Keynote Speech at the 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards
Nov. 11, 2023
Hello! Today, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim will deliver the keynote speech at the 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards.
After morning practice and meditation, Sunim edited the draft of his speech with Jason Lim, who was to interpret it. Given that this year’s award ceremony was to be attended by 45 former award recipients and live-streamed worldwide, the speech was aimed at conveying a message of peace for all people around the world. In the initial draft, Sunim had quoted Gandhi, but ultimately decided to incorporate a quote from President Magsaysay instead.
After editing the draft, Sunim left the hotel at 10:30 am and headed toward the Korean Embassy in Manila on the invitation of the ambassador.
Upon his arrival at the embassy, he was warmly welcomed by Ambassador Lee Sangwha.
“Thank you for visiting me despite your busy schedule.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
Sunim had a talk with the ambassador, his wife, and the embassy counselor over tea.
Then they moved to the dining room and continued their conversation over lunch. The ambassador showed great interest in the JTS activities that Sunim has been involved in for the past 20 years in Mindanao.
“Our government provides support for Mindanao on a small scale, but I didn’t know that you’ve built around 60 schools.”
“Yes, it’s been 20 years.”
“It’s been 20 years since you were honored with the Magsaysay Award.”
“Yes, this year marks the 65th anniversary of Magsaysay Awards and they have invited 45 former awardees. When I asked them why they wanted me to deliver the keynote speech, considering I don’t speak English, they explained that the message is crucial, so they specifically requested me to give the speech.”
“It’s a highly significant event.”
“Given that the Ukraine and Israeli conflicts are significant global issues, there is a pressing need to deliver a message of peace, and I believe they asked me to deliver the speech because I am a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding.”
Ambassador Lee Sangwha mentioned that he had worked at the U.N. and in Myanmar previously. Sunim and the ambassador engaged in a lengthy discussion about the conflicts occuring in various places around the world and ways to eradicate poverty. After two hours of conversation, Sunim took a photo with the ambassador and his wife before leaving the embassy.
Sunim headed toward the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the venue for the award ceremony. When Sunim arrived, many guests were already seated, awaiting the start of the ceremony.
Sunim exchanged greetings with the staff of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) in a waiting room and at around 4:30 pm lined up with other awardees in the lobby to enter the stage.
After a video showcasing the history of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards from 1957–2023 was shown, the central door of the theater opened, and awardees, with Sunim at the front, walked toward the stage. The entire audience stood up and applauded, warmly welcoming the awardees.
After the honor guard’s march on the stage, the national anthem of the Philippines played. Susan Afan, today’s event MC and the president of the RMAF, then announced the commencement of the ceremony.
“Welcome to the 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards presentation ceremonies. Thank you for joining us in this milestone celebration of transformative leadership and selfless service in Asia.”
RMAF chairman Aurelio Luis Montinola delivered a welcome speech and the recipients of this year’s award were then announced.
The first recipient was Korvi Rakshand from Bangladesh. He founded JAAGO Foundation, providing free primary and secondary level English education to children in underprivileged areas in Dhaka. He has offered free education to more than 30,000 children across 206 classrooms. By leveraging online technology, he successfully addressed the challenge of education access in remote areas and created opportunities for young people to participate in the project. Additionally, he implemented a project supporting the physical and mental well-being of children living in the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.
The second recipient was Miriam Coronel-Ferrer from the Philippines. She drafted the Philippines’ first National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, advocating the role of women as peace builders for the U.N. Security Council in all stages. Additionally, she played a crucial role in the negotiation panel with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front(MILF), contributing to the transformation of conflict areas in Mindanao into peaceful civilian zones. Her mediation efforts extended to conflicts in other countries, including Timor-Leste and Cambodia.
The third recipient was Eugenio Lemos from Timor-Leste. He founded Permakultura Timor-Lorosa (Permatil) to establish a sustainable agricultural system, and has worked for the preservation of the environment and the integration of indigenous culture for the welfare of community.
The fourth recipient was Ravi Kannan R. from India. With the belief that no one should be deprived of medical treatment due to financial constraints, he founded the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Center (CCHRC), providing free cancer treatments to 5,000 new patients and 20,000 follow-up treatments annually to impoverished patients.
