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संजीव चतुर्वेदी और अंशु गुप्ता को रमोन मगसायसाय

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NEW DELHI: : India's Sanjiv Chaturvedi and Anshu Gupta will be conferred with the prestigious 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Awards 'for stoking fresh hopes for a better Asia.'Chaturvedi, a former chief vigilance officer at the AIIMS and Gupta, founding director of the non-government organization Goonj are two Indians in the five member list which also includes Kommaly Chanthavong (Laos), Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa (Phillipines) and Kyaw Thu (Myanmar).A release on the official website of the foundation said, "The board of trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) today announced that this year five individuals from India, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines will receive Asia’s premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award."Sanjiv Chaturvedi was conferred the award for Emergent Leadership. "He is being recognized for his exemplary integrity, courage and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly investigating corruption in public office, and his resolute crafting of program and system improvements to ensure that government honorably serves the people of India," the release said.The other recepiient, Anshu Gupta, is being recognized for “his creative vision in transforming the culture of giving in India, his enterprising leadership in treating cloth as a sustainable development resource for the poor, and in reminding the world that true giving always respects and preserves human dignity," according to the release.Other recipients, Kommaly Chanthavong, from Laos is being recognized for “her fearless, indomitable spirit to revive and develop the ancient Laotian art of silk weaving, creating livelihoods for thousands of poor, war-displaced Laotians, and thus preserving the dignity of women and her nation’s priceless silken cultural treasure.”Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, from the Philippines is being recognized for “her single-minded crusade in preserving the endangered artistic heritage of southern Philippines, and in creatively propagating a dance form that celebrates and deepens the sense of shared cultural identity among Asians.”Kyaw Thu is being recognized for “his generous compassion in addressing the fundamental needs of both the living and the dead in Myanmar -- regardless of their class or religion -- and his channeling personal fame and privilege to mobilize many others toward serving the greater social good.”Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honor and is widely regarded as the region's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named, and is given every year to individuals or organizations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader."The Magsaysay awardees of 2015," says RMAF President Carmencita Abella, "are truly stoking fresh hopes for a better Asia. Clearly, they are creating bold solutions to deeply-rooted social problems in their respective societies, problems which are most damaging to the lives of those trapped in poverty, ignorance, prejudice, and unjust systems. It is also clear that through their solutions each of these inspiring leaders is building more hopeful lives among their people -- one smart, impassioned, and persistent step at a time."The five 2015 Magsaysay awardees join the community of 307 other Magsaysay laureates who have received Asia's highest honor to date. This year's Magsaysay Award winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize. They will be formally conferred the Magsaysay Award during formal Presentation Ceremonies to be held on Monday, 31 August 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, to which the public is cordially invited.