It is not the coveted Nobel Peace Prize but the Sakharov Prize, top European human rights award that was given to Malala Yousafzai. It stands as an enormous recognition of her bravery and determination to support education for girls in Pakistan and all over the world.
New York visit
The announcement on Malala’s $65,000 EU award came in the wake of her visit to New York City. The young Pakistani girl arrived here Thursday for an interview with the media and to endorse her memoir about her survival from an assassination attempt by the Taliban in her home country Pakistan in October 2012. Her memoir campaign is aimed at promoting and supporting the education of girls, an advocacy that she strongly maintains even before her life fell under peril. The attempt on her life and her ensuing survival has gained worldwide awareness about the plight of girls in nations and villages who are deprived of education rights. Malala has since become an international figure, addressing the United Nations when she turned 16 years old. She looks forward to seeing the Queen of England sometime this month.
Nobel Peace Prize
Various awarding committees are abuzz on the announcement of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in which Yousafzai was a strong contender. The young Pakistani did not win the prize although she was said to be the favorite among the candidates. Opinions from various media organizations state that her non-victory is attributed to her youth and that she is too young for the award. Her age apparently is only half the age of the youngest Nobel Prize Awardee, Yemeni peace activist Tawakul Karman who was 32 years old when she won the award in 2011. The Nobel Prize, according to social and political analysts, is a life-changing award and if Malala won the prize she would have her whole life ahead of her being on a pedestal. As such, she might suffer the disadvantage of being judged of her actions and mistakes. The award may be a big honor for her but she has to live up to its name and the expectations of the public in her whole lifetime. Geir Lundestad, Norwegian Nobel Institute director said the award sets no age limit but it does transform the laureates’ lives forever.
Image of a saint
Nobel Peace Prize winners, Lundestad said, are often seen as saintly figures who are asked for opinions, support and endorsements by groups – both non-political or political. They are invited to give speeches in advocacy campaigns and often regarded as source of inspiration and wisdom and Malala may be too young to handle such responsibilities. Meanwhile, Jody Williams, Nobel Prize winner in 1997 for being the coordinator for the ban on anti-personal landmines campaign openly admits there are negative aspects of the award and that it does not actually bring all glory and joy.
Multiple awards
In view of the attack on the life of Malala a year ago, a foundation in her name, Malala Fund was organized to give assistance to the education for young girls. Aside from the EU human rights prize, Malala has received multiple recognitions from different award giving bodies. The Pakistani girl’s assailant is still on the loose and threatens to finally kill her if the Taliban found her again.
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