Two individuals give hope to two nations.
By Rehnuma Majid
WASHINGTON, DC: From two nations, whose relationship has been turbulent at best, rise joint-Nobel laureates Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi.
Yousafzai and Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Prize “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”.
And perhaps, this joint praise has come at an auspicious time, considering the rise in killing and violence at the borders, some of the worst seen in nearly a decade. Perhaps, this is exactly what was needed to curb it.
The 60-year-old Satyarthi, a former engineer by trade, has dedicated his life’s work to abolishing child slavery in India, through the work of his organization called Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Movement). He and his group (made up of nearly 80,000 volunteers) have had a significant hand in rescuing an estimated 28,500 children from various trying and unfortunate situations; including debt bondage, where children are sold to work in order to pay off sums of money owed by their parents.
His work has made an impact, but is far from over, since statistics show that enslaved children make up at least 6% of the country’s entire population.
As for Yousafzai, the 17-year-old isn’t a completely unfamiliar household name for most. The teen activist had her public start running a blog through BBC back in 2009, where she detailed her daily life under the Taliban rule in Swat Valley. Although her personal accounts were shared under a penname, other public appearances made her the target of the 2012 shooting, to the neck and head, which left her fighting for her life.
Not to be swayed by the harm and threats made towards her own life, Yousafzai pushed on and continues her work through the Malala Fund, dedicated to assist in promoting education for all girls.
These two individuals, who come from vastly different generations, share so much in common. They were chosen to represent their countries for their work against the maltreatment, suppression, and repression of the youth. They are both truly champions of their cause, and have vocalized support and desire to work together in their efforts.
Such a move can be seen as sort of, beacon of light?
As Malala had voiced upon news of the accolade, “This is encouragement for me to move forward.”
Yousafzai spoke with Satyarthi by phone Friday. They agreed to work together, to advocate that every child is able to go to school. She also wants the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to attend the December ceremony where she and Satyarthi will receive their awards.
And although the peace prize to two individuals may not be enough to end the current and ongoing bloodshed and brutality between India and Pakistan, it does give us a sense of hope that things have a possibility of stepping in the right direction.