World Peace

I was inspired to create a blog after reading the story of the shooting of Malala Yousafzai, the girl from Swat, Pakistan, in October, 2012.  She had stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. Miraculously, she survived, and continues her campaign for education. I have read her book, I am Malala. It is powerful, told in her simple, but profound way. I hope many read it.

She supports universal access to education through the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization investing in community-led programs. This also extends to supporting education advocates around the world. In 2011, she received Pakistan's International Youth Peace Prize, and in 2014 Malala received  the Nobel Peace Prize.

 Too further her amazing story, as told in her book, Malala received extensive medical care in Birmingham, England, but she had no idea that she could not return to her valley in Pakistan. Her words, "It is the most beautiful valley in the world" an area that is mountainous, lush and green. It would have been too dangerous. Also, once a safe haven for tourists, it is now not that. Most of Pakistan is fraught with danger for women. A basic right, that of going to school, is just one of the things denied young girls. One that especially struck me, was a report about how young women were killed for singing and clapping at a wedding. I daresay that although these young women felt such emotions, expression of it is not allowed by the Taliban, and their cohorts. I guess their premise is: If they are allowed any kind of expression, what's next? More to follow...