Malala Yousafzai made history again as the youngest recipient of another prestigious honor
Two years after she made history as the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest United Nations Messenger For Peace. On Monday, the 19-year-old accepted the highest honor that can be bestowed by the United Nations. Yousafzai used her speech to emphasize that she’ll continue to fight for girls’ right to education.
"I stood here on this stage almost three and a half years ago...and I told the world that education is the basic human right of every girl," Yousafzai said. "I stand here again today and say the same thing."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5peJhnRBfvs?feature=oembed
Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban in 2012 after she spoke out about the importance of education for girls. She was shot in the head as she returned from school and, after her recovery, Yousafzai rose to international fame. She has used her platform to continue promoting this incredibly important message.
"Once you educate girls, you change the whole community, you change the whole society," Yousafzai said. "You are the real change makers. If you do not stand up, change will not come.... It starts with us, and it should start now."
Messengers of Peace are selected by the United Nations to highlight the organization’s work and bring further attention to key causes.
Yousafzai joins the likes of Jane Goodall, Charlize Theron, Stevie Wonder, and Leonardo DiCaprio, all of whom currently hold the same title.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised Yousafzai’s “courageous defense of the rights of all people, including women and girls, to education and equality” and “unwavering commitment to peace” during Monday’s ceremony. The teen, who never ceases to inspire, hopes to attend Oxford University in the fall and recently kicked off a “girl power” trip around the world to meet with girls in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
