PEACE MAKERS OF THE WORLD

"Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the silent revolt of violent repression.
Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution
of all to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity.
It is right and it is duty".

(Bishop Oscar Romero, 1917-1980)

MALALA'S STORY

On October 9th, 2012 in a region of Pakistan known as the Swat Valley, 14 year old Malala Yousafzai, an advocate and champion for the rights of young girls to attend school, was targeted and shot on a school bus.  Malala’s story is not unique: thousands of girls around the world do not have access to education and many risk violence in its pursuit.  What is unique is that at 11 years old, Malala began her very public fight for the rights to education of girls in her country. With the encouragement and support of her father, Ziauddin Yousufzai, a headmaster of a girls’ school in the Swat Valley, she raised her voice against the repressive and violent discourse of extremists desperate for power. She began questioning why some girls were not allowed to attend school; she participated in rallies and marches; she spoke out against the burning of girls’ schools. After one of her schoolmates backed out of an offer of publication with the BBC, Malala began writing an anonymous blog about her life in the Swat Valley; copy from which would be published in local papers, followed and supported in her community. In 2009 she became the president of the District Child Assembly in Swat; in 2011 she was nominated for the Children’s Peace Prize and was awarded Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize two months later in December.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Malala’s voice echoes strong; support has swelled in both secular and religious communities in Pakistan, uniting people in acknowledging the importance of her struggle, the importance of growing the discourse.  Malala’s courage has become a strong seed for change both in the Swat valley, and in the broader world; her example a template for critical engagement and activity for all young people.

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