"When Malala Yousafzai was shot, girls in Pakistan went on to the streets to protest," says former UK PM PHOTO: FILE
DAVOS: The bravery of Malala Yousafzai has inspired children around the world to fight for a better education, key figures in a UN campaign said on Friday.
Hosting a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, UN special education envoy and former British prime minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to 15-year-old Malala, who was gunned down in Swat in October.
"We saw when Malala Yousafzai was shot in Pakistan, girls in Pakistan went on to the streets to protest that they too wanted the education they were being denied," Brown told an elite audience at the luxury ski resort.
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is also involved in UN education efforts, said Malala's example showed the need for the international community to help "vulnerable states."
"Her story has affected us all, it has affected teenagers all over the world, my own teenage daughters are thinking about this and worrying about girls' education," she said.
"And that's why this ownership (of the issue) is so important: some girls don't get education because their country is at war and a weak state and a very poor country.
"But some kids, especially girls, don't get their education because of cultural, religious choices in their part of the world."
The Danish premier said all countries should take the responsibility for providing a good basic education where possible, but where failed states were unable to, then the world must help instead.
"Those examples where girls are allowed into schools, where we help in vulnerable states like Afghanistan, that's where we can make a difference," Thorning-Schmidt said.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who appointed Brown last July to lead a campaign to get 61 million more children into school by 2015, opened the discussion by saying that the world "cannot afford a lost generation".
"Education must be a top priority of global and development agendas - this is not an option it is an imperative," he told the audience of global politicians and business leaders.
Malala was shot on her school bus by Taliban gunmen for the "crime" of promoting girls' education, but survived the murder attempt.
Malala first rose to prominence aged just 11 with a blog for the BBC Urdu service in 2009 in which she described life in Swat during the bloody rule of the Taliban.
She is still recovering from her injuries at a hospital in Britain.
Brown has pushed Malala's case and in November visited Pakistan to present a million-signature petition to the government calling for change.
COMMENTS (10)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
l sabi
@mosharrof2 How diverse cleric puting our head down while a young girl raising too high. This nation must decide whether to keep tollerating religious gangsters or say good bye ttheocracy for hounerable future
US generals, in Afghan war have spent $20 (Rs 1700) billion on air-conditioning.
The total outlay of Pak budget 2011-12 is $ 32 (Rs 2767) billion.
Had the Americans ensured spending half of this money for Scholarship, and setting up Universities/Colleges in Waziristan, there would have been no Taliban.
There is not single university in whole FATA with 7 million population whereas there are 18 universities in Islamabad with 4 million population. Naturally for the ease and comfort of kids of the corrupts, sold outs and UK/US agents living in Islamabad.
Oh no!! not her again
A bill has been introduced in US Congress to increase funding for girls' education in countries like Pakistan. It is named after Malalai!
Malala Yousufzai status updates Dated 19 Oct 2012 http://www.uhb.nhs.uk/news/malala-yousafzai-status-updates.htm
" Malala was shot at point blank range.
Bullet hit left brow - instead of penetrating skull it traveled underneath the skin, the whole length of side of head and into neck "
I am unable to understand the flight path of the bullet from above report ?
Was the bullet made of air or water ?
Taliban must have practiced a lot to achieve the bullet trajectory on Malala Face ?
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” - Winston Churchill
Malala Yousafzai attacked AND SO
More Drones/Jets attacks on Wazirs/Mehsuds. More Military Operations on Wazirs/Mehsuds. More War of Terror on Wazirs/Mehsuds. More Road Blocks for Wazirs/Mehsuds.
US Blood Dollars for Waziristan will be consumed in Islamabad, Fata Sectt Pesh, Swabi, Charsada, Mardan and Swat.
A Pashtun hailing from an area on 1 hour drive from Waziristan.....defending his People/Area !!!!
Not necessarily pro-Taliban/Al-Qaeda, but surely pro-Pakistan !
extremists enforce their ideology through guns, and you liberals through lies.
Malala Drama Episod # 2
How diverse is my country a cleric is puting our head down while a young girl raising it too high. This nation must decide whether to keep tollerating religious gangsters or to say good bye to theocracy for hounerable future.
Long-live Malala - Ameen.