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Roots of Health Named 2011 Asia Society-Bank of America Merrill Lynch Asia 21 Young Leaders Public Service Award
New Delhi, 19 November 2011 – In recognition of its outstanding work in providing quality reproductive health education and an introduction to human rights and empowerment to the women of rural communities in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in the Philippines, Roots of Health has been named winner of the 2011 Asia Society-Bank of America Merrill Lynch Asia 21 Young Leaders Public Service Award (Asia 21 PSA). Patricia Amina Swanepoel, Founding Executive Director, represented the two-year-old startup organization and received a US$10,000 cash prize during ceremonies at the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in New Delhi, India.
Roots of Health empowers women and girls to secure their right to health and freedom from violence, and to support and protect the health and well-being of their children, by providing education focused on reproductive health, critical thinking and human rights, as well as access to clinical services. Swanepoel, who has a background in human rights and trained in international affairs and public health, started the organization with her mother, Susan Evangelista, in 2009. “Our activities are guided by the international human rights framework, which includes a core belief that health is a human right, and are carried out using a community-based approach.”
Jamie Metzl, Executive Vice President of the Asia Society, remarked that “Developing the next generation of women leaders begins with raising a generation of young girls and women who are empowered to take active control of their own lives. Roots of Health undertakes invaluable work in helping women in rural communities in the Philippines make better informed decisions about their and their families’ future.”
“Bank of America Merrill Lynch is committed to recognizing achievements which have a positive impact on the social and cultural fabric of society,” said Kaku Nakhate, President & Country Head India, Bank of America. “This award is a recognition of the transformational work done by Roots of Health in empowering women and through them having a constructive impact in the rural community.”
The Asia 21 PSA recognizes an organization that has made an outstanding contribution in reaching underprivileged social/economic groups by providing a meaningful service to a community and the public in the region. The selection is overseen by the incumbent Asia 21 Fellowship Class, a core group of young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, soliciting nominations for the Award and narrowing down the pool to five finalists based on project innovation and feasibility, quantifiable impact, sustainability and growth potential.
Aside from receiving a financial grant, generously provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Roots of Health also gains access to the network of resources and expertise of the Asia 21 Fellowship Class. This may include mentoring in such areas as Strategic Planning, Capacity Building and Training, Resource Mobilization, and Program Development and Management.
For inquiries, please contact Ms. Abigail Pacquing
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ABOUT THE ASIA 21 YOUNG LEADERS SUMMIT
The Asia Society’s sixth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit was is being held in New Delhi from November 18-20, 2011. It brings together more than 150 young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific to develop common approaches to meet the region’s shared challenges. The three-day event revolved around the theme “Worlds Together Apart: Shared Values for an Asia-Pacific Community.” For more information about Asia Society‘s Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative, including details about previous conferences and Fellows, please visit .
ABOUT THE ASIA SOCIETY
Asia Society is the leading global organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States. It seeks to enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of policy, business, education, arts, and culture. Founded in 1956, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and Washington, DC. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021.
ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America and is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world.
In the Asia Pacific, Bank of America Merrill Lynch has a long history and has had an on-the-ground presence for over 60 years. Today, it is one of the region’s leading financial services firms with a full service platform encompassing Global Markets, Corporate and Investment Banking, Global Treasury Solutions, Research and Global Wealth Management across 12 countries, five time zones and more than a dozen languages.
For more information, please check the Bank of America website at
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