “Lenjoyed talking with other awardees and staff during the week long activities. | got to know how other awardees worked hard to achieve their aims. | learned that it was important to keep in touch with other awardees to help each other, if possible, after going back to our respective countries, LR Kenichi Kubota, Ria Tanaka Kae Yanagisawa & Kenzo hwakami The award connected me with JICA again to collaborate together. This recognition to JOCV is my stepping stone to move to the next stage of my activities with JICA. | felt that | am now one of the members of Magsaysay community. It became my identity. | see more opportunities for my fu- ture now that | am a part of the Magsaysay group, I should make Magsaysay award ‘more visible in my country. It means that | should do something more for a better society. | got a lot of messages from my friends, especially those who | have not met for long time. Facebook is one way that my friends sent messages of congratula- tions. “Lam planning to develop new programs in which students can join JOCV activities. It might help more people to apply as JOCV volunteers. After the awards week, | joined a group of students from Kansai University who visited Bulacan State Univer- sity, They enjoyed the exchange with Filipino students. We planned to visit Davao after Bulacan, but there was a bomb explosion in Davao, so we canceled and in- stead, we visited the Carabao center in Nueva Ecija. We visited local villages to observe farmers’ lives. This students’ trip was really educational, Students learned a lot from the Philippines. | appreciate what you have done for us. It was an unfor- gettable experience for me. Thanks a lot.” Updates on Current Work of Some Magsaysay Awandees = HARISH HANDE (India, 2011) Replicates Solar Project in the Phil- ippines - Social entrepreneur Harish Hande, visited Manila this November to spearhead an energy replication project and a two-day workshop on solar energy. In an interview at the Ramon Magsaysay Center, Hande, who cofounded the social enterprise Solar Electric Light Company (SELCO) in 1995, 1: $ELCO Team: Thomas Pullenkav, Harish Hande & Sarah Alexanderemphasized the importance of local de- velopment and inclusive thinking in solving developing countries’ prob- lems. Hande, who was with Dr. Thomas Pullenkay (Technical Advisor) and Sa- rah Alexander (Fund Head) said SELCO aims to eradicate poverty through sus- tainable and renewable energy. The two-day workshop was held on No- vember 9-10 at Eugenio Lopez Center in Antipolo City and organized by Ramon Magsaysay Transformative Leadership Institute (RMTLI) and Peace and Equity Foun- dation (PEF) in partnership with SELCO. The workshop was attended by solar energy providers, financing entities, fisherfolk communities and local NGOs who will be the teams for the 4 pilot sites identified. “The main idea is to put up pilot projects in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. “The added value is adaptation and solution to climate change with a development per- spective,” Hande said. “We can guide the Philippines in learning from the mistakes that we have done in India—like lessons on how to align with shareholders and preserving the mission of your organization at the same time—and we can also look at ways of innovation for the Philippines.” “The Philippines is an island nation so Filipinos cannot keep on relying on diesel and other types of fossil fuels. The vision to start establishing an ecosystem that encourages rural enterprises in the Philip- pines. We need to start treating the poor as partners, not as beneficiaries,” he further said Alexander clarified that the project they are doing in the Philippines is not a form of franchising but only an expansion of SELCO's concept. “We are not saying that the Philippines should take the entire SELCO model and execute it. It depends on where you are based and your kind of customers. The aim is to take parts of the SELCO model that make sense for Philippines and to pilot these ecosystem elements in the identified pilot site.” MECHAI VIRAVAIDYA (Thailand, Public Service 1994) — Recently gave talks in universities in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and opened the “Mechai Viravaidya Center” to provide learning assistance to students. He has just finished his Constitution Drafting committee duties and have been able to dedicate most of his time to the 8amboo School (Mechai Pattana School). They are providing assistance to $0 rural schools per year to help them become lifelong learning centers and hubs for community development. This is done in partnership with the private sector.In 2009, the Mechai Pattana School opened to provide children in Thailand’s rural Buriram Province with free private education. The school is the largest bamboo