Bangladeshs Runa Khan Awarded Prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award
Photo Collected
Runa Khan, the founder of the non-governmental organization Friendship, has been named a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the 2026 laureates on Monday in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The announcement coincides with the 119th birth anniversary of Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh president of the Philippines, for whom the award is named. The foundation stated that this year’s honorees were selected for work that embodies the enduring values associated with Magsaysay’s leadership, specifically focusing on service to others, creating opportunities for diverse communities, and empowering individuals to shape their own futures.
The announcement marks the beginning of the 68th Ramon Magsaysay Award festival. The festivities are scheduled to conclude on November 15 with an award ceremony at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, where the recipients will be presented with their honors.
The award was established in 1957 following the death of President Magsaysay in a plane crash on March 17 of that year. The first awards were presented in 1958. Traditionally, the foundation announces the winners annually on August 31, which marks Magsaysay’s birthday.
For several decades, the award was categorized into six specific fields: government service, public service, community leadership, journalism, literature and creative communication arts, peace and international understanding, and emergent leadership. While the emergent leadership category was introduced in 2000 with the financial support of the Ford Foundation, the award transitioned away from rigid categories in 2009 to allow for broader recognition of humanitarian efforts.
0%
0%
0%
0%
