[WSIS CS-Plenary] Congratulations: AHM Noman Khan for Ramon Magsaysay Award!

[AHM Bazlur Rahman]

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. 



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