Posts
Unit 1
Education and Humanity
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” - Aristotle
Reading
Education First
Before you read
Click here to download the English book ( Find Nepali Book at the end of the page )
Now read the speech by Malala delivered at the United Nations Youth Assembly
on 12 July 2013.
Today, it is 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. 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 are all 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 governments 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.
There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers, who are not only
speaking for human rights but who are struggling to achieve their goals of education,
peace, 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, one girl among many.
I speak not for myself, but for all girls and boys.
I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that 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.
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 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 were born. I
am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams
are the same.
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 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 learned
Malala delivering a speech at UN
General Assembly 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. This is the philosophy of non-violence that I have learned from
Gandhi Jee, Bacha Khan, and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have
learned from my mother and father. This is what my soul is telling me, be peaceful and
love everyone.
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” 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. And that is why they killed 14
innocent medical students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they killed
many female teachers and polio workers in Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa and FATA. That
is why they are blasting schools every day. Because they were and they are afraid of
change, afraid of the equality that we will bring into our society.
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 send girls to hell just because of going
to school.
The terrorists are misusing the name of Islam and Pashtun society for their
own personal benefits. Pakistan is a peace-loving democratic country. Pashtuns want
education for their daughters and sons. And Islam is a religion of peace, humanity, and
brotherhood. Islam says that it is not only each child's right to get an education, rather it
is their duty and responsibility.
Peace is necessary for education. In many parts of the world wars and conflicts stop
children to go to their school. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children
are suffering in many parts of the world in many ways. 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 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
6 English: Grade 11
from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women be independent to
fight for themselves.
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 peace deals must protect women's 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 caste, 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 realize their full potential.
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.
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 school. 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
English: Grade 11 7
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.
MalalaYousafzai
Ways with words.
English Book: Click here to download the whole book
Nepali Book: Download Nepali Book
Thank you for visiting
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you. I hope it was helpful for you.