The forests of Aceh are dense, tropical and threatened— Indonesia is rich in biodiversity but also subject to the demands of a growing population and exploitation of its natural resources.

Growing citizen involvement has helped conserve the forests— and the precarious Leuser Ecosystem— from further encroachment and misuse. Leading the charge are local conservationists like Farwiza Farhan. Ms. Farhran is the co-founder of the non-profit organisation Forest Nature and Environment of Aceh Foundation (Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh) based in Sumatra, and the winner of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership.

The Leuser Ecosystem

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, rich in resources and bidoversity. On Sumatra Island, a 2.6 million hectare expanse in the Aceh province, called the Leuser Ecosystem, hosts unique and highly endangered species in a varying landscape that includes rainforests, swamps, coastal forests and alpine meadows. This includes critically endangered animals such as orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinos. Indonesia has the world’s third largest area under rainforests; these rich tropical rainforests also act as a major sink for carbon. The region was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and a protected National Strategic Area in 2008.

However, Indonesia is also the world’s fourth most populated country, putting a severe strain on the country’s resouces and environment. The Leuser Ecosystem is under threat due to deforestation, infrastructure, commercialization, and weak law enforcement. Clearing of forested land for palm oil cultivation is another issue; this includes government-owned plantation companies like PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PT PN) I Blang Tualang, PT Tualang Raya, PT Indo Sawit Perkasa and PT Laot Bangko.

A body called the Leuser Ecosystem Management Authority or Badan Pengelola Kawasan Ekosistem Leuser (BPKEL) had been managing the region, and fighting off encroachments by vested interests on the land. But it was abolished by the Aceh government in 2013.

Following this, some former employees of BPKEL came together to a create a new forest watchdog organsation, called the Forest Nature and Environment of Aceh Foundation or Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA). Its aim was to continue conservation efforts for the Leuser ecosystem; one of its co-founders was Farwiza Farhan.

Farwiza Farhan’s story

Ms. Farhan was born in 1986 in Aceh. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a marine biologist and working in conservation. She studied abroad, returning with a master’s degree in environmental management.

Seeking to aid conservation efforts in her local forests, Ms. Farhan joined BPKEL. When BPKEL shut down, she co-founded HAkA in 2012. The grouo believes in mobilising the local community to protect the ecosystem and monitor forests, instead of relying on government agencies. HAkA has also mobilized the citizens of Aceh by spreading awareness about the Leuser ecosystem and its importance, both through public outreach and including it in the curriculum of local schools and colleges.

It has deployed a geographic information system and other forest monitoring tools to help local governments, communities, and universities monitor the forests in real-time. HAkA often liases with government officials, donors, and academics to achieve its conservation goals.

HAkA has also promoted community-based sustainable forest management. It runs dedicated programmes for women in which they are given paralegal and citizen-journalism training, engaged in micro-entrepreneurship, and organized into ranger groups that patrol forest areas to destroy traps, and monitor poaching and illegal logging.

It has also engaged in legal battles: HAkA was part of a court battle against a palm oil company clearing local forests, which resulted in a fine of USD 26 million for the company in question. It also halted a hydroelectric dam project which threatened elephant habitats. This money was used by the government for rehabilitation of the affected areas.

In 2016, the central government and Aceh provincial government agreed on a moratorium for palm cultivation and mining.

Ms. Farhan, a young Muslim woman, has had to defy conventions in her quest to conserve the forests of Aceh, proving a role model for other Indonesian women. She was honoured with a Whitley Award in 2016 and was named on Time 100Next list in 2022.

“We hear a lot about how conservation is fighting a losing battle. Not in the Leuser Ecosystem. We are actually winning,” she said, in an interview with Time Magazine.

This year, Ms. Farhan will receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership. In her citation, the board of trustees commended her “profound understanding of the vital connection between nature and humanity, her commitment to social justice and responsible citizenship through her work with forest communities, and her promotion of greater awareness of the need to protect the beating heart and lungs of her country’s and Asia’s rich but endangered natural resources.”

What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of Asia’s top honours, is awarded in recognition of “greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia.”

The award was instituted by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honour of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was first awarded in 1958. Till 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, peace and international understanding; emergent leadership, and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Except for emergent leadership, which was launched in 2000, all the other categories have now been discontinued.

