The Magsaysay Award

RESPONSE OF REV. DADA
AT
THE AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY

I accept most gratefully the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership I am honoured because this Award carries the name and the spirit of a truly great Asian of the 20th century. The late Ramon Magsaysay was a step ahead of others and he lived for his ideas. He tried to cultivate a sense of self-respect and self-esteem in the people of his Republic.

I too have been trying to live and work for similar objectives. However, my Philosophy is based on the principles of indwelling God and devotion to Him. Human beings can feel close to each other if we accept the idea of the indwelling God generating and operating everyone's body. Consciousness of nearness of God helps in developing self-respect in individual and overcoming human pains and problems. I consider devotion to God a Social Force. The expression of gratitude to God by way of offering one's time and efficiency can result into collective activities which in turn create Community Resources and its just distribution for common good. However, we, Swadhyayees, undertake these activities to reorient individual perspective towards life and collective existence that builds self-esteem and self-confidence. Without this, one can neither achieve individual development nor ensure a healthy community life.

In conferring the Award on me, you have appreciated the importance and relevance of my philosophy in the modem times and the selfless work earned on by Swadhyayees world over.

Once again I express my gratefulness to Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, personally and on behalf of millions of Swadhyayees around the world.