Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 Winners: 5 Winners Announced – Know All About Them Here

Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 Awardees: Bangladeshi vaccine scientist Dr. Firdausi Qadri was named as one of the five winners of the 63rd Ramon Magsaysay Awards on August 31, 2021. Filipino fisher Roberto Ballon was also among the recipients.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award, which is also known as Asia’s Nobel Prize. The award was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Manila-based foundation had issued a statement saying that it had no choice but to cancel the 2020 awards with COVID-19 almost immobilizing the world. 

Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2021 will be conferred to five people who have made selfless and extraordinary contributions to the eradication of poverty and the development of the society in Asia. The awards will be conferred on November 28th.

We proudly present the 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. For more information, visit https://t.co/13iyCweLbi. #RamonMagsaysayAward #ProudToBeAsian #GreatnessofSpirit #TransformativeLeadership pic.twitter.com/89WKZ7gapU

— Ramon Magsaysay Award (@MagsaysayAward) August 31, 2021

Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 Winners

1. Dr. Firdausi Qadri - Vaccine scientist from Bangladesh

Dr. Firdausi Qadri is a senior scientist at the Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology Unit at the Infectious Diseases Division of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh. She has been selected for her commitment in vaccine development that saved millions of lives. 

2. Muhammad Amjad Saqib -Microfinance pioneer from Pakistan

Dr. Amjad Saqib is a prominent microfinance pioneer from Pakistan who has been chosen for the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 for outstanding efforts in restoring human dignity, alleviating poverty and helping over 3 million families to come out of poverty through zero-interest lending model. 

3. Roberto Ballon - Filipino fisher and community environmentalist

Roberto Ballon is a Filipino fisher who has taken lead in the conservation of natural resources in Sibuguey Bay. He also helps communities improve their income through livelihood programs. The Filipino awardee dedicated his award to his fellow fisherfolk. 

4. Steven Muncy - Humanitarian worker from the United States

Dr. Steven Muncy is a 64-year-old humanitarian worker who has been chosen for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in recognition of his lifelong dedication to humanitarian work, refugee assistance and peace building and unstinting pursuit of dignity, peace and harmony for people in exceptionally difficult circumstances in Asia.

Muncy is the founder of Community and Family Services International (CFSI) who has been living outside his own country for more than four decades, working in a difficult environment in Asia. 

5. Watchdoc- Indonesian torch bearer for investigative journalism

Watchdoc has been recognized for its highly principled crusade for an independent media organization and its energetic use of investigative journalism, documentary filmmaking and digital technology to transform Indonesia’s media landscape.

Ramon Magsaysay Award 2019 winner

Indian journalist Ravish Kumar was among the five recipients of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2019 for "harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless". He was recognised for his real-life reporting of problems of ordinary people during his prime time programme. 

Other prominent Indians who have won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in the past include Arvind Kejriwal (2006), Kiran Bedi, Jayaprakash Narayan (1965), T. M. Krishna (2016), Jayaprakash Narayan (1965), Baba Amte (1985), Vinoba Bhave (1958), Verghese Kurien (1963), Manna Dey (1966), Satyajit Ray (1967), R. K. Laxman (1984) and Mother Teresa (1962). 

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