To date, 322 people and 26 organisations hailing from 22 Asian nations have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Among Indian winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award in Emergent Leadership are Arvind Kejriwal, Indian Forest Servcies Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Carnatic classical musician T.M Krishna and social worker Nileema Mishra, who founded the Sister Nivedita Rural Science Center(Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan) in the village of Bahadarpur, Maharashtra. Last year’s winner was Bangladeshi social worker Korvi Rakshand who established the JAAGO Foundation to increase. access to quality education among underpriveleged children.

Additionally, many engaged in conservation efforts have won the Ramon Magsaysay in other categories, including Ladakhi environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk.

The other awardees this year are noted Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Bhutan’s Phuntsho Karma, a former Buddhist monk, scholar and social worker; Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who works with the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA); and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

The 2024 awardees will be honoured in a ceremony in Manila this November.

The forests of Aceh are dense, tropical and threatened— Indonesia is rich in biodiversity but also subject to the demands of a growing population and exploitation of its natural resources.

Growing citizen involvement has helped conserve the forests— and the precarious Leuser Ecosystem— from further encroachment and misuse. Leading the charge are local conservationists like Farwiza Farhan. Ms. Farhran is the co-founder of the non-profit organisation Forest Nature and Environment of Aceh Foundation (Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh) based in Sumatra, and the winner of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership.

The Leuser Ecosystem

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, rich in resources and bidoversity. On Sumatra Island, a 2.6 million hectare expanse in the Aceh province, called the Leuser Ecosystem, hosts unique and highly endangered species in a varying landscape that includes rainforests, swamps, coastal forests and alpine meadows. This includes critically endangered animals such as orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinos. Indonesia has the world’s third largest area under rainforests; these rich tropical rainforests also act as a major sink for carbon. The region was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and a protected National Strategic Area in 2008.

However, Indonesia is also the world’s fourth most populated country, putting a severe strain on the country’s resouces and environment. The Leuser Ecosystem is under threat due to deforestation, infrastructure, commercialization, and weak law enforcement. Clearing of forested land for palm oil cultivation is another issue; this includes government-owned plantation companies like PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PT PN) I Blang Tualang, PT Tualang Raya, PT Indo Sawit Perkasa and PT Laot Bangko.

A body called the Leuser Ecosystem Management Authority or Badan Pengelola Kawasan Ekosistem Leuser (BPKEL) had been managing the region, and fighting off encroachments by vested interests on the land. But it was abolished by the Aceh government in 2013.

Following this, some former employees of BPKEL came together to a create a new forest watchdog organsation, called the Forest Nature and Environment of Aceh Foundation or Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA). Its aim was to continue conservation efforts for the Leuser ecosystem; one of its co-founders was Farwiza Farhan.

Farwiza Farhan’s story

Ms. Farhan was born in 1986 in Aceh. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a marine biologist and working in conservation. She studied abroad, returning with a master’s degree in environmental management.

Seeking to aid conservation efforts in her local forests, Ms. Farhan joined BPKEL. When BPKEL shut down, she co-founded HAkA in 2012. The grouo believes in mobilising the local community to protect the ecosystem and monitor forests, instead of relying on government agencies. HAkA has also mobilized the citizens of Aceh by spreading awareness about the Leuser ecosystem and its importance, both through public outreach and including it in the curriculum of local schools and colleges.

It has deployed a geographic information system and other forest monitoring tools to help local governments, communities, and universities monitor the forests in real-time. HAkA often liases with government officials, donors, and academics to achieve its conservation goals.

HAkA has also promoted community-based sustainable forest management. It runs dedicated programmes for women in which they are given paralegal and citizen-journalism training, engaged in micro-entrepreneurship, and organized into ranger groups that patrol forest areas to destroy traps, and monitor poaching and illegal logging.

It has also engaged in legal battles: HAkA was part of a court battle against a palm oil company clearing local forests, which resulted in a fine of USD 26 million for the company in question. It also halted a hydroelectric dam project which threatened elephant habitats. This money was used by the government for rehabilitation of the affected areas.

In 2016, the central government and Aceh provincial government agreed on a moratorium for palm cultivation and mining.

Ms. Farhan, a young Muslim woman, has had to defy conventions in her quest to conserve the forests of Aceh, proving a role model for other Indonesian women. She was honoured with a Whitley Award in 2016 and was named on Time 100Next list in 2022.

