Asian Geographic - 09.2018

asian people

business magnates | leadership icons | sporting heroes | science pioneers | cultural figures | philanthropic champions

“Education does not only belong to a country. It belongs to humanity. ”

• Charles Chen

95

Bangladesh

Muhammad Yunus(b.1940)

Founder, Grameen Bank

He pioneered the concept of

microinance to help people who

cannot aford traditional bank loans

for their small businesses. For his

work, he has received several honours,

including the Nobel Peace Prize

(2 00 6) and US Presidential Medal of

Freedom (2 00 9).

98

Malaysia

Ken Yeang(b.19 4 8)

Ecological architect

he mastermind behind bioclimatic

architecture (a building approach

driven by principles of ecology and

sustainability)in cities around the

world, Yeang has projects in major

cities, which include Singapore’s

National Library, India’s Spire Edge

Tower and the UK’s Great Ormond

Street Children’s Hospital Extension.

96

India

Kailash Satyarthi(b.1954)

Indian activist

In 199 8, Satyarthi led an 80,000km-

long march across 10 3 countries against

child labour. To date, he and the

Bachpan Bachao Andolan – one of the

largest movements in the world against

child exploitation – have liberated

more than 8 6,000 children in India

from child labour and traicking.

99

China

Ma Jun (b.1968)

Environmentalist

He helped develop the irst

public database of water pollution

information in China. His book about

the country’s environmental crisis,

China’s Water Crisis, is compared

to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. In

2016, he appeared in Before the Flood,

a National Geographic ilm about

climate change.

97

Indonesia

Henry Saragih(b.1964)

Leader, La Via Campesina

He heads a global movement that

brings together about 20 million small-

scale farmers and food workers from

around the world. he group defends

food sovereignty as a way of promoting

social justice and dignity, and opposes

corporate-driven agriculture and state-

sanctioned land grabs.

100

China

Charles Chen Yidan (b.1971)

Full-time philanthropist

he former co-founder of the tech

giant Tencent now supports charitable

education projects with vast amounts

of his own money. Believing that

education is the “ultimate answer”

to social progress, he launched the

Yidan Prize to recognise signiicant

contributions to education.

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THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS FEATURE IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PRINTING