Congratulations: AHM Noman Khan for Ramon Magsaysay Award!
AHM Noman Khan, founder and executive
director of Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), has won Ramon
Magsaysay Award 2010 for his relentless efforts for the rights of the
challenged.
Six other Asians -- Tadatoshi Akiba of Japan,
Christopher Bernido and Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido of the Philippines,
and Huo Daishan, Pan Yue and Fu Oiping of China -- have also received the
prestigious award this year for their contribution in different fields.
Noman Khan is the ninth Bangladeshi to win the award
regarded as Asia's equivalent to Nobel prize. The
Ramon Magsaysay Foundation featured Noman Khan as a pioneer mainstreaming
the challenged in the development process of Bangladesh and working
vigorously with all sectors to build a society that is truly inclusive and
barrier free.
There are around 13 million physically and mentally
challenged people in Bangladesh, a country where being challenged is
considered a charity or social welfare issue, not rights, the foundation
observed.
In his first reaction to winning the award, Noman Khan
told The Daily Star, "It was a surprise. This is an achievement of my
organisation as we the members of CDD work like a family."
"The award will promote rights of the challenged and
encourage those who work in the field," said an elated Noman, adding that
perhaps this was the first time that the award had focused on the
challenged.
In a meeting with his colleagues at CDD, Noman Khan
announced to donate the prize money for the welfare of the challenged
through his organisation.
"The money will be spent for the welfare of the disabled
and we will sort out a way to use the fund," said Noman. The prize money is $50,000, worth about Tk 34 lakh.
Noman founded CDD in 1996 along with seven colleagues in
the development field based on the concept "community-based
rehabilitation" (CBR).
Later, the organisation devised a strategy Community
Approaches to Handicap in Development (CAHD) to encourage communities to
address the needs and rights of a challenged person and capacity building
of NGOs to include these issues in their development work.
CAHD has been adopted in Nepal, India and the
Philippines. CDD has also shared the strategy with organisations from
Pakistan, Cambodia, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, England,
Germany, and many more countries.
Besides training development workers, CDD has developed
Bangla Braille software and sign language. The organisation produces
low-cost books and slate for the visually impaired and campaigns for the
challenged people's access to information and communication
technology. |