“We hear a lot about how conservation is fighting a losing battle. Not in the Leuser Ecosystem. We are actually winning,” she said, in an interview with Time Magazine.

This year, Ms. Farhan will receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership. In her citation, the board of trustees commended her “profound understanding of the vital connection between nature and humanity, her commitment to social justice and responsible citizenship through her work with forest communities, and her promotion of greater awareness of the need to protect the beating heart and lungs of her country’s and Asia’s rich but endangered natural resources.”

What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of Asia’s top honours, is awarded in recognition of “greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia.”

The award was instituted by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honour of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was first awarded in 1958. Till 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, peace and international understanding; emergent leadership, and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Except for emergent leadership, which was launched in 2000, all the other categories have now been discontinued.

To date, 322 people and 26 organisations hailing from 22 Asian nations have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Among Indian winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award in Emergent Leadership are Arvind Kejriwal, Indian Forest Servcies Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Carnatic classical musician T.M Krishna and social worker Nileema Mishra, who founded the Sister Nivedita Rural Science Center(Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan) in the village of Bahadarpur, Maharashtra. Last year’s winner was Bangladeshi social worker Korvi Rakshand who established the JAAGO Foundation to increase. access to quality education among underpriveleged children.

Additionally, many engaged in conservation efforts have won the Ramon Magsaysay in other categories, including Ladakhi environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk.

The other awardees this year are noted Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Bhutan’s Phuntsho Karma, a former Buddhist monk, scholar and social worker; Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who works with the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA); and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

The 2024 awardees will be honoured in a ceremony in Manila this November.

Along with the many horrors of the Vietnam War, there has been a particularly noxious one: the lingering effects of the notorious herbicide Agent Orange, which has caused severe deformity, miscarriages, cancer and other diseases in soliders of the war as well as Vietnamese civilians. Civil society organisations in Vietnam have long fought to bring justice for those victimised by Agent Orange.

This year, among the honorees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a respected Vietnamese obstretrician who has strived to right the wrongs of the Vietnamese war and advocate for those impacted by Agent Orange.

The Vietnam war

The Vietnam war was fought between communist North Vietnam and Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its allies, the most important one being the United States. The Vietnam war lasted from 1955 to 1975 and resulted in the deaths of three million people, including civillians as well as fighters on both sides of the conflict. Vietnamese officials estimated that two out of every three deaths was that of a civilian. When troops withdrew in 1975, however, the ordeals of war were far from over.

Agent Orange, a defoilant, was used during the war to clear dense forests along Vietnam’s border with Laos and Cambodia, near waterways, and in areas near Saigon. The aim was to prevent the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong from using the forests to hide their tracks and supplies.

Agent Orange comprised of the highly toxic tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD). It was only one of several other herbicides, such as Agents White, Green, Blue, Purple and Pink, used in the war; these were named after the colour-coding on the barrels which stored them. Between 1962 and 1971, more than 10 million gallons of defoliant were sprayed from the air in Vietnam by American planes. Agent Orange was effective in clearing large patches on land, killing plants within days. But the chemical also leached into water and from there crawled up through the food chain- through fish and ducks to people who consumed them.

It affected soldiers in the war— both foreign and Vietnamese, and lingered in the environment. The impacts have been seen over four generations, in including children— half a century later, the effects can still be seen in neworn babies. The chemical has caused an increase in miscarriages, skin diseases, cancers, birth defects, and severe congenital malformations.

Estimates say that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the toxin. Medical researchers from Vietnam and other countries continue to study and evolve mechanisms to counter the impacts of the noxious Agent Orange.

Nguyen’s fight

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong was born in 1944. She grew up in the war years, and became a doctor just as the war had reached its peak.

In 1968, as an intern, she delivered a severely malformed baby for the first time. She recalled: “It was horrible for me, I was nauseous, vomiting and shaking. And how was the scared young mother? She was in shock when she saw her baby. Since then, every day or two, I have witnessed such birth defects and mother’s sufferings. But, for many years, I didn’t know what caused these tragic events,.”

The quest for the cause of these deformities led Dr. Phuong to Agent Orange, and she became engaged in activism to help others afflicted by it.

