Cardinal Quevedo Receives Inaugural Southeast Asian Harmony Award for Peace Efforts in Mindanao

Amidst the challenges of maintaining regional diversity, a Southeast Asian-level award initiative has officially been launched. Filipino peace advocate Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo, O.M.I., has been named the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Harmony in Diversity Award for his decades of extraordinary dedication to bridging interfaith dialogue in the conflict-ridden Mindanao region. The prestigious award, initiated by the Singaporean philanthropic organisation Temasek Foundation together with the non-profit 5P Global Movement, will be presented at the Harmony in Diversity Award Ceremony in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/7/2026). The Archbishop Emeritus of Cotabato was recognised for successfully implementing a method he calls the ‘Dialogue of Life’—an approach based on strengthening mutual trust through everyday social interactions among religious communities at the grassroots level. Chairman of 5P Global Movement Indonesia, William Sabandar, asserted that diversity is Southeast Asia’s greatest social asset. However, he stressed that social harmony must not be taken for granted but must be actively nurtured. ‘Harmony is built through dialogue, trust, and leadership in daily life. The Harmony in Diversity Award exists to honour individuals who dedicate their lives to this effort,’ William stated in Jakarta on Tuesday (14/7/2026). William added that this regional platform is intentionally designed not merely as a ceremonial event but as an ecosystem to connect thousands of change agents across Southeast Asia for closer collaboration. Senior Director of Temasek Foundation, Ling Pei Shan, explained that the initiative aligns closely with the foundation’s strategic vision, which rests on five pillars: Planet, People, Peace, Progress, and Partnerships. Temasek Foundation views peace and harmony as non-negotiable prerequisites for driving regional prosperity. ‘We believe that peace is the foundation for people, the planet, and progress. Without peace, societies cannot thrive and many lives will be disrupted,’ Ling Pei Shan explained. Through this award, Temasek Foundation hopes to build a broader Harmony in Diversity ecosystem by opening cross-sector collaboration spaces—including government, business, philanthropy, and civil society—to nurture tolerance in Southeast Asia. The award ceremony is scheduled to be attended by regional leaders, interfaith figures, an international jury, and civil society representatives to celebrate a shared commitment to strengthening social integration and peace in Southeast Asia.