geodesic dome in the world, at 30 meters in diameter. Its environmentally-friendly bamboo architecture is spe- Cally treated to last up to 80 years. It promotes environmen- tal protection, poverty eradica- tion, philanthropy and integ- rity, as well as democracy and gender equality, It aims to edu- cate the new generation of so- cial entrepreneurs, while en- couraging the students to think out of the box, be creative and learn to fail to better succeed in the future. Environmental group published China’s first Soil Pollution Map - MA JUN (China, 2009) - The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), 2 mainland environ- mental group headed by Ma Jun, has published China’s first soil pollution map to pinpoint pollution sources and gauge the public health and other safety risks that it says the government has yet to fully account for. Ma Jun said the map was com- piled after collecting public information on 4,500 companies and 729 industrial parks, and identify- ing thirteen sectors that were potential soil pollu- tion sources, including petrochemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, mining, metal smelting, battery produc- tion and pharmaceuticals. The map's release comes less than two weeks after state broadcaster CCTV claimed that hundreds of students of an elite pri- vate school in Changzhou, Jiangsu province fell ill after their new campus opened next to the former chemical plant sites. Ma Jun said that public awareness about contaminated soil was growing, but was not yet on the same scale as air pollution. Campaign for the rights of the poor and the marginalized - ARUNA ROY (india, Community Leadership 2000) In December 2015, well-known grassroots or- ganization Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), led by its founder Aruna Roy,T organized the jawabhedi yatra across Rajasthan as part of its Suchana Evam Rojgar Adhikar Abhiyan (Right to Information and Employment Drive). The yatra (pilgrim- age) had already travelled through 30 districts across Rajasthan. Spearheading the cause of the poor and the marginalized for almost three decades, Aruna recently concluded the 100 days (March 2016) of the yatra, col- lecting over 9,000 grievances and complaints of people regarding government delivery of services. ‘The yatris comprise members and volunteers from MKSS, the Delhi-based NGO Digi- tal Empowerment Foundation (DEF), a network of voluntary organizations from, Gujarat called Janpath and Ahmedabad-based collective Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel (MAGP). Over the 100-day journey, with the help of localorganizations, the yatris sought to mobilize public support for a jawabdehi kanoon, or accountability law, for public ser- vants in the state, and help people record complaints regarding the non-delivery of facilities promised through various schemes and acts. The grievances will be submitted to each district collector's office to upload in the state grievance portal called Rajasthan Sampark (sampark.rajasthan.gov.in). The Jawabdehi Yatra has helped thousands of people lodge complaints with the state government against the non-delivery of services, firming up the group's demand for an accountability law for public servants. DR. CYNTHIA MAUNG (Myanmar, Community Leadership 2002) opens new Mae Tao Mae Sot to continue pro- viding healthcare to migrant workers and displaced people from Burma - Mae Tao Clinic located in the Thai border town of Mae Sot in Tak Province has officially moved to a newly-built hospital to continuously provide healthcare services to displaced people and Burmese migrant communities who are unable to access the country’s failed healthcare sys- tem. Dr. Cynthia said that despite the changes currently taking place inside the country many services will take years to improve. The clinic is also coordinating with other healthcare providers to help these communities access the available healthcaresystem in both countries. She said that in the future, when the healthcare provision of Thailand and Burma can cover Burmese migrants and the displaced communities on both sides of the border, the clinic can then work more on prevention and promo- tion, leaving the treatment with the mainstream healthcare systems. The opening ceremony was attended by Thai government officials, U Kyaw Thu. (Myanmar, 2015) from Burma's Free Funeral Services Society, Ko Min Ko Naing and members of of the 88 Generation Students, political parties, civil society organiza- tions, INGOs representatives and students from migrant schools in Mae Sot ~ a total of as many as 3,000 people. The newly-opened MTC building is equipped with 150 beds and is situated near the Mae Sot highway, about four kilometers north of the old clinic compound. The new clinic ground cost 50 million