On October 10, I rejoiced with Malala Yousafzai and the world when she was announced as the co-recipient of the Noble Peace Prize for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to education.
She of course shares the award with Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi. Malala became the youngest person to ever receive the Noble Peace Price. Malala’s journey to the Noble Peace Prize has not been an easy one, as you probably have seen in the media. She started writing a column under a pseudo name at the age of eleven, promoting education for girls in Pakistan. She went through a lot after her attack on the 10th October 2012, which had her in coma for about four months. After the shooting incident, she did not back down, she continued her campaign to raise awareness and stand for children’s right to education, and this time she had the support of the international world. She worked selflessly for the good of others, and it nearly cost her life. I am very sure that at the age of eleven when Ms Yousafzai was writing her blog, she did not do so with the intention to get recognised and win a Noble Peace Prize at seventeen. She wrote her blog out of goodwill and the desire to see other people living the life they deserve, and that is noble.
So many lessons we can take from the noble girl and other great people that we know personally or through the media. When you are doing something for others, do it wholeheartedly, and because you want to do so without expecting anything in return. Do it out of free will and not because you are trying to please people. Malala Yousafzai also shows us what it means to stand by your values and beliefs at all cost, which is a very hard to do. Most of us will not go back to do the same thing that got us shot three times. It takes a lot of courage and selflessness to do such a thing. I am just very much amazed that there are still people like Malala around, who reminds me very much of Maria Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and so many other noble character that existed before us.
There is a noble core in all of us. It is one’s choice whether they want to do something out of goodwill or do it because it benefits oneself. When people are laughing at someone who has made a mistake of some sort, you have a choice to laugh with them, or console the person being laughed at. Being a coward is when you are laughing with rest just to fit in, when you would actually wish to help the one being laughed at. When you get to feed a beggar on the street, do not do it because you want to be praised, do it because you feel it is the right thing to do.