What One Young Nobel Peace Prize Winner Taught Us About Taking A Stand

The Norwegian Nobel Committee recently honored 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai with the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in fighting for women’s rights for education and equality.   This day was not only significant with respects to this prestigious award, but it was also significant because it marks the nearly two year anniversary since Malala began a miraculous journey to where she is today.   On October 9th, 2012, Malala (just 15-years-old at the time) was on a school bus with her female classmates in her hometown in the Swat Valley in Pakistan when it was stopped by some members of the the Taliban. The Taliban had recently sent death threats to Malala because she had been advocating for education rights for women in Pakistan (something the Taliban clearly does not stand for). It was there on that school bus that Malala was shot in the head. She was eventually flown to a hospital in England where she defied all the odds and survived.   For any other person, a traumatic experience such as what happened to Malala would be enough to instill total fear to the point of hiding. This was not the case for Malala. Not only did she survive the incident, but she thrived after it. The fire within her to stand up for women around the world grew larger and larger.     At her first public speech at the United Nations after the October 9th incident, Malala spoke words that not only moved me to tears and goose bumps, but everyone else as well!   She said:  

“Dear Friends, on the 9th of 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 that 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 was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same, My dreams are the same… I’m here to speak up for the right of education of every child."

  Malala lived in a world where doors were (and still are) being closed to women. However, instead of letting these obstacles overtake her, she used them as a driving force to motivate her towards giving a voice to the oppressed.     And so now I want to ask you: How are you using the adversities that are blocking you from achieving your dreams? Are you using those obstacles as an excuse to become negative and pessimistic? Or are you using them to push you to keep going?   Malala is a brave young woman who literally looked terrorism in the face and said NO! She said "no" to its lies and "no" to surrendering to the low standards set by evil.   We should all look to Malala as a model for how we should live our lives; how we should respond with love when dealt hate; how we should respond with peace when experiencing violence; how we should respond with courage when we face a fearful situation; and how we need to embrace making education accessible to all globally when others do not.   Just like Malala, we are all called to make a mark in our world in a positive way. Use your passions to make a difference in the lives of others. Whether it’s the arts, education, dance (the list can go on and on…). You have a light within you that is meant to shine in this world!   Follow the example of Malala and continue the fight towards your goals and dreams, even when it seems impossible. Because remember- NOTHING is impossible with God!   Malala Yousafzai- a name that I know will go down in history.   Congratulations, Malala, and thank you! The world needs more courageous and inspiring people, like you.  

#WeAreMalala