"He Named Me Malala" opens nationwide on Friday

THE NATIONWIDE general release of the documentary He Named Me Malala is today, (Oct. 9).

He Named Me Malala is an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban and severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. 

The then 15-year-old was singled out, along with her father, for advocating for girls’ education, and the attack on her sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. She miraculously survived and brought to Great Britain for surgeries and recovery. 

Instead of silencing her, the incident and her eloquent speeches, have spread Malala's message across the world.

RELATED: Two Asians win Nobel Peace Prize

At 17, she won the Nobel Peace Prize. At the ripe old age of 18, she is the leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund.

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman) shows us how Malala, her father Zia and her family are committed to fighting for education for all girls worldwide. The film gives us an inside glimpse into this extraordinary young girl’s life – from her close relationship with her father who inspired her love for education, to her impassioned speeches at the United Nations, to her everyday life with her parents and brothers. 

He Named Me Malala made its debut in the U.S. at the Telluride Film Festivallast month, and opened in select theaters on October 2 ahead of its nationwide release on October 9 -- appropriately timed -- two days ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child, which "recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world." 

Malala Yousafzai is a personal hero of mine and an inspiration for not only girls, but all young people, to show that young people can make a difference, that one individual can change the world.

Check local listings for theaters and times.

If you would like to contribute to this worthy cause, go to the Malala Fund.

###

Malala Yousafzai gives powerful speech at Nobel Awards ceremony today

Malala Yousafzai brought five young girls as her guests at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony today (Dec. 10)

MALALA YOUSAFZAI, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, accepted her award today (Dec. 10) and gave a moving, powerful speech to the audience in Oslo, Sweden.

This young woman, who has become an international advocate for peace and education for girls and a voice for the world's children is my hero!

For this first-ever Nobel Peace Prize "Girl Delegation," Ms. Yousafzai was joined by Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz, her school friends from Swat who got shot along with her in an attack in 2012; Kainat Soomro from Sindh, Mezon Almellehan from Syria and Amina Yusuf from Nigeria.

The young women were her special guests when she receives the award at the ceremony to be held on Wednesday.

“Though I will be one girl receiving this award, I know I am not a lone voice,” Malala said in a statement.

“This Nobel Peace Prize is for all girls everywhere who want education. These courageous girls are not just my friends, they are now my sisters in our campaign for education for every child,” she added.

On exhibit at the Nobel Peace Prize Exhibit was her school uniform she was wearing on the day she was attacked by the Taliban and left for dead.

"My school uniform is very important to me because when I was going to school I would wear it," she said. "The day I was attacked I was wearing this uniform. I was fighting for my right to go to school, I was fighting for my right to get education. Wearing a uniform made me feel that yes, I am a student, I am doing it, practically. It is an important part of my life, now I want to show it to children, to people all around the world. This is my right, it is the right of every child, to go to school. This should not be neglected."

The bloodied school uniform that Malala Yousafzai
 wore on the day she was attacked  is on display at
the Nobel Peace Prize Exhibit. 

It's hard to believe that she is only 17-years old. I think of the teenagers that I work with and their  concerns about boyfriend/girlfriend matters, fashion and social media addiction, and I wonder if they can relate to Malala.

I think of the young people in the streets protesting the grand jury decisions in New York and Ferguson, Missouri; I think of those who get a thrill breaking windows and stealing from stores; I think of the young adolescent boys conscripted to fight for warlords in Africa; I think of the young girls kidnapped by those same warlords; I think of the young children in Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Israel; I think of the children in Africa whose parents have died from AIDS or ebola; I think of the millions of children in the Philippines, India and around the world who go to bed hungry.

I wish they could hear Malala and her message. She gives me hope -- and that is something we all need this turbulent holiday season.

###

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)

###