Thai Baht (around USD$ 1.5 million) and this is the result of 10-year preparation period. The original clinic was opened 27 years ago. After the 1988 student uprising in Burma, Dr. Cynthia and colleagues who fled to the Thai-Burma border, opened the Mae Tao Clinic in 1989. Now, Mae Tao Clinic treats as many as 140,000 patients every year, including migrant workers, displaced people, refugees and people from inside Burma. KYAW THU (Myanmar, 2015) returns to acting after eight-year ban - After eight years of absence in the film industry, famous Myanmar actor and philanthro- pist Kyaw Thu returned to the big screen via a detective film Professor Dr Sake Phwar. Kyaw Thu was forced to take an eight-year hia- tus from acting by the former military-led gov. | ‘ernment. He had been barred from his craft in 2007 when he offered food to monks who took part in a peaceful Saffron Revolution. Kyaw Thu plays Dr Sake Phwar, a colonial-era de- tective who takes up a murder investigation after discovering a dead body in a cemetery linked to hidden treasure. Kyaw Thu said he ay tnuretumedto Yangon wih 015M picked this to be his return film over a “num- ety Yangon femal Apr. ber” of other film opportunitiesin the last three Seprembor 3 2015. years. He said those other films, mostly com- edies, did not appeal to him, whereas Professor Dr Sake Phwar had an “interesting” plot. Kyaw Thu started his film acting career in 1968. He won Best Actor at the Myanmar Academy Awards for Topy? Thu Ma Shwe Htar (Ma Shwe Htar from a Far- away Land; 1994) and Best Director for Amae No Pho (A Charge for Mother's Breastfeeding; 2003). The film opens across downtown's cinema on May 27.KYAW THU promotes his autobiographical sen ene veins mm documentary ~ Walking a Fine Line tells the story WAL! KING of Kyaw Thu who was inspired to devote himself to , otto fees epee dete hmeeto FINE LINE his celebrity status to mobilize his fellow citizens ee around pressing social issues. Roughly 300 people attended the first film premieres of Walking a Fine Line in Stockholm, Sweden and Washington D.C, USA. ‘At these events, Kyaw Thu answered questions and engaged the audience on his work. The film had its screening in Yangon on June 23 and in Mandalay on June 25. The full length film was released o1 August 2016. Zero Extreme Poverty 2030 Movement and BENJAMIN ABADIANO (Philippines, Emergent Leadership 2004) -A forum on government and CSO initia- tives on poverty reduction was held on 8 November at the Ateneo de Manila University. Representatives from the Office of the Vice-President (OVP) and the Zero Extreme Poverty 2030 (ZEP2030) movement shared their respec- tive programs and undertakings, particularly in the areas of education, health, housing, and rural development and food security. The Zero Extreme Poverty 2030 (2EP2030) movement is a product of the Poverty Summit in 2015 with the theme “Building Pathways in Reducing Poverty and Inequality”. The Poverty Summit formulated its vision for the Philippines by 2030: “A Philippines were every Fil pino enjoys the necessary goods that define and sustain human dignity, life, security and engaged citizenship.” The 2EP2030 movement is a coalition of various networks including AF, CODE-NGO, CBCP, FPE, LCF, MBC, PBSP, PEF and many other organizations. ZEP2030 is initially targeting 350 municipalities coming from the poorest provinces. ‘Among the resource persons at the forum were OVP representatives Mr. Philip Dy (Chief of Staff] and Ms. Geoann Hernandez-Yang (Head, Anti-Poverty Advocacies and Programs Unit) who discussed the Angat Buhay Program which was launched during the Partnerships Against Poverty Summit last October 10. ZEP2030 was represented by Mr. Benjamin Abadiano, President of Assisi Development Foundation (ZEP2030 lead convenor) who provided updates on the collective impact that the movement ‘wants to achieve towards the attainment of the sustainable development goals by the Year 2030.JESSE ROBREDO'S (Philippines, Government Service 2000) Spirit Lives On ‘The best tribute that can be given Secretary Jesse Robredo isto continue his legacy of dedicated, committed, humble and selfless public service, and to clamor and genu- inely work for good governance. His brand of leader- ship has to be spread further along with his good news ‘that good governance is indeed possible, and that every Filipino should demand for it for national transforma- tion to take place, To make this happen, the Galing Pook Foundation Inc. annually confers the Jesse Robredo Lead- ership Award to local chief executives who have shown effective, transparent, accountable, participatory, innovative and ethical leadership; showcased culture of excellence in local governance through the institutionalization of policies, sys- tem and practices; and motivated