Adding to the body of research about the impact herbicides, Dr. Phuong and her colleagues published research which established that people in areas sprayed with Agent Orange suffered from three times as many birth defects as in other places. Dr. Phuong joined the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), a Hanoi-based non profit organisation established in 2004, comprising victims and volunteers seeking to offer help to affected individuals.

Dr. Phuong also engaged in advocacy at the international level, with organisations like the American Public Health Association. She has also supported legal action seeking compensation from herbicide manufacturers for the damage done by Agent Orange.

Besides this, Dr. Phuong has been a respected obstretician in her country, having been the former director of Tu Du Hospital, Vietnam’s largest obstetric hospital. She pioneered in vitro fertilization in Vietnam, earning the moniker “Dr. Fairy” from grateful parents. As a member of the National Assembly, Dr. Phuong has pushed for legislation on family planning and reproductive health.

In her citation, the board of trustees noted that it “honors not only a woman and physician of extraordinary dedication and talent, but also the spirit of public service and the message of hope she continues to propagate among her people.”

“She offers proof that it can never be too late to right the wrongs of war, and gain justice and relief for its hapless victims,” it adds.

What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of Asia’s top honours, is awarded in recognition of “greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia.”

The award was instituted by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honour of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was first awarded in 1958. Till 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, peace and international understanding; emergent leadership and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Except for emergent leadership, all the other categories have now been discontinued.

To date, 322 people and 26 organisations hailing from 22 Asian nations have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Several doctors have received the top honour for their work, including India’s Dr Ravi Kannan, the Director of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Center (CCHRC) in Assam, Japanese opthalmologist Taddoshi Hattori, who pioneered cost-effective eye treatment in Vietnam, and Psychiatrist Sotheara Chhim, the executive director of Cambodia’s Transcultural Psychosocial Organization, which tackled widespread mental health issues following the horrors of the Khmer Rouge.

The other awardees this year are noted Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Bhutan’s Phuntsho Karma, a former Buddhist monk, scholar and social worker; Indonesia’s Farhan Farwiza, the conservationist-founder of Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA), dedicated to preserving the Leuser ecosystem; and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

The 2024 awardees will be honoured in a ceremony in Manila this November.

Along with the many horrors of the Vietnam War, there has been a particularly noxious one: the lingering effects of the notorious herbicide Agent Orange, which has caused severe deformity, miscarriages, cancer and other diseases in soliders of the war as well as Vietnamese civilians. Civil society organisations in Vietnam have long fought to bring justice for those victimised by Agent Orange.

This year, among the honorees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a respected Vietnamese obstretrician who has strived to right the wrongs of the Vietnamese war and advocate for those impacted by Agent Orange.

The Vietnam war

The Vietnam war was fought between communist North Vietnam and Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its allies, the most important one being the United States. The Vietnam war lasted from 1955 to 1975 and resulted in the deaths of three million people, including civillians as well as fighters on both sides of the conflict. Vietnamese officials estimated that two out of every three deaths was that of a civilian. When troops withdrew in 1975, however, the ordeals of war were far from over.

Agent Orange, a defoilant, was used during the war to clear dense forests along Vietnam’s border with Laos and Cambodia, near waterways, and in areas near Saigon. The aim was to prevent the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong from using the forests to hide their tracks and supplies.

Agent Orange comprised of the highly toxic tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD). It was only one of several other herbicides, such as Agents White, Green, Blue, Purple and Pink, used in the war; these were named after the colour-coding on the barrels which stored them. Between 1962 and 1971, more than 10 million gallons of defoliant were sprayed from the air in Vietnam by American planes. Agent Orange was effective in clearing large patches on land, killing plants within days. But the chemical also leached into water and from there crawled up through the food chain- through fish and ducks to people who consumed them.

It affected soldiers in the war— both foreign and Vietnamese, and lingered in the environment. The impacts have been seen over four generations, in including children— half a century later, the effects can still be seen in neworn babies. The chemical has caused an increase in miscarriages, skin diseases, cancers, birth defects, and severe congenital malformations.

Estimates say that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the toxin. Medical researchers from Vietnam and other countries continue to study and evolve mechanisms to counter the impacts of the noxious Agent Orange.

Nguyen’s fight

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong was born in 1944. She grew up in the war years, and became a doctor just as the war had reached its peak.

