May 31, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Mechai Viravaidya, the founder of Thailand’s Population and Community Development Association, this week was awarded the Gates Award for Global Health,
a $1-million prize paid for by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
But while Mr. Viravaidya has been praised for his efforts to fight AIDS and curb population growth, one writer says there are other charity leaders better suited for the recognition.
“What a yawn this is,” writes an anonymous blogger on Gates Keepers, a Web site dedicated to scrutinizing the Gates Foundation. “Mechai doesn’t need the money any more than Bill and Melinda do. His organization has been overfunded for years. And to think of all the bright young people who could have been given this award and gone on to make real changes in their countries.”
The blog includes a list of nominees for the Gates Award.
To read more about Mr. Viravaidya efforts, read the Chronicle‘s profile of him.
What do you think? Does Mr. Viravaidya deserve the award? Is the criticism an unfair one of the Gates Foundation? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.
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