Asia Society To Honour Asian 'Game Changers' At UN

By Manik Mehta NEW YORK, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- The Asia Society in New York, which has become synonymous with promoting relations with the huge Asian continent in various arenas of interest, has announced that it is going to honour Asian 'game changers' at a special awards ceremony at the United Nations on Oct 16. "We will have a gathering of Asian game changers ... people who have made special contribution to improving the quality of life of the people of Asia ... and these game changers will be honoured at a special ceremony at the United Nations on Oct 16," Asia Society president Josette Sheeran told Bernama. Sheeran, formerly vice-chairman of the World Economic Forum and, prior to that, the 11th executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme and under secretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs in the US Department of State, explained that this "public launch of a truly impactful Asia Society event called the Asia Game Changer Awards" are designed to fill a vital gap, identifying and honouring true leaders who make a positive and game-changing contribution to the future of Asia. According to Sheeran, the Asia Society's global nominations process has identified 13 awardees from various Asian countries. "All are outstanding and inspirational leaders or organisations. These extraordinary people are making an impact at all different levels – such as Pawan Sinha who is revolutionising the treatment of blindness at the village level in India, to Jack Ma, the philanthropist changing the way China communicates internally and with the rest of the world," she said. The list of 2014 Asia game changers includes the iconic advocate for girls' education, Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by extremists in Pakistan as she espoused the cause of girls’ education in that country. Besides Pawan Sinha, a neuroscientist who has brought sight to the blind in India, other icons in the Asia Society list include Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy of Pakistan for her moving documentary films; and Saad Mohseni, the Afghan media innovator who has revolutionised the landscape of news and information in Afghanistan. Other names that make the list include the social entrepreneur Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, which has demonstrated that investment in the underprivileged people can be as profitable as investment in a blue-chip company; and Illac Diaz who brought light to those in the Philippines lacking electricity. Indonesia's Kuntoro Mangkusubroto is another game-changing personality who managed brilliantly the multi-billion dollar global response to the tsunami disaster; Japanese architect Shigeru Ban who lent his genius to designing shelters after the many natural disasters in Asia, and the organisation 'Fashion Girls for Humanity' which was born after the 2011 tsunami in Japan. India's Madhav Chavan, whose Pratham Foundation has helped children in the field of education and China's Zhang Minsuan who contributed to bringing about reforms that elevated Shanghai to the top of global student performance rankings, etc. The list of honorees is the result of the efforts made by Asia Society which invited suggestions from its global network. More than 130 individuals and institutions were nominated, and after a six-month process, the end-result list was prepared. Sheeran also highlighted the significance of Asia in the global landscape. It has the largest population in the world; it is the most-dynamic economic growth region and yet it has received very little recognition in the past. Indeed, less than 10 per cent of the Nobel Prize awards were given to Asians, she said. The Asia Game Changer Awards would help show recognition to the efforts of those who richly deserved it, she added. --BERNAMA