Malala to become youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace

The youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai will be appointed as the youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace on 10 April 2017.

The appointment would be carried out by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Yousafzai’s new role will include helping in the promotion of girl’s education across the world.

Key Facts about Malala

• At the age of 16, the Pakistani activist was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, as a punishment for defying the group’s ban and advocating for female education.

• The incident made her fight for human rights and for girls to go to school, grow into an international movement.

• In 2014, Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner.

• She has also been invited by Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau to address the country’s Parliament on 12 April 2017, which will make her the youngest person to get the opportunity.

• She will also be receiving her honorary Canadian citizenship at the occasion, which was bestowed upon her in 2014.

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Praising Malala’s strong determination, Antonio Guterres stated that even in the face of grave danger, she has shown an unwavering commitment to the rights of women, girls and all people.

He further added that while her courageous activism for girls´ education has already energised so many people around the world, as the youngest-ever U.N. Messenger of Peace she will be able to contribute even more to help create a more just and peaceful world.

Yousafzai, who was treated in Britain, studied there ever since and in the process also set up a Malala Fund to support girls´ education projects in the developing countries. Besides this, the young activist, who is a regular speaker at the world stage, visited refugee camps in Rwanda and Kenya in July 2016 to highlight the plight of refugee girls from Burundi and Somalia.