Who is Malala? What do you think
about her?
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani-born
activist and blogger who has been living in England since the attack
that she suffered when she was only 15 years old, in October 2012.
Malala became very popular because of her civil rights activism,
especially for women's rights in northern Pakistan, where the Taliban
has banned girls from attending school.
When she was only 12 years old, in
2009, Malala wrote a blog for the BBC using a pseudonym, in which she
talked in detail about her life under the Taliban regime.
Consequently in the years 2013, 2014
and 2015 Malala was included as one of the 100 most influential
people in the world. In June 2013, Malala addressed the UN Assembly
asking for access to education for everybody, including both girls
and boys. One year later, in 2014, when she was 17 years old, she
received the Nobel Peace Prize, for her activism in support of women
and children, being the youngest person who has received this award
ever.
In addition to a countless list of
awards, the most important being the aforementioned Nobel Peace Prize
in 2014, Malala has received other awards, including the National
Peace Prize for her defence of children's education in 2011; or the
UNICEF Spain prize for her defence of children's rights to education
in 2013, among others. She has also published several books,
including 'I am Malala: how one girl stood up for education and
changed the world' in 2014; or 'Malala: My story of standing up for
girls rights' in 2018.
I think Malala is a brave, fearless
and courageous woman with great humanistic principles. And she has
been like that since she was very young, as her struggle as an
activist began when she was only 12 years old. At 15 she had the
courage to face a terrorist attack and wanted to share her experience
with the whole world. Now, at 22, Malala has managed to show that it
is possible to change the world and fight for values of respect and
equality.
I believe that Malala has been a
pioneer in speaking out about the problems suffered by countries
under the Taliban regime. She has also been and continues to be a
great ambassador for the rights of both children and women. In short,
her life, her effort, her principles and values have made Malala an
exceptional woman, a true example to follow.
What is/ are the most important
message(s) said in her discourse?
In her speech at the UN, the first and
most important thing that Malala said is that we are all equal, we
all have the same rights, thank God! She does not speak of her attack
as an exceptional case but put emphasis on that thousands of people
have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured.
She is just one more.
Moreover, she emphasizes the right to
live in peace, the right to be treated with dignity, the right to
equal opportunities and the right to education for everybody.
Furthermore, in her speech she accentuates that she is here to defend
the right to education for all children, asking for education for the
sons and daughters of all extremists, especially the Taliban.
She also points out in the speech that
the power of education scares the Taliban, They are afraid of women,
scared of the power of women's voice.
She claims that the Taliban are
misusing Islam for their own personal gain. Unlike what the Taliban
believe, Islam says that it is not only the right of every child to
receive an education, but that it is a duty and a responsibility.
In conclusion, she asked to the world
leaders to change their policies in favour to peace and prosperity.
She called for all peace agreements to protect the rights of women
and children. She demands that all governments must ensure free and
compulsory education for all children in the world. Also, ºMalala
asks for all governments to fight against terrorism and violence. She
also requests to all communities to be tolerant and reject prejudice.
She calls for the freedom and equality of women to be guaranteed. She
ends her speech by saying that we must all be united in the cause of
education. "Education is the only solution. Education first".
How do you think education can
change the whole world? Give examples
"Education is the most powerful
weapon you can use to change the world," Nelson Mandela said, a
great quote that summarizes the topic that we are going to discuss.
This statement is a clear example that opening the mind to knowledge
can make us free. The power of education is not only based on
acquiring knowledge, but it makes us stronger so that we can free our
minds and therefore be happier. Education has an unlimited power that
makes us capable of being more independent, tolerant, respectful,
cultured. In short, education makes us better people.
Some examples of how education can
change the world are the following: on one hand, it has been shown
that those countries with more education among their population have
reduced the number of child deaths; moreover, speaking of children,
it has been proven that mothers with more education can give their
children better nutrition and consequently make these children grow
up healthier. On the other hand, more educated societies have less
disparity in salaries between men and women. In addition, societies
with higher levels of education have been shown to be more tolerant;
an equal education shows that a country's prosperity is higher.
Finally, it has been shown that more educated societies are more
committed to the environment. Nowadays, this is major problem that
can be improve by using a right education in terms of taking care of
the environment.
Education can change the world,
because thanks to education we are more supportive, empathetic,
generous, kind and, finally, thanks to education, a good education,
we can become free people. It is vitally important that we achieve an
equal education for everyone, for all societies, for all people,
making the world a more educated and trained society is a global
task, it is something that all citizens of the world must be aware
of. We need a society that is more egalitarian. A world where there
are no differences in skin colour, sex or way of loving. All this
depends on how our children are educated and trained. Everything that
children learn today will be key to their development and, in the
end, will be positive for the societies in the future.
Finally, and to sum up, it can be said
that learning and culture provide confidence and security. When a
child acquires knowledge and has a good academic background, this
child will be better prepared to relate to people of all kinds.
Ultimately, a well educated child will be a better person. There is
nothing stronger than better education to make the world a better
place.
Which are the political or social
leaders mentioned by Malala in this discourse?
In her speech Malala mentions
spiritual leaders such as the prophet of mercy Muhammad and also
mentions Jesus Christ and Buddha, as the three main religious leaders
or more representative of the main and most followed religions of the
world. Later, she speaks of the legacy of great world opinion
leaders, people who changed the world like Martin Luther King, Nelson
Mandela and Muhamad Ali Jinnah. Finally, she says that all the
anti-violence philosophy that she has learned has been thanks to such
influential figures as Gandhi Jee, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa.
What do you think is/are the most
important contribution(s) to the world Malala has
done?
Malala's greatest and most important
contributions have been in her advocacy for equality for both
children and women. Her struggle has focused on safeguarding the
rights of these oppressed social groups especially in the countries
under the Taliban regime. One of the main causes she advocates is
that all children, regardless of their background or country, should
have the right to study. In her own words: "I will continue
this fight until I see that all children can go to school”. Thanks
to these principles she has become a world leader
Since she was very young, when she
started her blog for the BBC, she has told in first person how people
live in countries like Pakistan where the Taliban exercise their
terrorism to frighten the population. Thanks to her blog the whole
world has been able to see how people are suffering in places with
the presence of terrorists like Pakistan."A young woman and an
older man, a Pakistani and an Indian, a Muslim and a Hindu, both
symbols of what this world needs: more unity, brotherhood among
nations," is another of Malala's quotes that summarizes her
effort for equality of both race and gender, as well as ethnicity and
religion.
In conclusion, Malala's greatest
contribution has been to give voice to many people who are silenced,
who cannot speak out of fear. She represents equality, freedom,
peace, generosity, she represents a series of values that have made
her worthy of the Noble Prize. Her greatest contribution has been to
be a strong woman, a woman that is not afraid to speak her mind and
has values of equality and respect as principles that should govern
the world.
