Director of Parley Maldives, Shaahina Ali, has been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, one of Asia’s most prestigious honours.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award recognises exceptional individuals and organisations across Asia for their integrity, courage, and selfless service.
Shaahina received the award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of environment. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation commended her courageous efforts to protect marine life and her dedication to passing on her work to future generations, as well as creating a constructive mindset to find solutions to global challenges.
A passionate diver and environmental advocate, Shaahina has numerous initiatives focusing on waste management, recycling, and raising public awareness, particularly in tackling plastic pollution. Through collaborations with various organisations, Parley Maldives collects plastic waste in more than 70 schools and has organised over 700 cleanup programmes across the country.
Named after the seventh President of the Philippines, Ramon Magsaysay, the award has been presented annually since 1958. Recipients of the award are announced in August each year, and the official awards ceremony is held in Manila, Philippines, in November the same year.