In 1968, as an intern, she delivered a severely malformed baby for the first time. She recalled: “It was horrible for me, I was nauseous, vomiting and shaking. And how was the scared young mother? She was in shock when she saw her baby. Since then, every day or two, I have witnessed such birth defects and mother’s sufferings. But, for many years, I didn’t know what caused these tragic events,.”

The quest for the cause of these deformities led Dr. Phuong to Agent Orange, and she became engaged in activism to help others afflicted by it.

Adding to the body of research about the impact herbicides, Dr. Phuong and her colleagues published research which established that people in areas sprayed with Agent Orange suffered from three times as many birth defects as in other places. Dr. Phuong joined the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), a Hanoi-based non profit organisation established in 2004, comprising victims and volunteers seeking to offer help to affected individuals.

Dr. Phuong also engaged in advocacy at the international level, with organisations like the American Public Health Association. She has also supported legal action seeking compensation from herbicide manufacturers for the damage done by Agent Orange.

Besides this, Dr. Phuong has been a respected obstretician in her country, having been the former director of Tu Du Hospital, Vietnam’s largest obstetric hospital. She pioneered in vitro fertilization in Vietnam, earning the moniker “Dr. Fairy” from grateful parents. As a member of the National Assembly, Dr. Phuong has pushed for legislation on family planning and reproductive health.

In her citation, the board of trustees noted that it “honors not only a woman and physician of extraordinary dedication and talent, but also the spirit of public service and the message of hope she continues to propagate among her people.”

“She offers proof that it can never be too late to right the wrongs of war, and gain justice and relief for its hapless victims,” it adds.

What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of Asia’s top honours, is awarded in recognition of “greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia.”

The award was instituted by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honour of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was first awarded in 1958. Till 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, peace and international understanding; emergent leadership and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Except for emergent leadership, all the other categories have now been discontinued.

To date, 322 people and 26 organisations hailing from 22 Asian nations have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Several doctors have received the top honour for their work, including India’s Dr Ravi Kannan, the Director of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Center (CCHRC) in Assam, Japanese opthalmologist Taddoshi Hattori, who pioneered cost-effective eye treatment in Vietnam, and Psychiatrist Sotheara Chhim, the executive director of Cambodia’s Transcultural Psychosocial Organization, which tackled widespread mental health issues following the horrors of the Khmer Rouge.

The other awardees this year are noted Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Bhutan’s Phuntsho Karma, a former Buddhist monk, scholar and social worker; Indonesia’s Farhan Farwiza, the conservationist-founder of Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA), dedicated to preserving the Leuser ecosystem; and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

The 2024 awardees will be honoured in a ceremony in Manila this November.

A Bhutanese thought leader with a profound understanding of Bhutanese tradition and an Oxford-educated scholar who seeks to bring Bhutan into the 21st century in a mindful and culturally sensitive way. These are merely two of the many descriptions mentioned by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in its citation for Phuntsho Karma, one of its five awardees for this year.

Mr. Phuntsho is a former Buddhist monk, academic, social worker and author. With extensive research into Bhutanese and Buddhist studies, and also working for the future of Bhutan through the social initiatives of the Loden Foundation, Mr. Phuntsho has been credited with harmonizing the past, present and the future of the country in its quest for progress.

Bhutan— cultural challenges meet development challenges

Bhutan has been widely regarded as a Shangi-La, a modern day oasis of quiet and beauty. The Himalayan kingdom is known for its pioneering concept of Gross National Happiness, a concept of development which is holistic and takes into account multiple aspects of human wellbeing. A majority-Buddist nations, it has rich history and cultural traditions.

But along with its charms, Bhutan faces many developmental challenges, It is a remote, landlocked region which opened up to tourists in 1974. A developing country, Bhutan faces issues of unemployment, lack of infrastructure and a paucity of social services. About 12% of its population live below the poverty line.

Preserving Bhutan’s unique cultural heritage while tackling real world issues of progress is a concern for the country— and this is the realm in which Karma Phuntsho works.

Phuntsho’s work

Karma Phuntsho was born in Bhutan in 1968. He finished his monastic training in Bhutan and India, and later studied classical Indian religions. Post this, he earned a Doctor of Philiosophy In Oriental Studies from Oxford. He followed this up with research stints at CNRS, Paris, Cambridge University, and the University of Virginia.