LGU leadership and communities to sustain and enhance meritorious programs. This year’s recipient is South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes . She is the third local government executive to receive the award, the first was then Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez in 2013 and Upi, Maguindanao Mayor Ramon Piang, Sr. in 2014. To qualify, a leader must be an incumbent municipal/city mayor or governor, at least into his/her second term and his/her LGU has a Seal of Good Housekeeping and is 2 Galing Pook Awardee. RM Avades nd Their Paes ALTERNATIVE INDIGENOUS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC. (alDF!, Philippines, 2011) and Japanese Embassy - Japan funds lemongrass oil istillery in Negros - On 8 August 2016, a Japan-funded distillery for lemongrass oil in Negros Occi- dental was launched during a turnover ceremony led by the Embassy of Japan's First Sec retary Kenji Terada and Philippine offi- cials. The plant, lo- cated Mambugsay, Cauayan, Negros AIDF! Head, Auke Idzenga (lef), leads the opening of the Occidental, was Lemongrass Oil Distlery funded in 2013 un- der the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) arm of Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. The grant amounted to $76,722, orabout P3 million for the construction and equipment of the eco-friendly distilling plant. Terada was joined by Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary for the Visayas Hansel Didulo, Management Committee of Alternative Indigenous Develop- ment Foundation Inc. (AIDFl) head Auke Idzenga, and 30 farmer beneficiaries and other guests in the turnover ceremony. AIDFl promoted lemongrass as an alternative crop for poor farmers, and sought funding assistance through the GGP for the con- struction of the oil distillation facility, necessary equipment, and a vehicle for the transport of lemongrass. The project called “Eco-friendly Plant for Lemongrass Oil Distillation in Negros Occidental” is a unique endeavor as it operates in an area where nobody would normally like to set up any processing plant. Before the turn over, the construction of the plant was already completed and it has been operating since 2014. The project currently benefits 20 farmer-families with an additional \come stream from the distillation of lemongrass, a commitment of AIDFl in going to the poorest of the poor. HARISH HANDE (India, 2011), Natural Capital Partners and Microsoft — Partners in Empower- ig the Poor - Social Enterprise SELCO headed by Harish Hande and a Natural Capital Part- NATURAL B iE CAPITAL oe ners, specialist in work- ing with corporations on >) PARINERS market-based solutions, SELCO have joined forces to provide a more equi- table financial mechanism offering affordable solar energy access to low-income households, community groups, micro businesses and schools. The SELCO Solar Energy Access project provides access to an array of solar prod- ucts, where individuals in the poorest communities in India can purchase equip- ment for less than $5 a year in repayments, and get servicing and maintenance as part of the deal. The loans come from a mix of sources, including cooperatives, commercial banks and micro-finance institutions. Essentially, the project operates on the basis that customers only have to start repaying their loans when their income improves — an arrangement SELCO founder Hande said was only possible thanks to financial support from corpora- tions such as Microsoft for the project through carbon finance. The project has since distributed 18,222 solar lights, 1,452 solar water heating systems and 207 grid- connected solar PY systems, reaching 9,300 households. In subsequent years, it is an- ticipated that it will improve energy accessfor at least 20,000 households each year. The SELCO Solar Energy Access project is just one of the many community offset projects financially supported by Microsoft as part of its carbon fee program, an internal financial mechanism for holding its business units financially accountable by charging them for their carbon emissions and using the funds collected to support environmental initiatives. Microsoft volun- tarily introduced the carbon fee in 2012 in response to the company’s commitment to become carbon neutral. The SELCO project is all about the last mile — connecting those people just out of reach of energy to all of the things it has to offer, from the health benefits associated with having hot water, to being able to hook up to the. Internet and access data in the cloud to support education. Energy access empowers people and changes lives. Microsoft hopes that more like-minded organizations will adopt a voluntary carbon fee model and help scale the enormous possibilities and impact that investment in low-carbon