Feb. 1, 2013: Teen activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by Taliban for resistance in succumbing to their terms and fighting for educations rights, has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for this year.
“A prize to Malala would not only be timely and fitting with a line of awards to champions of human rights and democracy, but also… would set both children and education on the peace and conflict agenda,” said the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, Kristian Berg Harpviken.
The 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl was shot by a Taliban gunman at point blank range as she boarded a bus to school on Oct. 9, 2012. Yousafzai was targeted for promoting girl’s education and opposing the Taliban regime and has become an internationally recognized symbol of opposition to Taliban’s belief of denying women education along with other religious extremists in the country.
This year’s award will be announced in early October.
Reportedly in early 2009, at the age of 11/12, Yousafzai wrote a blog under a pseudonym for BBC, specifying her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the SWAT valley and her ideas of promoting education for girls. Ever since then Yousafzai rose to prominence taking standing positions at various levels. She was chairperson of the District Child Assembly SWAT and won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize. According to news reports Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper along with other prominent individuals supported the petition to nominate Yousafzai for Nobel Peace Prize.
Written by Garima Goswami, Assistant Editor for DARPAN Magazine
Image Courtesy of sourcefednews.com
Categories: Online Articles, Top Stories
Read More About: BBC, Canadian Prime Minister, Kristian Berg Harpviken, malala yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize, oslo, Stephen Harper, taliban.
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http://www.darpanmagazine.com/2013/02/activist-malala-yousafzai-up-for-nobel-peace-prize/