At present, his work centres on social and cultural issues in Bhutan and Buddhism. An important figure in Bhutan’s academic circles, he regularly gives talks and has written six books pertaining to this domain, including History of Bhutan and Mipham’s Dialectics and the Debates on Emptiness.

In 1999, Mr. Phuntsho founded the Loden Foundation, an educational charity with its headquarters in Thimphu “committed to promoting education, nurturing social entrepreneurship, and documenting Bhutan’s cultural heritage and traditions.” Loden literally means “possessing intelligence”, but it is “grounded in the Buddhist belief that knowledge has no owner, and that empowerment through education is the greatest gift.”

Initially a programme to support poor students in Bhutan, Loden has now grown into a civil society organization with many staff and partners across the globe. The Foundation has projects in all twenty administrative districts of Bhutan. Till 2008, it was entirely managed by Mr. Phuntsho and volunteers.

Loden has established five preschools, funded 219 students through school and awarded 98 college scholarships. It has held 63 Bhutan Dialogue Sessions, which see conversations with thought leaders to glean insights from their work for development and progress.

The Foundation also works in the sector of employment and job creation. It aims to move away from a traditional approach to business, engaging in ethical and responsible business practices, prioritising social value over profit. It seeks to address youth unemployment through encouraging social entrepreneurship, offering loans, mentorship, and capacity-building. Since 2008, a total of 295 entrepreneurs, including 97 women, have been funded by the programme, which has also created 860 jobs and trained 5,750 others in the field of entrepreneurship

The Foundation also focuses on documenting and digitizing Bhutan’s oral and written heritage, with 3,348 hours of recordings of intangible culture, 4.55 million pages of digital texts scanned from 76 libraries, 150,000 pictures of old art and artifacts, and 61 culture projects achieved so far.

Phuntsho has called himself a “pracademic”—he practices what he preaches, and his work is guided by his spirituality Other socio-cultural initiaves undertaken by him include the Bodhitse Center for Study and Contemplation, currently under development, and the Tsadra Foundation’s “Buddha-Nature“ project— a resource hub for teachings about the concept of buddha-nature and associated teachings. Mr. Phuntsho is also an active participant in local activities. He is part of his village solidarity group and has helped organise the Yakchoe festival in his village in Central Bhutan for almost 20 years.

The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay award noted in its citation for the award that it “recognizes his invaluable and enduring contributions towards harmonizing the richness of his country’s past with the diverse predicaments and prospects of its present, inspiring young Bhutanese to be proud of their heritage and confident in their future.”

It adds, “beyond his immediate horizon, his work engages all peoples and cultures around the world facing the same challenges, reminding them to look back even as they move forward..”

What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of Asia’s top honours, is awarded in recognition of “greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia.”

The award was instituted by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honour of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was first awarded in 1958. Till 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, peace and international understanding; emergent leadership and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Except for emergent leadership, all the other categories have now been discontinued.

To date, 322 people and 26 organisations hailing from 22 Asian nations have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. Spiritual leaders have previously received the award, such as the Dalai Lama (1959). In addition, many contributing to the progress of society and the nation in various domains have received the Award, including Indian social activist Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian artiste and social worker Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Sri Lankan activist Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne, who founded the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, and Thai feminist Nilawan Pintong.

The other awardees this year are noted Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who works with the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA); Indonesia’s Farhan Farwiza, the conservationist-founder of Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA), dedicated to preserving the Leuser ecosystem; and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

The 2024 awardees will be honoured in a ceremony in Manila this November.

A Bhutanese thought leader with a profound understanding of Bhutanese tradition and an Oxford-educated scholar who seeks to bring Bhutan into the 21st century in a mindful and culturally sensitive way. These are merely two of the many descriptions mentioned by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in its citation for Phuntsho Karma, one of its five awardees for this year.

Mr. Phuntsho is a former Buddhist monk, academic, social worker and author. With extensive research into Bhutanese and Buddhist studies, and also working for the future of Bhutan through the social initiatives of the Loden Foundation, Mr. Phuntsho has been credited with harmonizing the past, present and the future of the country in its quest for progress.

Bhutan— cultural challenges meet development challenges

Bhutan has been widely regarded as a Shangi-La, a modern day oasis of quiet and beauty. The Himalayan kingdom is known for its pioneering concept of Gross National Happiness, a concept of development which is holistic and takes into account multiple aspects of human wellbeing. A majority-Buddist nations, it has rich history and cultural traditions.