tech promises. TETSU NAKAMURA (Japan, Peace and Inter- national Understanding 2003) and Japan Interna- tional Cooperation Agency (JICA) collaboration - Fourteen Afghan graduate students studying at Japa- nese universities were trained by JICA on traditional Japanese flood control and irrigation techniques held, in Fukuoka prefecture on June 25-26, 2016. The trai ing, through a collaboration with the World Bank, was the brainchild of Japanese medical doctor Tetsu. Nakamura, who is known for his humanitarian work in Afghanistan in sectors including medical care, agriculture and water supply. Among the achievements of Dr. Nakamura and the international NGO he leads — Peace Japan Medical Service (PMS) — is an irrigation project in eastern Afghanistan, where a PMS clinic is located, that was based in part on the Japanese nationally designated historical sight Yamada Weir and Triple Waterwheel in Asakura city in Fukuoka prefecture. It is Dr. Nakamura’s wish to teach ‘Afghans studying in Japan what he learned from his experience with this project. The training consisted of a study tour of Asakura and lectures by Dr. Nakamura. The participants saw Yamada Weir and Triple Waterwheel and learned about Or. Nakamura and PMS’ implementation in Afghanistan of the same technology, which requires no electricity or heavy equipment and has little effect on the ecosystem Yamada Weiririgaton facility The 14 Afghan students are among 269 engaged in research in Japan to acquire their master’s or doctorate degrees under JICA's Project for the Promotion and Enhancement of the Afghan Capacity for Effec- tive Development (PEACE), PMS and JICA are currently engaged in another irrigationsystem improvement project in the suburbs of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province. The project, which is scheduled for completion in September 2016, is expected to make it possible for some 40,000 people to farm on irrigated land. In addition to the Afghan students, participants in the study tour included their professors, a deputy minister from the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water and personnel from the World Bank. While working in Afghanistan, Dr. Nakamura observed that the alter- nating droughts and flooding that characterize Afghanistan's weather make it diffi- cult for rural residents to procure a stable supply of water. Nakamura, with his abundant experience providing assistance on the ground, is serving as the leader of, the PMS project. The PEACE project aims to train human resources who will be responsible for building up the country of Afghanistan in the future. Tetsu Nakamura received the Magsaysay Award in 2003 “for his passionate commitment to ease the pain of war, disease and calamity among refugees and the mountain poor of the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands.” Honors / Awards Received SHAKTI SAMUHA (Nepal, 2013) Wins An- other International Award ~ Nepal's anti-hu- ‘man trafficking organization, Shakti Samuha, has been rewarded yet with another international award — ‘With and For Girls Award’. Founding Member and Executive Director of the NGO, Sunita Danuwar, received the award and USD 50,000 on November 3, amid a special programme in Lon- don. The award was jointly organized by the Re- gion Empower, NoVo Foundation, Nike Foundation, Plan international UK, Global Fund for Children and Stars Foundation. Shakti Samuha’s chairper- son Bal Kumari Rana said the prize money would be utilized for the capacity enhancement of the youth, education and prevention of human traf ficking. More than 200 countries had ap- plied for the award and Shakti Samuha was one among 20 winners for this year. 2016 Asia Game Changer Award for DR. SANDUK RUIT (Nepal, Peace and International Understanding 2006) — Asia Society conferred the Asia Game Changer Award to Dr. Sanduk Ruit, the Nepali eye surgeon and co-founder of the Himalayan Cataract Project. He is known as “the doc- tor who saved 100,000 eyes.” Sanduk Ruitwas cited “for bringing the gifts of sight, and productive life, to those most in need.” Currently in its third edition, the Game Changer Awards “identifies and honors true leaders, those who are making a transformative and positive difference for the future of Asia and the world.” According to Asia Society's executive vice president, Tom Nagorski, the nominations are solicited from the Asia Society global network that goes well beyond their global staff. The nominees are then voted by the senior staff and trustees ensuring a diverse list of the recipients. Asia Society, which was founded by John D. Rockefeller 3%, is an institution that would build bridges between the U.S. and Asia. Dr. Ruit together with the other six (6) honorees received their awards during the Asia Game Changer