Members of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation personally presented the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award to the Dalai Lama at his residence, 64 years after he received it.
The award was the first international recognition of his community leadership, particularly his efforts in defending Tibetan culture and religion. The foundation’s president and trustee personally met with the Nobel Peace laureate to give him the award.
The Dalai Lama’s elder brother received the award on his behalf in Manila in August 1959, as the spiritual leader had fled Tibet and lived in India since then. The Ramon Magsaysay Award, known as the “Nobel Prize of Asia”, honors individuals who demonstrate integrity, service, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society, following the example set by former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay. The award was established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in New York City in April 1957 with the Philippine government’s approval.