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      • Turkey

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Photos: Asia Society Honors Jack Ma, Other 'Asia Game Changers' at United Nations

October 16th, 2014
L to R: (standing) Whitney Kroenke, Zhang Minxuan, Madhav Chavan, Shigeru Ban, Saad Mohseni, Miki Higasa, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Kikka Hanazawa, Pawan Sinha, Shiza Shahid; (seated) Josette Sheeran, Indonesian Ambassador to the UN Desra Percaya, Mark Johnson, Jack Ma, Julie Gilhart, and Illac Diaz. (Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan)
Alibaba founder and CEO Jack Ma accepted his Asia Society Asia Game Changer award at the United Nations in New York City on Oct. 16, 2014. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Ellie Azghandi, a New York City educator, presented Jack Ma with his Asia Society Asia Game Changer award. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Inaugurated in 2014, Asia Society's Asia Game Changer Awards are designed to fill a critical gap by identifying and honoring individuals, organizations, and movements making a positive contribution to the future of Asia. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon offering his congratulations to the Asia Game Changer award winners on Oct. 16, 2014. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Attendees at the awards ceremony enjoyed a balmy October evening outside the United Nations on Oct. 16, 2014. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Stephen Bird, Chief Executive Officer for Citi Asia Pacific, introduced the award for Malala Yousafzai. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Award winner Malala Yousafzai delivered a video message from her home in England. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Asia Society President Josette Sheeran, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Jack Ma, and General Atlantic Managing Director J. Frank Brown at the United Nations on Oct. 16, 2014. (Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan)
Saad Mohseni, widely regarded as Afghanistan's first media mogul, received his Asia Game Changer award from Asia Society Trustee Tom Freston. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Ann Ziff, Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera (L), and pianist Lang Lang were among the guests on Oct. 16, 2014. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan, Indonesian Ambassador to the UN Desra Percaya, and Asia Society Co-Chair Henrietta Fore. Amb.  Percaya accepted the Asia Game Changer award on behalf of Kuntoro Mangkusubroto. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Playing for Change co-founders Mark Johnson and Whitney Kroenke and Asia Society President Josette Sheeran. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Musicians with the Playing for Change organization closed out the evening at the United Nations on Oct. 16, 2014. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Lucia Hwong Gordon, Vivienne Tam, and Ida Liu. (Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan)
L to R: Warwick Smith, Lulu Wang, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Shiza Shahid, left, and Stephen Bird. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Silas K.F. Chou, left, and Jack Ma. (Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan)
L to R: Sandeep Mathrani, Jack Ma, and Ayesha Mathrani. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Ronnie Chan, Ted Wang, Jack Ma, and Stephen Wong. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Robert and Kate Niehaus. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Rick Friedberg, Francine LeFrak, Jack Ma, Ronnie Chan, and Henry Tang. (Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan)
Nina Lesavoy, left, and Charlie Brady. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Josette Sheeran, left, and Joel Ehrenkranz. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Henry Arnhold, left, and Helen During. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Henrietta Fore, Charles Rockefeller, and Chan Heng Chee. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Freda Wang, Sheila Platt, Nick Platt, and Shigeru Ban. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Andy Cohen, left, and Mitch Julis. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Charlie Rose, left, and Michael Evans. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Tom Freston, Carey Lowell, and Joe Ravitch. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Stephen Schwarzman, left, and Saad Mohseni. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Julie Gilhart, Miki Higasa, and Kikka Hanazawa, the Fashion Girls for Humanity. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Game Changer Illac Diaz talks to Filipino media. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
L to R: Jack Ma, Josette Sheeran, Ban Ki-Moon, Yoo Soon-taek, Henrietta Fore, and Ronnie Chan. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Betsy Cohen, center, presents an Asia Game Changer Award to Carlyle Singer and Bob Niehaus, accepting on behalf of Acumen's Jacqueline Novogratz. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Frank Brown, left, presents an Asia Game Changer Award to Pawan Sinha. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Ronnie Chan, Jack Ma, and Stephanie Foster. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Lulu Wang, right, presents Madhav Chavan with his Asia Game Changer Award. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Zhang Minxuan, center, receives his Asia Game Changer Award from Lulu Wang and Warwick Smith. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Shigeru Ban, center, receives his Asia Game Changer Award from Ronnie Chan and Henrietta Fore. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Anne Ehrenkranz, left, and Michael Chae. (Ann Billingsley/Asia Society)
Enlarge Hide captions

Asia Society tonight honored Jack Ma, Chairman of the Alibaba Group, and 12 other leaders and institutions as its inaugural class of Asia Game Changers. The ceremony, held at the United Nations in New York City, recognized those making a transformative and positive difference for the future of Asia and the world. Honorees included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, Shanghai Normal University professor Zhang Minxuan, and Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Ma, who was recognized as Asia Game Changer of the Year for his philanthropic contributions and innovative vision, spoke last at the ceremony.

"I never thought I'd have a chance to be at the United Nations," he said, who recounted his company's rise from humble beginnings. "Small is beautiful," Ma told the audience, adding that he was there to represent "all the small guys." Drawing on his early years as a teacher, Ma said that that as an educator "You believe knowledge will change people's lives," and explained that for him, the title CEO is an acronym for "Chief Education Officer" of his company. Goldman Sachs and SoftBank were strategic partners for the Asia Game Changer of the Year Award presented to Ma.

In closing, Ma revealed what he called the "secret code" of Alibaba: "Keep your dream alive, because it might come true one day."

"The Asia Game Changer Awards are designed to fill a glaring gap — a lack of recognition of people who are truly transforming ideas into action and improving lives in Asia," said Asia Society President Josette Sheeran. "Our inaugural honorees represent an extraordinary range of geography and achievement. What they share in common are vision, passion and proven impact, wherever and however they happen to be changing the world."

Stephen Bird, Chief Executive Officer for Citi Asia Pacific, introduced the award for 17-year-old Pakistani education activist Yousafzai, hailing her as "a force for progress in the entire world." (Citi is the underwriting partner for the 2014 Asia Game Changer Awards and Dinner.) Yousafzai then addressed the ceremony via video message from Birmingham, England, where she is completing her studies.

"I thank the Asia Society for this honor, of being included in [this] list of remarkable people," Yousafzai said. "There are so many countries and there are issues that children are suffering through, but there are game changers as well who are going to speak, who are going to change the game, and who are going to work for their future. We have to do it together."

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saluted the "array of remarkable Asians" being honored, noting that "the world got a head start" on the evening's proceedings with last week's announcement that the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize would be shared by two Asians, the Pakistani Yousafzai and India's Kailash Satyarthi.

Honorees were selected based on input from Asia Society's global network. In addition to Ma and Yousafzai, the 2014 awardees are Shigeru Ban, Founder, Shigeru Ban Architects; Madhav Chavan, Co-Founder and CEO, Pratham Education Foundation; Illac Diaz, Founder, MyShelter Foundation and Liter of Light; Fashion Girls for Humanity; Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Minister and Senior Advisor to the Indonesian President; Saad Mohseni, Chairman, MOBY Group; Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder and CEO, Acumen; Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Founder, SOC Films and President, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan; Playing for Change; Pawan Sinha, Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT; and Zhang Minxuan, Professor, Shanghai Normal University.

Related Links

  • Asia Society 2014 Asia Game Changer Awards (official website)
  • Photos from 2014 Asia Game Changers Awards Dinner
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jack ma
malala yousafzai
united nations
stephen bird
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