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LAST NIGHT, 16-YEAR-OLD Malala Yousafzai accepted the Tipperary International Peace Award, a recognition of her work in campaigning for equality and education for all children.
The Pakistani schoolgirl and activist is known across the world since she was survived being shot at point blank range be a Taliban gunman in October 2012.
She used the ceremony in Ballykisteen yesterday as an opportunity to get her message across about the value of education. Here is her speech, in full:
“I would like to begin my speech with a quote of Khalil Gibran. He says, “Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy that does not last and the greatness which does not bow before children.”
Once again, thank you to the jury of Tipperary award for giving me such an honour. Such a prestigious award that I received here today. And as the Honorary Secretary said – and I agree with him – people know me as the girl who was shot by the Taliban. But I don’t want to be the girl who was shot by the Taliban – I want to be the girl who fought for the rights of every child, whether girl or boy, the right of education and the right of equality.
Malala is known, now worldwide, after she was shot. I don’t want other girls and other children, other children’s rights activists to be known after they are shot. I want them to be recognised now. And I want them to raise up their voice now. They must speak up. And we all must support them.
And, remember, that Malala is just one of the millions that are suffering and have suffered. Malala is one of the thousands that have been shot. Malala is just an ordinary girl who wrote a BBC diary – just a small platform to speak for her rights. She spoke to every TV channel and every radio that she could. And she always was known as the daughter of Ziauddin Yousafzai, the children’s rights activist. But now my father is known as the father of Malala. [laughs]
Today, I am here to speak about peace and education. The main thing is that peace is not only the absence of war, it is the absence of fear. This means the absence of slavery and exploitations. This is a situation where a girl is free to go to school, where every person is given the basic right, the equal right, where there is justice for everyone. Whether he is poor or rich, whether he is tall or short, whether he is a Muslim or a Jew, whether he is a man or woman.
I want to see peace all around the world. I want to see peace in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. I want to see peace all around the world. But to achieve a goal, we must struggle hard. The important thing is we must not wait for someone else. Some people think that it is the duty of the government to speak up for their rights, it is their duty to solve the problems. It is their duty, I agree, but why should we wait for them? We must speak up now. And don’t wait for others. And this is what we did in Swat Valley.
Swat Valley is in the north of Pakistan, a beautiful valley where you can see a river, where you can see mountains, where you can see green trees, where me and my father once lived. In that area, some terrorists came in 2007 and they said that no girl is allowed to go to school. They spread terrorism all over the valley, they killed hundreds of people, they slaughtered women and they blasted every school, they blasted all the shops.
They took us out of our paradise and sent us to hell.
At that time, we spoke. My father spoke. My friends spoke in my school. After struggling and speaking for our rights, now you can see that Swat is a peaceful place. After the military operation in 2009, the terrorists went away from Swat. And now I want all of you to go to Swat that it is a paradise on earth. If you see the beautiful scenery on Swat, you will never forget it. I, myself, want to go back to Swat. I miss it.
When we talk about peace, when we talk about changes we want to bring in society, there are different ways. Some people think they can achieve anything with a gun, that they can achieve anything with war. But I believe that education is the only way to peace. And education is my goal. Education is our goal. I want every girl and every boy to be educated. I want them to go to school. Some students here might think, ‘If I go to my school, sit in the classroom, the teacher teaches and then they gave me homework and then I come back do homework and go to school tomorrow’. The important thing is that you will learn about physics, biology, cells, atoms, about the English literature, about the history. That is important but the other important thing is, when all the girls and boys sit on chairs, the chairs are all the same. It shows equality. All the children sitting on the same benches are equal. There are no poor and no rich. This is justice. When the teacher teaches you, you must listen to them, you must learn from them but you will never follow them. And you learn respect, how to respect each other. You will also learn patience. If a child is not good to you, he teases you. You must be patient and this is the patience you will learn in school. You must be tolerant. You also learn at school how to give justice – if two children fight, the teacher comes and there comes justice. School is a place where we can learn the basics of our life. That is why I want education – not only for physics and biology. I want to see peace.
We have organised a Malala Fund. There are others – UNESCO, UNICEF – so many organisations. I think if you want them to work for the education. If you want to see building schools, if you want every child educated. There are so many ways. The first thing is speaking on different occasions, trying to convince people, trying to motivate the parents of the children to educate their children to send them to school. Then the second thing is to motivate the children as well, to teach them how important school is. Then the third step is to ask the government, to ask the people responsible to do something to educate every child.
There is also one thing. Not only Malala. Not only the person speaking. Not only the speechmakers. Not only the politicians. Everyone can bring the change. A singer when he sings a song of peace. When he sings the song of education, he can bring change. A painter, an artist, when you draw a picture, a picture of peace and equality, he can bring change. Everyone can bring change. Everyone. Because Malala was living in Swat, in a small house of two, three rooms. They didn’t know if they would have dinner for tonight or not. We were just a poor family – and we still are poor people. My father was running the school waiting for the fees, when would he get the fees from the students and when would he pay for the teachers. We were nothing. My father was not a hun, not a rich man. He was just running the school. So don’t think you need something for moving forward. Just only your voice and yourself. So move forward and speak and do what you can for peace and education all over the world. Despite the fact that I said we must not wait for the government, we still have to ask them. So I appeal to all the States all over the world that they must abolish the laws that go against the rights of children and women.
