malala speech

Economy & Markets
Digital Life

Malala Yousafzai’s Speech To UN (FULL-TEXT)

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage girl who became a global beacon for women’s rights, delivered the following speech before the United Nations Youth Assembly on 'Malala Day', to celebrate her 16th birthday

“In the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful.

Honorable UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, respected president of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremic, honorable UN envoy for global education Mr. Gordon Brown, respected elders and my dear brothers and sisters: Assalamu alaikum.

Today is it an honor for me to be speaking again after a long time. Being here with such honorable people is a great moment in my life and it is an honor for me that today I am wearing a shawl of the late Benazir Bhutto. I don't know where to begin my speech. I don't know what people would be expecting me to say, but first of all thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and new life.

I cannot believe how much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me. I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who have helped me to get better and recover my strength.

I fully support UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his Global Education First Initiative and the work of UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown and the respectful president of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremic. I thank them for the leadership they continue to give. They continue to inspire all of us to action. Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing: Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.

There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for their rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goal of peace, education and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them. So here I stand. So here I stand, one girl, among many. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.

Dear friends, on 9 October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends, too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed. And out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage were born.

I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. And my dreams are the same. Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group. I am here to speak for the right of education for every child. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there was a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned from Mohammed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. This the legacy of change I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother. This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone.

Dear sisters and brothers, we realize the importance of light when we see darkness. We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realized the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns. The wise saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword." It is true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. This is why they killed 14 innocent students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they kill female teachers. That is why they are blasting schools every day because they were and they are afraid of change and equality that we will bring to our society. And I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist why are the Taliban against education? He answered very simply by pointing to his book, he said, "a Talib doesn't know what is written inside this book."

They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would point guns at people's heads just for going to school. These terrorists are misusing the name of Islam for their own personal benefit. Pakistan is a peace loving, democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. It is the duty and responsibility to get education for each child, that is what it says. Peace is a necessity for education. In many parts of the world, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan, terrorism, war and conflicts stop children from going to schools. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in many ways in many parts of the world.

In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labor. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by extremism. Young girls have to do domestic child labor and are forced to get married at an early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems, faced by both men and women.

Today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights, but I am focusing on women to be independent and fight for themselves. So dear sisters and brothers, now it's time to speak up. So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favor of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all of these deals must protect women and children's rights. A deal that goes against the rights of women is unacceptable.

We call upon all governments to ensure free, compulsory education all over the world for every child. We call upon all the governments to fight against terrorism and violence. To protect children from brutality and harm. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of education opportunities for girls in the developing world. We call upon all communities to be tolerant, to reject prejudice based on caste, creed, sect, color, religion or agenda to ensure freedom and equality for women so they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave, to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.

Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child's bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education. No one can stop us. We will speak up for our rights and we will bring change to our voice. We believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the whole world because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty and injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of their schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright, peaceful future.

So let us wage, so let us wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism, let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first. Thank you.”

Meghan McCain Calls Out Harris For Invoking Her Dad's Name, Threatens To 'Spill The Tea'

Deadbeat: Cities Seeking More Than $750,00 From Trump Campaign Owed For Rallies

Detroit Ad Punches Back Big Time At Trump's Vicious City Attack

Former Top General Brands Trump 'Fascist To Core,' Most 'Dangerous Person' In Nation In Woodward's New Book

Trump Camp Calls For Military Aircraft, Vehicles For Campaign, Citing Concerns Over Potential Iran Threat

North Carolina Governor Calls Out Trump's 'Flat Out Lies' About Hurricane Relief

A month before the UN COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan nations remain at odds over how to deliver much-needed finance to poorer countries

World Can't 'Waste Time' Trading Climate Change Blame: COP29 Hosts

Italian police stand guard inside a recently built migrant processing centre in the Albanian port of Shengjin

EU Talks Deportation Hubs To Stem Migration

Najat Maalla M'jid is the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children

Youth Facing Unprecedented Wave Of Violence, UN Envoy Warns

China's massive solar industry, which enjoys strong support from the state, makes eight of every 10 solar panels in the world

China's Solar Goes From Supremacy To Oversupply

Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

"This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change." {"content":{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"\"This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.\"","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"document"}}

Oslo, Norway

Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim. In the name of God, the most merciful, the most beneficent.