A video showcasing the works of the recipients was played and their stories moved everyone. The audience applauded loudly at the narratives of these four people, who have demonstrated what benefiting the world looks like through their lives. Sunim also joined in the applause, demonstrating his respect for their achievements.
After awarding the four recipients, the chairman of the RMAF introduced Sunim as the keynote speaker.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with honor that I introduce our Keynote Speaker this evening. He is the founder of Jungto Society, an organization dedicated to applying the Buddha’s teachings on daily mindful practice, environmentalism, and world peace. In 2002, he was elected to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his compassionate attention to the human cost of Korea’s bitter division and his hopeful appeal for reconciliation. Let’s listen to his speech with loud applause.”
Amid a resounding round of applause, Sunim stepped up to the podium and began his keynote speech, with Jason Lim providing interpretation.
“I want to thank the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, including the Trustees and members of the Magsaysay Family, for inviting me to give the keynote speech at the prestigious 65th Anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards, Asia’s highest honor. I would also like to recognize the First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines, Louise Araneta-Marcos; honorable ambassadors from various nations, former recipients of this award, and other distinguished guests and friends. Most of all, I want to convey my deep respect and congratulations to this year’s four award recipients.
“For 65 years since 1958, the Foundation has endeavored to identify and encourage countless heroes who have sacrificed for peace, human rights, democracy, and the welfare of everyday people across Asia. To us Asians, they have become symbols of hope and courage that have transcended national boundaries.
“Esteemed guests and fellow citizens of the world who are watching us right now online, for the past 30 years, I have supported and worked side by side with the untouchables in India, refugees in Afghanistan, indigenous and Muslim people of Mindanao of the Philippines, Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, and the refugees of North Korea. And beyond the absolute desolation and poverty afflicting these people of Asia, I have realized that there have always been tensions and conflicts. Without resolving these conflicts, we can’t sustain humanitarian aid, guarantee human rights, or ensure children’s education that form the foundation of their future dreams.
Let’s stop wars and plant the trees of peace
“We are facing an ever-increasing and chilling wind of war today. Violence and intimidation based on ‘might is right’ are everywhere. Conflicts based on race, ethnicity, territory, and religion are laying waste to the homes and communities of peoples around the world. As we speak, we are witnessing people being killed and communities devastated as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Hamas’s assault on Israel, and Israel’s indiscriminate attack and total quarantine of Gaza.
“Through the two world wars in the first half of the 20th century, we experienced incomparable losses of tens of millions of people and the complete destruction of our societies, leading us to the realization of our own inhumanity towards one another and resulting in an international agreement on peace, security, human rights, and humanitarianism. Unfortunately, in less than a century, we are back here again, indulging in our inhumanity, having forgotten our painful lessons.
“The world is once again dividing itself into ‘us versus them’ and justifying military conflicts. We demonize others by claiming we are right and you are wrong. We justify disproportional vengeance by claiming victimhood. We have desecrated the UN Charter for peace and the Security Council, established to guarantee peace throughout the world, is instead being used to deny the resolution approved by the majority of member states.
“We have to stop immediately the killing of innocents and destruction of our communities and this Earth. The only and most urgent solution is peace. Peace is not the mere absence of war or violence but a state of being without conflict and discrimination. How do we achieve such peace?
First and foremost, immediately stop war
“First and foremost, immediately stop war.
War is violence. Nothing can justify the killing of civilians and children. There is no just war in this world. War can only be tragic and criminal. Declare an immediate armistice to stop the killing of civilians and allow humanitarian support to flow fully.
Second, begin a dialogue for peace
“Second, begin a dialogue for peace.
Such dialogue begins from mutual respect and understanding. Peace cannot be attained through strength alone. Arbitrary, one-sided demands only bring about the destruction of all. We must acknowledge that we have deep differences in ideology and values. And dialogue for peace can then only begin on the foundation of such difficult, mutual recognition.
Third, citizens of the world must rise up for peace
“Third, citizens of the world must rise up for peace.
