Abuja
Nigeria
Deputy Secretary-General's Remarks at the Tenth Anniversary of Malala Day in Abuja, Nigeria
Statements | Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General
Statements | Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General
Excellencies,
Our distinguished guests,
Special welcome to Mr. Yousafzai who is a teacher beyond teachers,
Dear friends,
And I can see many in the room,
Young people,
What an honour it is for me to welcome Malala to Nigeria. Real honour.
She may not be from here, but it really does feel like a homecoming and I can tell you that as we visited the Vice President who knows probably more about Malala and says it in every word that he speaks about, all the way to her family, her village, her school—you really began to feel ‘Yes, Malala is one of us’.
I consider Malala not just as a daughter because I probably could’ve given birth to her, but also as a sister.
And I’ll say as some of my friends would, when you really do and are inspired by a young person, you’ll say ‘I want to be like you when I grow up.’
And I know that I am not alone in this room as you all look at her.
Malala has transcended borders, cultures, generations.
And her message and her passion have touched people the world over.
I will never forget 10 years ago when she was in the UN, a young girl who rose to the podium at the UN and declared to the world in the strongest of voices, I have to tell you, and really clearly, she said that:
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.â€
You should’ve been there. And I think that it’s no mean statement to say the palpable electricity in the room could have powered all of Nigeria at the time.
But what’s more important is that Malala has lived those words every day, and I saw that in Borno State yesterday—when we went to Maiduguri. It’s not the first time she’s been there, but if you see the progress from the first time she was there, and the leadership that we’ve seen from civil society, from women, from the Governors, the two governors—it has been amazing.
And it has been through the work of her foundation … not just to Borno, but many visits around the world … her powerful and eloquent advocacy for quality education for every girl, but she’s also talked about the boys because we are about equality.
Malala and the UN know that this is not a wish.
It is not a dream.
But it’s a fundamental human right.
And we must all make it right for everyone and real for everyone in their lives, leaving no one behind.
Leaders at every level have to heed Malala’s words and back that up with investments in education — and they need to do that now. Or if we were to say yesterday would’ve been good.
But it’s especially for the 120 million girls not enrolled in school today.
And for all those striving to overcome the barriers to quality and safe education and all forms of discrimination – including the brave girls of Nigeria.
So dear friends,
This young voice from the mountains of Pakistan has dared us to imagine.
When her country, her faith, and her gender was under attack, she inspired us with compassion and with courage.
Just think of the Malala story.
And I will tell you that she often says to us, ‘This is not just my story, it’s every girl’s story’.
But I don’t know many that were shot her on their way to school and left for dead, deliberately because they stood up for education.
And by some miracle, and we all know that the Almighty had a purpose for her, she recovered.
And when she was asked what she’d say to the shooter, she replied with another miracle.
She said she would tell her would-be killer:
“I want education for your children as well.â€
Malala keeps daring us to imagine.
To imagine a world with less intolerance, more understanding and respect.
A world with less hate and more humanity.
A world with less bigotry and more equality.
A world with less ignorance and more education and knowledge.
Malala was perhaps the most famous student in the world.
She has gone on to teach all of us.
Nobel Peace Prize winner.
A UN Messenger of Peace.
A torchbearer for the Sustainable Development Goals.
A Sister. A Daughter. An Inspiration.
Malala, welcome home.
Our distinguished guests,
Special welcome to Mr. Yousafzai who is a teacher beyond teachers,
Dear friends,
And I can see many in the room,
Young people,
What an honour it is for me to welcome Malala to Nigeria. Real honour.
She may not be from here, but it really does feel like a homecoming and I can tell you that as we visited the Vice President who knows probably more about Malala and says it in every word that he speaks about, all the way to her family, her village, her school—you really began to feel ‘Yes, Malala is one of us’.
I consider Malala not just as a daughter because I probably could’ve given birth to her, but also as a sister.
And I’ll say as some of my friends would, when you really do and are inspired by a young person, you’ll say ‘I want to be like you when I grow up.’
And I know that I am not alone in this room as you all look at her.
Malala has transcended borders, cultures, generations.
And her message and her passion have touched people the world over.
I will never forget 10 years ago when she was in the UN, a young girl who rose to the podium at the UN and declared to the world in the strongest of voices, I have to tell you, and really clearly, she said that:
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.â€
You should’ve been there. And I think that it’s no mean statement to say the palpable electricity in the room could have powered all of Nigeria at the time.
But what’s more important is that Malala has lived those words every day, and I saw that in Borno State yesterday—when we went to Maiduguri. It’s not the first time she’s been there, but if you see the progress from the first time she was there, and the leadership that we’ve seen from civil society, from women, from the Governors, the two governors—it has been amazing.
And it has been through the work of her foundation … not just to Borno, but many visits around the world … her powerful and eloquent advocacy for quality education for every girl, but she’s also talked about the boys because we are about equality.
Malala and the UN know that this is not a wish.
It is not a dream.
But it’s a fundamental human right.
And we must all make it right for everyone and real for everyone in their lives, leaving no one behind.
Leaders at every level have to heed Malala’s words and back that up with investments in education — and they need to do that now. Or if we were to say yesterday would’ve been good.
But it’s especially for the 120 million girls not enrolled in school today.
And for all those striving to overcome the barriers to quality and safe education and all forms of discrimination – including the brave girls of Nigeria.
So dear friends,
This young voice from the mountains of Pakistan has dared us to imagine.
When her country, her faith, and her gender was under attack, she inspired us with compassion and with courage.
Just think of the Malala story.
And I will tell you that she often says to us, ‘This is not just my story, it’s every girl’s story’.
But I don’t know many that were shot her on their way to school and left for dead, deliberately because they stood up for education.
And by some miracle, and we all know that the Almighty had a purpose for her, she recovered.
And when she was asked what she’d say to the shooter, she replied with another miracle.
She said she would tell her would-be killer:
“I want education for your children as well.â€
Malala keeps daring us to imagine.
To imagine a world with less intolerance, more understanding and respect.
A world with less hate and more humanity.
A world with less bigotry and more equality.
A world with less ignorance and more education and knowledge.
Malala was perhaps the most famous student in the world.
She has gone on to teach all of us.
Nobel Peace Prize winner.
A UN Messenger of Peace.
A torchbearer for the Sustainable Development Goals.
A Sister. A Daughter. An Inspiration.
Malala, welcome home.