The 1961 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service

Educated to become a teacher, NILAWAN PINTONG chose the challenge of schooling the women and youth of her country to become useful citizens exercising initiative in public affairs.

With a sense of this mission, she left the security of government service to help build a magazine that would foster a greater community consciousness among Thailand's women. From this beginning grew also a youth magazine, a news weekly and a series of radio programs—all championing a new awareness of civic needs.

From these journalistic efforts she extended the scope of her concern to creating community organizations. She stirred printers, librarians and writers to a higher conception of their professional role. She aroused women to realize that they could do something about education for the young and urgent social needs; among their achievements was a program enabling Thais in depressed areas to help themselves. For citizenship training she organized a youth club.

A distinctive contribution has been her Ounakorn Center. It provides a friendly headquarters and free office services for struggling organizations of students, writers and women. And foreign visitors find there a welcome entrée to Thai intellectual and cultural life.

Among Khun NILAWAN's most consequential achievements has been her quiet shepherding of such new civic ventures to maturity. Objective and fearless in voicing her views, she has been withal a diplomat. Typically serving as secretary, always without pay, she has saved many groups from disastrous pitfalls. She shuns publicity, is seldom photographed, and, yet, her competence, dependability and sound judgment are recognized by persons from all walks of life who seek her advice.

Lacking personal wealth with which to finance such work, she instead has given unsparingly of her time and energy. So that she could give more attention when needed, she has relinquished her home and now lives in a small room next to her office. Such selflessness has nurtured in others a willingness to serve.

In electing NILAWAN PINTONG to receive the 1961 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, the Board of Trustees recognizes her volunteer participation and leadership in developing constructive civic enterprises that have given women a new and creative role in Thailand.