Your Majesties, Your royal highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee,

Dear sisters and brothers, today is a day of great happiness for me. I am humbled that the Nobel Committee has selected me for this precious award.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and love. Thank you for the letters and cards that I still receive from all around the world. Your kind and encouraging words strengthens and inspires me.

I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love. Thank you to my father for not clipping my wings and for letting me fly. Thank you to my mother for inspiring me to be patient and to always speak the truth — which we strongly believe is the true message of Islam. And also thank you to all my wonderful teachers, who inspired me to believe in myself and be brave.

I am proud, well in fact, I am very proud to be the first Pashtun, the first Pakistani, and the youngest person to receive this award. Along with that, along with that, I am pretty certain that I am also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers. I want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still working on that.

I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarthi, who has been a champion for children's rights for a long time. Twice as long, in fact, than I have been alive. I am proud that we can work together, we can work together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani, they can work together and achieve their goals of children's rights.

Dear brothers and sisters, I was named after the inspirational Malalai of Maiwand who is the Pashtun Joan of Arc. The word Malala means grief stricken "sad," but in order to lend some happiness to it, my grandfather would always call me Malala — "The happiest girl in the world" and today I am very happy that we are together fighting for an important cause.

This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.

I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice… it is not time to pity them. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action so it becomes the last time, the last time, so it becomes the last time that we see a child deprived of education.

I have found that people describe me in many different ways.

Some people call me the girl who was shot by the Taliban.

And some, the girl who fought for her rights.

Some people, call me a "Nobel laureate" now.

However, my brothers still call me that annoying bossy sister. As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world.

Education is one of the blessings of life — and one of its necessities. That has been my experience during the 17 years of my life. In my paradise home, Swat, I always loved learning and discovering new things. I remember when my friends and I would decorate our hands with henna on special occasions. And instead of drawing flowers and patterns we would paint our hands with mathematical formulas and equations.

We had a thirst for education, we had a thirst for education because our future was right there in that classroom. We would sit and learn and read together. We loved to wear neat and tidy school uniforms and we would sit there with big dreams in our eyes. We wanted to make our parents proud and prove that we could also excel in our studies and achieve those goals, which some people think only boys can.

But things did not remain the same. When I was in Swat, which was a place of tourism and beauty, suddenly changed into a place of terrorism. I was just ten that more than 400 schools were destroyed. Women were flogged. People were killed. And our beautiful dreams turned into nightmares.

Education went from being a right to being a crime.

Girls were stopped from going to school.

When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed.

I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.

We could not just stand by and see those injustices of the terrorists denying our rights, ruthlessly killing people and misusing the name of Islam. We decided to raise our voice and tell them: Have you not learnt, have you not learnt that in the Holy Quran Allah says: if you kill one person it is as if you kill the whole humanity? Do you not know that Mohammad, peace be upon him, the prophet of mercy, he says, do not harm yourself or others."

And do you not know that the very first word of the Holy Quran is the word Iqra," which means "read"?

The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today, on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas nor their bullets could win.

We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder.

I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not.

It is the story of many girls.

Today, I tell their stories too. I have brought with me some of my sisters from Pakistan, from Nigeria and from Syria, who share this story. My brave sisters Shazia and Kainat who were also shot that day on our school bus. But they have not stopped learning. And my brave sister Kainat Soomro who went through severe abuse and extreme violence, even her brother was killed, but she did not succumb.

Also my sisters here, whom I have met during my Malala Fund campaign. My 16-year-old courageous sister, Muzoon from Syria, who now lives in Jordan as refugee and goes from tent to tent encouraging girls and boys to learn. And my sister Amina, from the North of Nigeria, where Boko Haram threatens, and stops girls and even kidnaps girls, just for wanting to go to school.

Though I appear as one girl, though I appear as one girl, one person, who is 5 foot 2 inches tall, if you include my high heels. (It means I am 5 foot only) I am not a lone voice, I am not a lone voice, I am many.

I am Malala. But I am also Shazia.

I am Kainat.

I am Kainat Soomro.

I am Muzoon.

I am Amina.

I am those 66 million girls* who are deprived of education. And today I am not raising my voice, it is the voice of those 66 million girls.

We see many people becoming refugees in Syria, Gaza and Iraq. In Afghanistan, we see families being killed in suicide attacks and bomb blasts.

Many children in Africa do not have access to education because of poverty. And as I said, we still see, we still see girls who have no freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria.

Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi mentioned, many children, especially in India and Pakistan are deprived of their right to education because of social taboos, or they have been forced into child marriage or into child labour.

One of my very good school friends, the same age as me, who had always been a bold and confident girl, dreamed of becoming a doctor. But her dream remained a dream. At the age of 12, she was forced to get married. And then soon she had a son, she had a child when she herself was still a child — only 14. I know that she could have been a very good doctor.

But she couldn't, because she was a girl.

Her story is why I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to Malala Fund, to help give girls quality education, everywhere, anywhere in the world and to raise their voices. The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan — especially in my home of Swat and Shangla.

In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and to get this opportunity to fulfil their dreams.

This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school.

Dear brothers and sisters, great people, who brought change, like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi, once stood here on this stage. I hope the steps that Kailash Satyarthi and I have taken so far and will take on this journey will also bring change — lasting change.

My great hope is that this will be the last time, this will be the last time we must fight for education. Let's solve this once and for all.

We have already taken many steps. Now it is time to take a leap. It is not time to tell the world leaders to realise how important education is — they already know it — their own children are in good schools. Now it is time to call them to take action for the rest of the world's children.

We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority.

Fifteen years ago, the world leaders decided on a set of global goals, the Millennium Development Goals. In the years that have followed, we have seen some progress. The number of children out of school has been halved, as Kailash Satyarthi said. However, the world focused only on primary education, and progress did not reach everyone.

In year 2015, representatives from all around the world will meet in the United Nations to set the next set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals. This will set the world's ambition for the next generations.

The world can no longer accept, the world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries, only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in Algebra, Mathematics, Science and Physics?

Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary and secondary education for every child.

Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.

Dear sisters and brothers, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don't. Why is it that countries which we call strong" are so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it, why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard?

We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe will soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give every child quality education.

Dear sisters and brothers, dear fellow children, we must work… not wait. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. We. It is our duty.

Let us become the first generation to decide to be the last, let us become the first generation that decides to be the last that sees empty classrooms, lost childhoods, and wasted potentials.

Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a factory.

Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage.

Let this be the last time that a child loses life in war.

Let this be the last time that we see a child out of school.

Let this end with us.

Let's begin this ending together, today, right here, right now. Let's begin this ending now. Thank you so much.

*Note: UNESCO now estimates more than 130 million girls around the world are out of school.

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist, student, UN messenger of peace and the youngest Nobel Laureate. As co-founder of Malala Fund, she is building a world where every girl can learn and lead without fear.

Malala yousafzai: 16th birthday speech at the united nations, sign up to learn how you can help support malala fund and receive the latest updates on our work..

Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech Transcript

In 2014 Malala Yousafzai gave her Nobel Peace Prize lecture. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. Read her full speech transcript here.

