Malala Yousafzai Wins Andrei Sakharov Human Rights Prize


After a unanimous vote, the award named after Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident, and human rights activist, Andrei Sakharov, was presented to Malala Yousafzai by the European Parliament; in the words of EU President Martin Shulz “We are awarding the 25th Sakharov Prize to a survivor, a hero, an exceptional young woman, for her commitment to education.” Hear, hear!

Past winners have included Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan making 16-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee, activist and education campaigner, Malala, the youngest person to ever receive the prestigious prize. Malala said of the win, “This award gives me encouragement to continue my cause…I dedicate this prestigious award to the unsung heroes of Pakistan and people all over the world who are fighting for their basic human rights.”

In here speech Malala spoke direct to the EU Parliament and urged them to look beyond Europe “to the suffering countries where people are still deprived of their basic rights, their freedom of thought is suppressed, freedom of speech is enchained. If we leave millions behind we cannot succeed, even if we are the fittest… The ideology should not be based on military might but rather on literacy rate and equality. A country with talented and skilled people is the real Super Power.”

“There is hope because you are all here, united to help these innocent children…they do not want an iPhone, an Xbox, a Playstation or chocolates. They just want a book and a pen,” she said.

After her speech Mr Schulz praised Malala, calling her “a global icon” who has “given hope to millions of children” and went on to say “I think we’ve seen a girl today who is more likely to defeat the fanaticism of the Taliban than the drones are.” Of her dream to have free education for every child he said, “It is our responsibility to ensure that your dream becomes a reality.”


Preach.

Photo: Stan Honda via AFP/Getty

via ABC, Voice of Russia, Deutsche Welle, BBC and The News International

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