This is an appeal to all the governments all over the world that they must work for education and education must be their top priority. It is an appeal – a humble appeal – to the parents of every child that they must honour their daughters and their sons and send them to schools. And now, I would like to say it is a long way to Tipperary, it is a long way to peace, but one day we will achieve. Long live Pakistan. Long live Ireland.”
https://soundcloud.com/hitchingforhope/malala
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An incredible young woman . She was already doing something before she was shot in the head. That Is why they shot her. I wonder if the Imam invited her to the mosque/cultural centre in Clonskeagh to address the kids there? He being so pro-peace and being one to encourage kids to go on stage and speak to huge crowds.
It’s a pity his kids are on holiday as I am sure they could have learned something from her. Meanwhile further down the page we see two girls who seemed to have all they need stuck in a fix in Peru. What a strange old world.
Tis.
And both the drug mules and the Muslim Brotherhood “tourists” are getting plenty of soft treatment here.
Unlike them, this young woman actually deserves it.
She achieved what the Americans couldn’t – she put the Taliban on the back foot.
Probably because the US support the Taliban.
The US government have been supplying the Middle East with weaponry for decades
Really makes you think knowing there are people who see no problem making a fortune off of this kinda thing
Fair play to this kid, inspiring change and questions
She delivered a brilliant response to her receiving the award, all without notes, from her heart. It was humbling to listen to her.
I think she is an inspiration! An articulate schoolgirl who decided not to sit by while others failed to make changes. Her speech is measured and heartfelt. Cynicism will always seek to degrade such people but look at what she has achieved in raising profile. She and her family could have huddled in their village and let war take its course and destroy their lives. But they didnt.
She never ceases to amaze me. What a wonderful young woman.
She is an inspiration. I agree that she will be used as a puppet. She may be able to to take on the spin doctors at their own game though. She has faced worse.
It is difficult however to hear these words on Irish soil. Consider the very current plight of children with special education needs in Ireland. No doubt the spin doctors will separate the two plights for education as quick as anyone dares to draw a comparison.
As the next budget looms we can live in hope of attaining justice & equality for all children in Ireland.
“Used as a puppet” Malala has been doing extraordinary things long before she was shot you know…
I agree with you. I said she will be. I hope on her own terms, therefore she will not really be their puppet as she is a very capable young lady.
Sorry, she said she will be not was.
Very clever courageous young woman whose faith is important to her. An example to all willing to stand up for her beliefs.
Very brave and intelligent girl being paraded around the world by propagandists totally ignoring the fact that the west is supporting and arming regimes in Saudi, Bahrain not to mention groups in Syria who espouse the same anti-women laws as the Taliban. When will we see a young brave intelligent Palestinian girl, of which there are many, being given the same opportunity to detail the Palestinian plight in relation to Israel. And before we in Ireland start taking the moral high ground let us remember the Magdalene women who not so very long ago in this country where snatched from their families, degraded, sexually physical and psychologically assaulted and made to work as slaves by the Catholic Church and aided and abetted by successive Irish Governments.
You said it
Although I agree with you, being Pakistani & living in Pakistan is just as debilitating as being Palestinian and living in Palestine. You really have no idea how bad and corrupt it is in Pakistan.
Really? The Pakistan I am living in is a different then. But there are few place “the no go areas” where even we as a pakistani dont go.
Reply to reida bokhari
She’s a true inspiration, it’s amazing to see her stand up against such a brutal regime, knowing that she’s doing what’s right and not just for herself, but for every other child, whether they’re male or female or from Pakistan, Ireland or any other country throughout the World. The World needs more people like Malala Yousafzai.
I’m over twice her age and she’s a hero of mine. Brilliant, articulate young lady who deserves every plaudit she gets.
Wow an amazing and inspiring young woman ! Our teens could learn a thing or two from her !!
Poor kid, used now by political tugs looking for the ultimate high ground. Her misfortune only points to what has been the scourge of this earth, religion and it’s utter madness.
One Religion’s madness. To paraphrase Karen in “Outnumbered”, “what other religon blows up planes, mommy”.
“Poor kid”? She doesn’t need your pity or anyone else’s. She is a brave, strong well spoken individual who is far ahead in her years. Take that pity elsewhere.
Catholicism blew up a few cars, buses and buildings.
No. The “troubles”were about Tribalism. Nationalism v unionism, it was about land, territory, and identity. Islamist violence is religiously motivated, religious grievance based on perceived infractions by others of their religious mores.
Way to rewrite history there, Margaret.
I love this girl. Shes my inspiration never to give up and to learn more im life. That girl deserves a nice house and a peacefull lifem i hope they are getting some money to live a good life. After everything and i hope she achieves everything in life and her father too. :) what an amazing girl. Go malala and never give up
A very brave girl and a true inspiration. I do hope that in the future she will address the religious root of violence against girls in the world and reject the self-hating ‘cloak of shame’ most girls in Pakistan are forced to hide under.
If she didn’t get shot in the head what are the chances she would be such a martyr.
ItiswhatitisMF, are you the banjo kid from Deliverance???
Eh I’m pretty sure you have to have died to be a martyr. She survived. She’s just 16. She’s a hero and a glimmer of hope of all the other children living in that hellhole of a country.
The fact is she was, and survived, without media attention she probably would have died. She was shot just for going to school and her defiance towards the perpetrators is a story that deserves the attention it gets.
What the hell . Is their something wrong with you. She is standing up for people that are not allowed education. Get a grip and get off here.
Malala truly is an astonishingly brave young woman.
Just a comment, and I think its worth a mention
………the day after this girl was shot, a 16 year old boy was shot in Dublin in a drive-by-shooting.
We don’t need to travel far for barbarism!
The god ,money ,is just as strong as any god that exists or not and doing as much damage if not more
There are good and bad out there I think it will always be that way
VIDEO on YouTube of Malala’s speech: http://youtu.be/egT_qHaZGEc
Thank you, such an uplifting article
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