Transcribe Your Own Content Try Rev and save time transcribing, captioning, and subtitling.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 00:05 ) Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim. In the name of God, the most merciful, the most beneficent. Your majesties, your royal highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, dear sisters and brothers today is a day of great happiness for me. I’m humbled that the Nobel Committee has selected me for this precious award. Thank you to everyone for your continued support and love. Thank you for the letters and cards that I still receive from all around the world. Your kind and encouraging words strengthens and inspires me. I’d like to thank my parents for their unconditional love. Thank you to my father for not clipping my wings and for letting me fly.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 01:30 ) Thank you to my mother for inspiring me to be patient and to always speak the truth, which we strongly believe is the true message of Islam. And also, thank you to all my wonderful teachers who inspired me to believe in myself and be brave. I’m proud. Well, in fact, I’m very proud to be the first Pashtun, the first Pakistani, and the youngest person to receive this award.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 02:34 ) Along with that, along with that I’m pretty certain that I’m also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers. I want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still working on that. I’m also honored to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarthi, who has been a champion for children’s rights for a long time, twice as long, in fact, than I have been alive. I’m proud that we can walk together. We can walk together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani, they can work together and achieve their goals of children’s rights.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 03:49 ) Dear brothers and sisters, I was named after the inspirational Malalai of Maiwand, who is the Pashtun Joan of arc. The word Malala means grief-stricken, sad, but in order to lend some happiness to it, my grandfather would always call me Malala, the happiest girl in the world and today, I’m very happy that we are together fighting for an important cause. This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change. I’m here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice. It is not time to pity them. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action, so it becomes the last time, the last time, so it becomes the last time that we see a child deprived of education.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 05:28 ) I have found that people describe me in many different ways. Some people call me the girl who was shot by the Taliban, and some the girl who fought for her rights. Some people call me a Nobel Laureate now. However, my brothers still call me that annoying bossy sister. As far as I know, I’m just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights, and who wants peace in every corner of the world.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 06:51 ) Education is one of the blessings of life and one of its necessities. That has been my experience during the 17 years of my life. In my paradise home, Swat, I always loved learning and discovering new things. I remember when my friends and I would decorate our hands with henna on special occasions and instead of drawing flowers and patterns, we would paint our hands with mathematical formulas and equations. We had a thirst for education. We had a thirst for education because our future was right there in that classroom. We would sit, and learn, and read together. We loved to wear neat and tidy school uniforms and we would sit there with big dreams in our eyes. We wanted to make our parents proud and prove that we could also excel in our studies and achieve those goals, which some people think only boys can.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 08:20 ) But things did not remain the same. When I was in Swat, which was a place of tourism and beauty suddenly changed into a place of terrorism, I was just 10 that more than 400 schools were destroyed. Women were flogged. People were killed. And our beautiful dreams turned into nightmares. Education went from being a right to being a crime. Girls were stopped from going to school. When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 10:02 ) We could not just stand by and see those injustices of the terrorists denying our rights, ruthlessly killing people, and misusing the name of Islam. We decided to raise our voice and tell them, “Have you not learnt, have you not learnt that in the Holy Quran Allah says if you kill one person it is as if you kill the whole humanity? Do you not know that Mohammad, peace be upon him, the prophet of mercy, he says, do not harm yourself or others. And do you not know that the very first word of the Holy Quran is the word Iqra, which means read?” The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas, nor their bullets could win. We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 11:25 ) I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls. Today, I tell their stories too. I have brought with me some of my sisters from Pakistan, from Nigeria, and from Syria who share this story. My brave sisters, Shazia and Kainat, who were also shot the day on our school bus, but they have not stopped learning. And my brave sister, Kainat Soomro, who went through severe abuse and extreme violence, even her brother was killed, but she did not succumb. Also my sisters here, whom I have met during my Malala Fund Campaign. My 16 year old courageous sister, Mezon from Syria, who now lives in Jordan as a refugee and she goes from tent to tent encouraging girls and boys to learn. And my sister, Amina from the north of Nigeria, where Boko Haram threatens, and stops girls, and even kidnaps girls just for wanting to go to school.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 13:27 ) Though I appear as one girl, though I appear as one girl, one person, who is five foot, two inches tall if you include my high heels. It means I’m five foot only. I am not a lone voice. I’m not a lone voice. I am many. I am Malala. But I’m also Shazia. I’m Kainat. I’m Kainat Soomro. I am Mezon. I am Amina. I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education. And today, I’m not raising my voice. It is the voice of those 66 million girls.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 14:59 ) Sometimes people like to ask me, “Why should girls go to school? Why is it important for them?” But I think the more important question is why shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t they have this right to go to school? Dear brothers and sisters, today, in half of the world, we see rapid progress and development. However, there are many countries where millions still suffer from the very old problems of war, poverty, and injustice. We still see conflicts in which innocent people lose their lives and children become orphans. We see many people becoming refugees in Syria, Gaza, and Iraq. In Afghanistan, we see families being killed in suicide attacks and bomb blasts. Many children in Africa do not have access to education because of poverty. And as I said, we still see, we still see girls who have no freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 16:39 ) Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi mentioned, many children, especially in India and Pakistan are deprived of their right to education because of social taboos or they have been forced into child marriage or into child labor. One of my very good school friends, the same age as me, who has always been a bold and confident girl, dreamed of becoming a doctor, but her dream remained a dream. At the age of 12, she was forced to get married. And then soon she had a son. She had a child when she herself was a child, only 14. I know that she could have been a very good doctor, but she couldn’t because she was a girl. Her story is why I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to the Malala Fund, to help give girls quality education everywhere, anywhere in the world, and to raise their voices. The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan, especially in my home of Swat and Shangla.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 18:27 ) In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish, and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and they get this opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school. Dear brothers and sisters, great people who brought change like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi, once stood here on this stage. I hope the steps that Kailash Satyarthi and I have taken so far and will take on this journey will also bring change, lasting change.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 20:21 ) My great hope is that this will be the last time, this will be the last time we must fight for education. Let’s solve this once and for all. We have already taken many steps. Now, it is time to take a leap. It is not time to tell the world leaders to realize how important education is, they already know it. Their own children are in good schools. Now, it is time to call them to take action for the rest of the world’s children. We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority. 15 years ago, the world leaders decided on a set of global goals, the Millennium Development Goals. In the years that have followed, we have seen some progress. The number of children out of school has been halved, as Kailash Satyarthi said. However, the world focused only on primary education and progress did not reach everyone.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 21:49 ) In year 2015, representatives from all around the world will meet in the United Nations to set the next set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals. This will set the world’s ambition for the next generations. The world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in algebra, mathematics, science, and physics? Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality primary and secondary education for every child.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 23:01 ) Some would say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard, or maybe even impossible, but it is time the world thinks bigger. Dear sisters and brothers, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars, but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is it?