Awards dinner and gala at the United Nations on 27 October. ANGEL C. ALCALA (Philippines, Public Service 1992) among Asia’s top 100 Scientists - In May 2016, Dr. An- gel Alcala has been named one of five Filipinos among the top 100 scientists in Asia, in a list released by The Asian Scientist Magazine, an online publication which aims to raise awareness on quality research throughout the con- tinent, To makeit to the list, a scientist must have received a national or international prize in 2014 or 2015 for sci- entific research. Alcala, who ranked seventh, was named National Scientist in 2014 for his contributions to the systematics, ecology, and diversity of amphibians and reptiles, and the conservation of marine-protected areas. Japan had the most scientists on the Asian Science Magazine list, with 33, followed by China with 26, India with 15, and South Korea with 10. Six were from Singapore, five from the Philippines, two each from Thailand and Vietnam, and one from Malaysia, Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development for PARK WON SOON (South Korea, Public Service 2006) ~ Mayor of Seoul and ICLEI President Park Won Soon was awarded the 2016 Gothenburg ‘Award for Sustainable Development "for se. his ongoing efforts to make Seoul a Ale? “Sharing City.” The Award is Gothenburg City’s international prize that recognizes and supports work towards sustainable development and is given each year to people or organisations for outstanding performance and achievements towards a sustainable future. Mayor Park spearheaded the “sharing City Seoul”, one of the world's first shar- ing cities. The Gothenburg citation reads:“Under his leadership, Seoul has taken a global lead in developing the “sharing city’ With his background as a human rights activist, he has also integrated social issues into the project. As a pioneer in this area, Seoul has developed various forms of effective sharing by changing regulations, mobilizing the city’s underused resources and making information readily accessible. The city has also raised public aware- ness and supported companies and initiatives in the sharing of information and assets.” As well as leading the way on sharing cities, Seoul, has undertaken radical measures to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Won-Soon has been Mayor of Seoul since 2011 and is a prominent figure in the process of creating better opportunities for sharing resources and information. His term as mayor will end in 2018. UN Brahma Award for ARUNA ROY (India, Community Leadership 2000) - ‘The 2016 UN Brahma Soldier of Humanity Award was conferred to renowned social activist Aruna Roy on August 26 in a presentation ceremony held at Rabindra Bhawan Guwahati, India. The UN Brahma Soldier of Humanity Award is presented annually to a person having immense contribution towards human- ism and uplift of downtrodden people. Roy is the 13th recipi- ent of the award. Prior to Roy, another Magsaysay Awardee, Mahasweta Devi (India, 1997) had received the award. Aruna Roy, who co-founded the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), a grassroots organization for empowerment of workers and peasants, played a cru- cial role in the establishment of the Right to Information Act (RTI). She also served as a civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service before deciding to dedicate herself fully to social and political campaigns. It was while working in the adminis- trative service that she was exposed to the level of corruption within the Indian bureaucracy, The UN Brahma Soldier of Humanity Award carries a memento, cash and a citation. The LUI Che Woo Prize for World Civilization for YUAN LONGPING (China, Government Service 2001) ~ On 4 October 2016, Professor Yuan was awarded the Sustainability Prize of LUI Che Woo Prize 2016 for his sig- nificant contribution to the enhancement of the security of world food supply. Known as the “Father of Hybrid Rice,” Professor Yuan delivered a public lecture on “Development of hybrid rice for food security in the world” in Hong Kong,where he shared his inspiring story of developing the hybrid rice to se- cure world food supply and his in- novative technology in breeding high-yield rice. More than 500 par- ticipants from the government, ter- tiary education sector and indus- ‘try, as well as university and sec- ondary school students, attended the lecture. In 1976, his hybrid rice, ‘with 20% higher yield than tradi- tional rice species, was put into commercial production in China. Since then, he has continued in his efforts to perfect the technology, as welll as the quality and robustness of the hybrid rice produced. At present, nearly 57% of rice fields in the mainiand grow hybrid rice species. It is estimated that the increased output by