But along with its charms, Bhutan faces many developmental challenges, It is a remote, landlocked region which opened up to tourists in 1974. A developing country, Bhutan faces issues of unemployment, lack of infrastructure and a paucity of social services. About 12% of its population live below the poverty line.

Preserving Bhutan’s unique cultural heritage while tackling real world issues of progress is a concern for the country— and this is the realm in which Karma Phuntsho works.

Phuntsho’s work

Karma Phuntsho was born in Bhutan in 1968. He finished his monastic training in Bhutan and India, and later studied classical Indian religions. Post this, he earned a Doctor of Philiosophy In Oriental Studies from Oxford. He followed this up with research stints at CNRS, Paris, Cambridge University, and the University of Virginia.

At present, his work centres on social and cultural issues in Bhutan and Buddhism. An important figure in Bhutan’s academic circles, he regularly gives talks and has written six books pertaining to this domain, including History of Bhutan and Mipham’s Dialectics and the Debates on Emptiness.

In 1999, Mr. Phuntsho founded the Loden Foundation, an educational charity with its headquarters in Thimphu “committed to promoting education, nurturing social entrepreneurship, and documenting Bhutan’s cultural heritage and traditions.” Loden literally means “possessing intelligence”, but it is “grounded in the Buddhist belief that knowledge has no owner, and that empowerment through education is the greatest gift.”

Initially a programme to support poor students in Bhutan, Loden has now grown into a civil society organization with many staff and partners across the globe. The Foundation has projects in all twenty administrative districts of Bhutan. Till 2008, it was entirely managed by Mr. Phuntsho and volunteers.

Loden has established five preschools, funded 219 students through school and awarded 98 college scholarships. It has held 63 Bhutan Dialogue Sessions, which see conversations with thought leaders to glean insights from their work for development and progress.

The Foundation also works in the sector of employment and job creation. It aims to move away from a traditional approach to business, engaging in ethical and responsible business practices, prioritising social value over profit. It seeks to address youth unemployment through encouraging social entrepreneurship, offering loans, mentorship, and capacity-building. Since 2008, a total of 295 entrepreneurs, including 97 women, have been funded by the programme, which has also created 860 jobs and trained 5,750 others in the field of entrepreneurship

The Foundation also focuses on documenting and digitizing Bhutan’s oral and written heritage, with 3,348 hours of recordings of intangible culture, 4.55 million pages of digital texts scanned from 76 libraries, 150,000 pictures of old art and artifacts, and 61 culture projects achieved so far.

Phuntsho has called himself a “pracademic”—he practices what he preaches, and his work is guided by his spirituality Other socio-cultural initiaves undertaken by him include the Bodhitse Center for Study and Contemplation, currently under development, and the Tsadra Foundation’s “Buddha-Nature“ project— a resource hub for teachings about the concept of buddha-nature and associated teachings. Mr. Phuntsho is also an active participant in local activities. He is part of his village solidarity group and has helped organise the Yakchoe festival in his village in Central Bhutan for almost 20 years.

The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay award noted in its citation for the award that it “recognizes his invaluable and enduring contributions towards harmonizing the richness of his country’s past with the diverse predicaments and prospects of its present, inspiring young Bhutanese to be proud of their heritage and confident in their future.”

It adds, “beyond his immediate horizon, his work engages all peoples and cultures around the world facing the same challenges, reminding them to look back even as they move forward..”

What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of Asia’s top honours, is awarded in recognition of “greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia.”

The award was instituted by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honour of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was first awarded in 1958. Till 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, peace and international understanding; emergent leadership and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Except for emergent leadership, all the other categories have now been discontinued.

To date, 322 people and 26 organisations hailing from 22 Asian nations have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. Spiritual leaders have previously received the award, such as the Dalai Lama (1959). In addition, many contributing to the progress of society and the nation in various domains have received the Award, including Indian social activist Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian artiste and social worker Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Sri Lankan activist Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne, who founded the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, and Thai feminist Nilawan Pintong.

The other awardees this year are noted Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who works with the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA); Indonesia’s Farhan Farwiza, the conservationist-founder of Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA), dedicated to preserving the Leuser ecosystem; and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

The 2024 awardees will be honoured in a ceremony in Manila this November.