Peace can only be achieved by the courageous actions of everyday people. I recently visited the United States and met with various officials from the White House to Congress and the government. I informed them of the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and pleaded for food and medical aid for the 25 million people suffering in North Korea. Most of the officials I met were pessimistic about the potential for peace on the Korean Peninsula. But no amount of pessimism will stop me. I live on that peninsula, along with 75 million South and North Koreans. War cannot be allowed to occur again on this land.
“There are those who warn us that war cannot be stopped, even if we come together. There are those who say that we are too late. But we cannot give up. Just as dawn always breaks after a long night, we can witness peace if we persevere. Whatever sacrifice and efforts are demanded, peace is worth it because it is always the best choice.
“Peace will come only if we act. We have to be the prime movers for peace. In today’s world, where even institutions like the UN have lost their power to act, we—the citizens of the world—hold the only remaining reservoir of strength to strive for peace.
“We have to combine our voices from all corners of the world. Every day, courageous voices that go beyond the boundaries of nation states, religions, and ideologies to oppose war and call for peace are the only power that can stop the winds of war and achieve peace. Here and now, let us all take that audacious step for peace.
“Finally, I have to mention once again the four recipients of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Former President Ramon Magsaysay once said, ‘Guns alone are not the answer. We must provide hope for young people for better housing, clothing, and food; and if we do, the radicals will wither away.’
“And indeed, the four recipients are the true heroes of today who have provided the hope for better food, health, education, and peace to the young people that the former president mentioned. May their contributions continue and shine brighter for the future of the 4.7 billion people living in Asia.
“Again, my deepest respect and gratitude to the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation for giving me this honored opportunity to speak today. May all living beings be happy and peaceful.”
Considering the global situation, Sunim’s speech delivered a profound and
well-timed message. All the participants empathized with Sunim, expressing their appreciation with a big round of applause.
Then a children’s choir sang a beautiful song titled “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
Sunim’s message, urging us to act for peace, resonated through the clear voices of the children, filling the Metropolitan Theater.
Finally, all former and present Magsaysay awardees stepped onto the stage for a group photo. On the screen, photos of awardees from 1958 to 2023 unfolded like a panorama.
When 45 former and present awardees from across Asia stood shoulder to shoulder on the stage, another round of big applause filled the venue.
With RMAF president Susan Afan making the closing announcement, the award ceremony came to an end.
“The 65TH Ramon Magsaysay Awards presentation ceremonies are now concluded. Thank you for your presence.”
Sunim and the other awardees stepped down from the stage, escorted by the honor guard. As they walked through the venue, the audience erupted in a standing ovation.
In the lobby, Sunim engaged in conversations and took photos with fellow awardees. First, Wilson Bezwada, a 2016 awardee, approached Sunim and greeted him. He is the National Convenor of Safari Karmachari Andolan (SKA), an organization dedicated to fighting for the dignity of manual sewage cleaners.
“I am a Dalit in India. Few people talk about the suffering of the Dalits. I was deeply moved when you mentioned the suffering of Dalits. I am actively working to improve the human rights of Dalits involved in manual sewage cleaning. When I received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016, I also took the opportunity to speak out about their plight.”
“Did you? For the past 30 years, I’ve been operating schools and a hospital and engaging in village development for the Dalits in Bihar.”
Sunim also exchanged greetings with the First Lady of the Philippines.
“Mrs. Marcos, I sincerely appreciate your personal congratulations to the awardees, especially considering your busy schedule.”
“Thank you for your kind words. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you as well.”
The First Lady said thank you to Sunim in Korean. Following that, Sunim approached each of this year’s awardees to convey his congratulations. His first congratulations went to Eugenio Lemos.
“I’m very interested in what you do. Let’s keep in touch and explore things we can do together. I’m very interested in sustainable development in agriculture.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Then Sunim conveyed his congratulations to Ravi Kannan.
“I congratulate you once more.”
“Please visit our hospital when you come to Assam.”
“I will certainly visit you on my next trip to Assam. I’m genuinely interested in what you do. If there are ways I can assist you, please let me know—I am more than willing to help.”
“I would like you to bless us and pray for us.”
“I am operating schools and a hospital for the Dalits in Bihar.”
“I will gladly help if there is anything I can do.”
“We are operating a hospital, so we certainly need your help.”
