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Jack Ma, who was recognized as Asia Game
Changer of the Year for his philanthropic contributions
and innovative vision, spoke last at the ceremony.
"I never thought I'd have a chance to be at
the United Nations," Ma said, who recounted his company's
rise from humble beginnings. "Small is beautiful," he told
the audience, adding that he was there to represent "all the
small guys." Drawing on his early years as a teacher, Ma
said that that as an educator "You believe knowledge will
change people's lives," and explained that for him, the
title CEO is an acronym for "Chief Education Officer" of his
company.
Education activist Malala Yousafzai also
addressed the ceremony via video message from Birmingham,
where she is completing her studies.
"I thank the Asia Society for this honor,
being included in [this] list of remarkable people,"
Yousafzai said. "There are so many countries and issues that
children are suffering through, but there are game changers
as well who are going to speak, who are going to change the
game and who are going to work for their future.
We have to do it together."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated
the Asia Game Changers at the ceremony. Ban saluted the
"array of remarkable Asians" being honored, noting that "the
world got a head start" on the evening's proceedings with
last week's announcement that the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
would be shared by two Asians, the Pakistani Yousafzai
and India's Kailash Satyarthi.
Honorees were selected based on input from
Asia Society's global network.
The 2014 awardees are:
•
Game Changer of the Year Jack Ma, Chairman, Alibaba
Group,
For history-making business and
philanthropy in China
•
Shigeru Ban, Founder,
Shigeru Ban Architects, For finding
beauty, and hope, in the landscapes of disaster
•
Madhav Chavan, Co-Founder
and CEO, Pratham Education Foundation, For
bringing the gift of literacy to millions of Indians
•
Illac Diaz, Founder,
MyShelter Foundation and Liter of Light, For
bringing light, literally, to so many lives
•
Fashion Girls for Humanity, For
demonstrating that 'looking good' and 'doing good' can be
one and the same
•
Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Minister
and Senior Advisor to the Indonesian President, For
providing a brilliant blueprint for responding to disaster
•
Saad Mohseni, Chairman, MOBY
Group, For bringing news,
information and entertainment to a barren landscape
•
Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder
and CEO, Acumen, For changing the
way the world tackles poverty
•
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Founder,
SOC Films and President, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, For
eye-opening films that give voice to the voiceless
•
Playing for Change, For
using the power of music to spread a
global message of hope
•
Pawan Sinha, Professor,
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, For
a truly visionary approach to treating India's blind
•
Malala Yousafzai, Education
activist, For continuing to dream,
and fight for girls the world over, after living a nightmare
•
Zhang Minxuan, Professor,
Shanghai Normal University, For
leveling the playing field by providing quality education to
millions in China
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