Malala Yousafzai: ( 23:59 ) Why is it that giving guns is so easy, but giving books is so hard? Why is it? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard? We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe we’ll soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give every child quality education.

Malala Yousafzai: ( 25:05 ) Dear sisters and brothers, dear fellow children, we must work, not wait. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me, you, we, it is our duty. Let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. Let us become the first generation that decides to be the last that sees empty classrooms, lost childhoods, and wasted potentials. Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a factory. Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage. Let this be the last time that a child loses life in war. Let this be the last time that we see a child out of school. Let this end with us. Let’s begin this ending together, today, right here, right now. Let’s begin this ending now. Thank you so much.

Other Related Transcripts

The Queen's Coronation Day Speech June 2nd, 1953 Transcript

Stay updated.

Get a weekly digest of the week’s most important transcripts in your inbox. It’s the news, without the news.

Undergraduate
Short Courses
Online Courses
Masters/Postgraduate
Postdoctoral
Study in Africa
Study in Asia
Study in Australia
Study in Europe
Study in USA
Fellowships
Internships
Volunteering
OD Live Series
Young Person of the Month
Success Stories
General Tips
ODIC 2023 Application
ODIC Judges
ODIC 2023 Winners
ODIC 2022 Winners
ODIC 2021 Winners
ODIC 2019 Winners
ODIC 2018 Winners
ODIC 2017 Winners
ODIC 2016 Winners
Australia and Oceania

Full Text of Malala Yousafzai’s Speech at the United Nations

Malala Yousafzai is the 16 year old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for demanding education for girls. She gave a speech at the United Nations on her 16th birthday last Friday, where she spoke about the importance of education. Here is the full text of her speech:

“In the name of God, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful. Honourable UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon, Respected President General Assembly Vuk Jeremic Honourable UN envoy for Global education Mr Gordon Brown, Respected elders and my dear brothers and sisters; Today, it is an honour for me to be speaking again after a long time. Being here with such honourable people is a great moment in my life.

I don’t know where to begin my speech. I don’t know what people would be expecting me to say. But first of all, thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and a new life. I cannot believe how much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me. I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and all of the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who have helped me get better and recover my strength.

I fully support Mr Ban Ki-moon the Secretary-General in his Global Education First Initiative and the work of the UN Special Envoy Mr Gordon Brown. And I thank them both for the leadership they continue to give. They continue to inspire all of us to action.

Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing. Malala day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. I speak – not for myself, but for all girls and boys.

Dear friends, on October 9, 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. And then, out of that silence came, thousands of voices.

The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same.

Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorists group. I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists especially the Taliban.

I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him. This is the compassion that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of mercy, Jesus christ and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than sword” was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them.

Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women’s rights and girls’ education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But, this time, we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women’s rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves. Dear sisters and brothers, now it’s time to speak up.

So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favour of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all the peace deals must protect women and children’s rights. A deal that goes against the dignity of women and their rights is unacceptable. We call upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world. We call upon all governments to fight against terrorism and violence, to protect children from brutality and harm. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in the developing world. We call upon all communities to be tolerant – to reject prejudice based on cast, creed, sect, religion or gender. To ensure freedom and equality for women so that they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.

Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child’s bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education for everyone. No one can stop us. We will speak for our rights and we will bring change through our voice. We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world. Because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future. So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.

One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first!”

Culled from : IBN Live

Opportunity Desk is the one stop place for all global opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - @opportunitydesk

How to approach history homework when there’s too much memorization, 30 job opportunities for professionals across various sectors – october 10, 2024., the best cryptocurrency trading communities you should join today.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.