EDITORIAL - Ripples of change

One group is being honored for assisting survivors of human trafficking. Another group is being recognized for its success in fighting deep-seated corruption. Three individuals, meanwhile, are being honored for promoting health care for all, women’s rights, and civil society empowerment.

They are this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awardees – each with an inspiring story of dedicated work and determination to overcome odds in bringing positive change in their societies. Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, named after a Philippine president who is remembered for his exemplary service to his nation, continues to provide stories that should inspire those who are battling scourges such as armed conflict, discrimination, poverty, abuse and corruption.

Among those who will be honored today is Philippine physician Ernesto Domingo, advocate of universal healthcare and neonatal hepatitis vaccination. There is Afghanistan’s lone female provincial governor, Habiba Sarabi, who is doing her part in promoting women’s welfare and the peaceful development of her strife-torn country. Lahpai Seng Raw of Myanmar is promoting peaceful public participation in rebuilding her nation through local non-government organizations.

Then there’s Nepal’s Shakti Samuha “Power Group,” whose members are all survivors of human trafficking. Instead of succumbing to despair, the women rose above their suffering, setting up emergency shelters and halfway homes for other victims of human trafficking.

Last but not least, there’s the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia, or Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, whose work and achievements in fighting corruption in that country since its creation in 2002 should be a source of envy for Filipinos.

In honoring the awardees, the Magsaysay Foundation noted that they shared a common trait: “a greatness of spirit that infuses their leadership for change… they all refuse to give up, despite daunting adversity and opposition.”

Filipinos, looking for heroism in everyday life, can find inspiration in the tribute to the Magsaysay awardees: “Working selflessly in unpretentious yet powerful ways, they are showing us how commitment, competence and collaborative leadership can truly create ripples of change, even from the bottom of the pyramid.”