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(updated from the original published to Bubblews writing site a few years ago, now gone)

Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at 17 years of age, the youngest person to win a Nobel prize. She has also won Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize, which has been renamed the National Malala Peace Prize. And she has won the International Children’s Peace Prize, as well as the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and numerous other awards. She was on the cover of Time magazine and listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She spoke at a United Nations session on her 16th birthday; I saw the entire speech and was very impressed.

She started campaigning for the education of girls when she was 11 after her father nominated her to write anonymous blogs about life under the Taliban for the BBC, after other, older girls had declined through fear of reprisals. In her home district of Swat, Pakistan, the Taliban had been banning female education, blowing up numerous girls’ schools, as well as banning television and music and preventing women from shopping. At the time, Malala spoke against the Taliban on a Pakistan current affairs television program.

What an amazing young person to stand up to a force such as the Taliban. Seems they are still after her. Let’s hope her minders can successfully protect her from these thugs and that Birmingham, UK is far enough away from them. Her efforts are sure to make the world a better place.