Greetings to the people of Fukuoka. 

No other event in the past 100 years has ravaged our world with greater ferocity as the COVID-19 pandemic.  Yet, this global scourge has only goaded governments to view the threat through the narrow prism of national interest. 

Instead of global solidarity and cooperation, parochial responses like “vaccine nationalism” have become the norm.  The United Nations and its agencies have never seemed more powerless than today to mount an effective universal response to a common threat. 

In the mad scramble for the limited testing kits, ventilators, and personal protective equipment, we have witnessed the dark side of medical nationalism.  Governments forgot that the coronavirus does not distinguish between ethnic groups, or recognize national boundaries.

It is in times like these that the internationalism inherent in the Fukuoka Prize must be heard.  Last year, I was fortunate to witness the astounding power of global solidarity and cooperation that permeated the award ceremonies. I came home with a renewed optimism in the possibility of a world united in peace and drawing sustenance from the richness of its diverse traditions.  

The historic project that is the Fukuoka Prize, conceived and dutifully carried out annually by the citizens and city government of Fukuoka, has served as a beacon of this enduring universal outlook of Asia’s cultures.

We, who have had the honor of receiving the Prize, are called upon more than ever to tap the combined strength of our communities to design life solutions and participate in the forging of a collective response to this crisis worthy of our common humanity.