Indonesian wins UNDP award

Indonesian wins UNDP award

JAKARTA: Activist Achmad Ramadhan was named one of the winners of the Poverty Eradication 2003 award from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) over the weekend.

The UNDP, in its release sent to The Jakarta Post said that Achmad won the award for his active role in fighting against HIV/AIDS in North Sumatra.

Aside from Achmad, this year's Poverty Eradication award also went to Helen Ditsebe-Mhone of Botswana, Lydia Shouleva of Bulgaria, Jimmy Bhojedat of Guyana and Asma Khader of Jordan.

UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown conferred the award on Achmad, who is also a lecturer at the Medan Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN), at the UN Headquarters in New York on Oct. 29.

Through IAIN's North Sumatra HIV/AIDS information and counseling center called Lathiva, Achmad forged cooperation with some fifty Muslim organizations in enhancing people's understanding on HIV/AIDS and drug abuse.

Achmad, according to UNDP, succeeded in mobilizing volunteers, especially women, in reaching out to the public at large.

UNDP's Poverty Eradication award is given to individuals considered active in mobilizing the people to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. --JP