Filipina peace negotiator and professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is among the recipients of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards.
Ferrer was commended “her deep, unwavering belief in the transformative power of non-violent strategies in peacebuilding, her cool intelligence, and courage in surmounting difficulties to convey the truth.”
Ferrer teaches political science at the state-run University of the Philippines. She was also a former senior mediation adviser at the United Nations and founding member of the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators founding member.
Together with other women peace makers, Ferrer initiated the drafting of the Philippines’ first National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security which was eventually adopted by the government in 2010 as part of the country’s commitment to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Founded in 2020, the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators as a pioneering group of women engaged in convening safe spaces for dialogues and supporting mediation initiatives in countries like Myanmar and Afghanistan.
“Conflicts are best resolved not through the annihilation of one party, but by the mutual transformation of all players towards a common vision and shared responsibilities and accountability,” Ferrer said in a statement.
The Ramon Magsaysay Awards, considered Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, also recognized three other personalities from different fields: Ravi Kannan from India for holistic healthcare, Eugenio Lemos of Timor-Leste as a food sovereignty visionary, and Korvi Rakshand of Bangladesh for championing education-for-all.
Filipino pediatrician Bernadette Madrid was named among the Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for 2022