planting hybrid rice can annu- ally support 70 million more people in the mainland over the inbred rice varieties. He has also trained more than 3,000 scientists and researchers from about 80 developing countries. The LUI Che Woo Prize was founded in 2015 by renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Or Lui Che Woo that aims to recognize and honor individuals or organizations all over the world with outstanding achievements that contribute to world civilization. National Award-winning documentary, “The Man Who Dwarfed the Mountains,” pays tribute to en ronmentalist CHANDI PRASAD BHATT (India, Community Leadership 1982) - Inspired by the work of Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Mumbai-based filmmakers Ruchi Shrivastava and Sumit Khanna paid tribute to the Gandhian environmentalist who changed the face of environmental activism in India, via a documentary, “The Man Who Dwarfed the Mountains.” CP Bhatt along with the people of Uttarakhand initiated the ko Andolan (Hug the Trees), a people’s move- ment for the protection of the environment and sus- tenance of livelihood in the hills, The Chipko Movement inspired other movements including the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The 60-minute film was screened in Julyat the India International Centre in Delhi. It won the award for the Best Environment Film including Agriculture (Non-Feature) at the 63rd National Film Awards this year. The Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), which produced the documentary, was also keen on making a film about CP Bhatt. Posthumous Recognitions ABDUL SATTAR EDHI (Pakistan, Community Leadership 1986) passed away on 8 July 2015. He continues to be honored in different ways ~ ® Commemorative Edhi Postage Stamp On 14 August 2016, the Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative Edhi stamp worth Rs.20(US$O.19). The unveiling of the commemorative postage stamp was done ina ceremony held at Edhi home in Karachi by Sindh Postmaster General Muhammad Ikhlag Rana and Faisal Edhi, Abdul's son, and witnessed by Edhi’s wife, Bilquis. The renowned philanthro- ist and founder of Edhi Foundation died on July 8 in Karachi, Edhi was known as a ‘servant of human- ity’ who also ran the world’s largest private ambu- lance network. in 1951, he opened his first medical clinic in Karachi, handling abandoned children, battered women, the disabled and drug addicts Edhi’s foundation, now houses over 5,700 people in 17 shelters across the country. @ Hockey stadium named after Abdul Sattar Edhi - On 16 August 2016, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officially renamed a stadium as “Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium” held on the opening day of the recently held Pakistan Cup 9-A. Side Tournament in Karachi. PHF believes that the renaming of hockey’s biggest facility in Edhi’s hometown would be the most appropriate way to pay him a tribute. The chairman of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has also asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to change the name of the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to Edhi Stadium in order to pay tribute to the late philanthropist ® Several important roads in Pakistan named after Abdul Sattar Edhi: Gaye Chowk in Rawal town to be called Edhi Chowk. After renaming, it will be redesigned, expanded and a photo of Edhi will be displayed atop a loom. + A link road which stems from Mareer Chowk to be called Abdul Sattar Edhi # RoadBeach Avenue on Seaview to be renamed Abdul Sattar Edhi Avenue=the street is a popular picnic ground for Karachiites. + Other major government agencies were also recommending the naming of major roads in the city of Karachi after the revered philanthropist, including a construc~ tion of an Abdul Sattar Edhi monument at the Beach Park vicinity being proposed by the Karachi Development Authority.UN Issued a Commemorative Stamp to Honor M.S. SUBBULAKSHMI (India, Public Service 1974) The United Nations released a postage stamp on 2 October 2016 to honor India’s most celebrated carnatic music artist M.S, Subbulakshmi, who had performed at the world body 50 years ago. The USD 1.20 value commemorative stamp issued by the UN Postal Administration has the iconic blue emblem of the UN alongside her picture. This year also marks her birth centenary. The stamp was released at a special ceremony at the UN headquarters to mark India’s ratification of the his- toric Paris climate deal. The Indian mission at the UN had also organized a photo exhibi- tion in August at the world body's headquarters to commemorate Ms. Subbulakshmi’s birth cente- nary which fell on September 16. She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1974. She passed away on 11 December 2004.