Two Asians win Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafzai

TWO ADVOCATES for children were chosen this morning (Oct. 11) as this year's Nobel Peace Prize winners and they are both Asians from two countries with tense relations with each other. 

Most noteworthy is Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen who was shot by the Taliban for her support of education for  girls. At the age of just 17, she becomes the youngest recipient ever of the prestigious prize.

She shares the award with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights champion.

Malala said she was "honored" to receive the award, saying it made her feel "more powerful and courageous".

She revealed she found out the news after being called out of her chemistry class at her school in Birmingham, England.

"I'm really happy to be sharing this award with a person from India," she said at a news conference, before joking that she couldn't pronounce Mr Satyarthi's surname.

Satyarthi reacts to the news of his award.

For Malala's amazing acceptance speech (its hard to believe she is only 17 years old), link to the Nobel's YouTube page.

The award was announced in Oslo by Thorbjorn Jagland, the Nobel Committee's chairman, who said: "The Nobel Committee regards it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism."

e reading the main story

Reacting to the news, Satyarthi told the BBC: "It's a great honor for all the Indians, it's an honour for all those children who have been still living in slavery despite of all the advancement in technology, market and economy.

"And I dedicate this award to all those children in the world."
(News feeds from BBC and the New York Times)

###