|
Asia Society honored nine extraordinary
individuals and organizations at the fourth annual Asia Game
Changer Awards on November 1st in New York, recognizing those
who have made a positive and transformative difference in Asia
and throughout the world. The Asia Game Changer Lifetime
Achievement Award was awarded to His Highness the Aga Khan, a
religious leader and philanthropist who has embodied the values
of the Asia Game Changer awards through his six decades in
public life.
“Any leader of a global community prays for one
thing: peace,” the Aga Khan said, following an introduction from
former New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Sharon
Rockefeller. “So men and women can live in safety and
build with strength and courage and wisdom.”
The Aga Khan’s award capped off an evening
honoring those from a wide range of ages, professions, and
nationalities. It was little surprise, then, that Dev
Patel — the telegenic star of films such as Lion and Slumdog
Millionaire — began his acceptance speech by describing his
awe of the other honorees.
“I feel like I have impostor syndrome being among
all these individuals,” he said.
It was a night that, as Game Changer presenter
and former First Lady Laura
Bush noted, recognized the power of young girls and women
to change the world. Consider Aisholpan
Nurgaiv, a 15-year-old Mongolian girl who shattered
gender barriers by excelling in the traditionally male-dominated
sport of eagle hunting. Or the young Sonita
Alizadeh, who, after fleeing her native Afghanistan to
escape an arranged marriage, achieved widespread recognition for
rapping about female empowerment.
Last night, Alizadeh performed a special
English-language version of her rap in front of an astonished
crowd. But it was only one element of what became a joyfully
musical evening. Wu
Tong, her fellow Asia Game Changer, performed a gorgeous
song on the sheng, an ancient Chinese instrument he popularized
through his involvement in the internationally celebrated Silk
Road Ensemble. And the night concluded with a three-person
performance by the Aga Khan Music Initiative Ensemble that
brought the audience to its feet.
The Asia Game Changer Awards also recognized two
exceptional leaders from the world of business. Jean
Liu, a co-founder of Didi Chuxing, was honored for
revolutionizing the car service industry in China. And Japan’s Tadashi
Yanai, whose Uniqlo brand rose from humble beginnings to
become a global retail force, received an Asia Game Changer
award for his philanthropic efforts in helping his country
recover from the devastating Fukushima tsunami in 2011.
A person who stole the show last night wasn’t
even a person at all — but a muppet. During the presentation of
an Asia Game Changer award to the Sesame Workshop, whose
educational programming has made a tremendous difference in
promoting literacy in Asia’s poorest countries, the
organization’s Executive Vice President Sherrie
Westin brought along Zari, a new muppet from Afghanistan,
who has become a source of inspiration in a country where two
thirds of girls do not attend school.
“I’m so excited to be here!” Zari said. “I love
to learn.”
|