For the 66th year, the Ramon Magsaysay Awards are being given to individuals and organizations in Asia that embody transformative leadership and greatness of spirit.

This year, the Magsaysay Awards laud the efforts of those “whose work challenges boundaries and redefines leadership and community impact,” said Susanna Afan, president of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF).

Following are the five laureates:

Karma Phuntsho, Bhutan

Phuntsho is a former Buddhist monk who, in 1999, founded the Loden (literally meaning “possessing intelligence”) Foundation that promotes education, nurtures social entrepreneurship, and documents Bhutan’s cultural heritage and traditions. Since then, the foundation has funded 219 students and 295 entrepreneurs. Phuntsho has also written numerous books and directed three documentary films.

The RMAF recognizes “his invaluable and enduring contributions towards harmonizing the richness of his country’s past with the diverse predicaments and prospects of its present, inspiring young Bhutanese to be proud of their heritage and confident in their future. Beyond his immediate horizon, his work engages all peoples and cultures around the world facing the same challenges, reminding them to look back even as they move forward.”

Miyazaki Hayao, Japan

The popular co-founder of Studio Ghibli is widely recognized for his artistry and storytelling. While the Awards acknowledges these, it is for his humanity and advocating for peace and better societies that the RMAF cites him especially. “He educates by entertaining,” the board of trustees notes.

The RMAF hails Hayao as “a gifted and exemplary artist who has demonstrated, in his work and outlook, a lifelong commitment to the use of art, specifically animation, to illuminate the human condition, especially lauding his devotion to children as the torchbearers of the imagination, to whom he has passed the light and spark of his own.”

Rural Doctors Movement, Thailand

The Rural Doctors Movement, established in March 1982, has revolutionized Thailand’s health care. It is composed of the Rural Doctor Society, dedicated to improving health care access in underserved areas, and the Rural Doctor Foundation, which provides the legal structure for the activities and operations of the society.

The RMAF recognizes “their historic and continuing contribution to their people’s health—and perhaps just as importantly, to their recognition and fulfillment as citizens with basic rights. By championing the rural poor, the movement made sure to leave no one behind as the nation marches forward to greater economic prosperity and modernization.”

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, Vietnam

Phuong has sought justice for victims of Agent Orange, which was initiated by American forces during the Vietnam War when it affected 4.8 million, but whose effects linger even today down to the fourth generation of Vietnamese. She advocates for them as a member of the Vava, or the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.

The RMAF “honors the spirit of public service and the message of hope she continues to propagate among her people. At the same time, her work serves as a dire warning for the world to avoid war at all costs as its tragic repercussions can reach far into the future. She offers proof that it can never be too late to right the wrongs of war, and gain justice and relief for its hapless victims.”

Farwiza Farhan, Indonesia

For Emergent Leadership, Farhan is cited for her exemplary work as a young forerunner of HAkA (Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh) or Forest Nature and Environment of Aceh Foundation, which has devoted efforts to protect, preserve, and restore the Leuser Ecosystem–the 2.6-million-hectare expanse in Aceh, home to some of the world’s most highly endangered species. The endeavor involves empowering women and local communities in the fight for their future.

The RMAF “recognizes her profound understanding of the vital connection between nature and humanity, her commitment to social justice and responsible citizenship through her work with forest communities, and her promotion of greater awareness of the need to protect the beating heart and lungs of her country’s and Asia’s rich but endangered natural resources.”

The Emergent Leadership category honors individuals and organizations doing outstanding work on issues of social change in their community, but whose leadership may not yet be broadly recognized outside of this community. The Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership is bestowed on individuals 40 years old and under, or organizations less than 10 years in existence.

“These transformative leaders are molding norms, stoking pathways, painting virtues, transforming systems, weaving peace, reimagining a world born from countless dreams,” RMAF chair Cecilia Lazaro said. “May they inspire all of us to work towards our vision for a better and kinder Asia for all.”

Over the course of the succeeding months, the laureates will deliver individual lectures. The Ramon Magsaysay Awards will be conferred on the five laureates on Nov. 16 in a ceremony to be held at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is named after the former president of the Philippines who considered his fellow human beings as born with the right to live in liberty and happiness. His greatness of spirit inspired the RMAF to confer the award starting in 1958. It is regarded as Asia’s premier prize and highest honor.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is given to persons—regardless of race, nationality, creed, or gender—and organizations who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions that have transformed their societies for the better.

Read more: Ramon Magsaysay Award marks 65 years of honoring ‘greatness of spirit’ in Asia