The husband of Susan Afan also extended his greetings to Sunim, expressing how deeply moved he was by Sunim’s keynote speech.
“Your speech was truly remarkable. You presented a clear solution to end the wars raging worldwide. I hope that the journalists attending this event will report on your speech. Thank you.”
Many people expressed that they were moved by Sunim’s keynote speech. One attendee, who noted she had listened attentively, approached him to express her impressions.
“I want to say how much I loved your message of peace today. Your message that peace can be achieved by our actions over an extended period of time is particularly impactful.”
Next, Sunim approached Korvi Rakshand to convey his congratulations.
“I congratulate you once more. What you do really matters.”
“I need a lot of your blessings. I am young and don’t have much experience.”
“I hope that you will implement education programs for children in the Rohingya refugee camps more actively.”
“Certainly. I’ve tried to implement education programs in the Rohingya refugee camp, but I couldn’t because there’s no Internet access there. Once Internet access is secured, the implementation of education programs can proceed.”
“If you obtain permission to use the Internet there, I will provide the necessary facilities.”
“Yes, I will propose the idea to the Bangladesh government.”
“I had a discussion with the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and apparently education for the children in the refugee camp is a serious issue. The Bangladesh government restricts the Rohingyas from learning Bengali to prevent them from seeking naturalization. However, considering that the children are growing fast, ensuring access to education is crucial.”
“I provided education to around 500 students at the refugee camp for two years, but I was expelled in the end. Nevertheless, I remain committed to continuing my efforts.”
“I am operating schools for the Dalits in Bihar, India, and I would like to introduce your education programs to these schools.”
“Send me an email and I will help you right away.”
“Thank you. Education is crucial for children. Children grow so fast, so they shouldn’t miss opportunities to learn.”
“That’s why I am also focusing on education.”
Sunim encouraged Korvi Rakshand, then approached Mirian Coronel-Ferrer to convey his congratulations.
“I congratulate you once more.”
“Both you and I share the same message and we need to consistently appeal to people.”
“I also met with the deputy commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, with whom you had negotiations, twice. You’ve done a very important job. I have been constructing schools in the Muslim and indigenous areas in Mindanao. Education is possible only when there i s peace.”
“You’re right. Peace must be maintained.”
“Continue with your commendable efforts.”
Lastly, Sunim met with the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.
“Your speech was truly inspiring. It was a very fitting message of peace. People are now at a loss. I served as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the U.N. is my friend. I provided substantial assistance when North Korean refugees defected to South Korea via the Philippines.”
“Thank you for your assistance. I also helped them at that time.”
After having conversations with many of the participants, Sunim headed to the RMAF by car.
At 7:30 pm, there was a banquet commemorating the 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards. Upon arrival, Sunim looked for Archbishop Antonio Ledesma and greeted him.
“Oh, Venerable Pomnyun!”
“Are you well?”
“Yes. You gave a very good speech about peace at today’s event.”
“Thank you for taking my inadequate speech favorably. We’ll have a dedication ceremony for a school in Mindanao in December, please come.”
“Yes.”
Sunim sat at the same table with Aurelio Luis Montinola, chairman of the RMAF. As everyone sitting at the table has been actively engaged in the peace movement, the chairman said with a smile,
“We are the peace table!”
Sunim engaged in a more in-depth conversation with Miriam Coronel-Ferrer regarding the issues of South and North Korea, Myanmar, and peace in Mindanao.
During the dinner, many people approached Sunim to offer greetings.
“I am greatly inspired by your speech today. It conveyed a very timely message. I express my sincere respect for your work.”
As the dinner progressed, a performance featuring traditional Filipino and modern musical instruments began on the stage.
Sunim engaged in conversations with several more people and promised future collaborations with them before leaving the venue and heading for the hotel.
Today’s award ceremony served as momentum for new collaborations with many people who share the same aspirations. It is hoped that together, we will create a new civilization where people share and support one another in solidarity.
Tomorrow, Sunim will hold a Dharma Q&A session for Jungto practitioners at Jungto Dharma Center in Manila in the morning, followed by participation in a book launch event for The Greatness of Spirit published by the RMAF, and the Magsaysay Award Festival in the afternoon.
