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2014 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay
An anonymous reader writes: This year's Nobel Peace Prize has been given to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay for fighting to protect the rights of children and further their education. Yousafzay, at the age of 17, is the youngest recipient of the Peace Prize. Born and raised in Pakistan, she actively campaigned for girls' rights to education. In 2012, the Taliban shot her in the head, but she survived and continued her struggle. Satyarthi, a 60-year-old from India, has led many peaceful protests to fight against child slavery and illiteracy. "Satyarthi estimates that 60 million children in India, or 6 percent of the population, are forced into work. This, he believes, has nothing to do with parental poverty, illiteracy or ignorance. Above all, children are enslaved because employers benefit by getting their labour for free or for a pittance." This year's Nobel Peace Prize awards are also notable for bringing together an Indian and a Pakistani while their respective governments sustain a military conflict along a stretch of border between their countries.
But these are both great people who went through hell to great things. They could've awarded the peace prize to Hitler himself, and I'd still be thinking these awards are incredibly appropriate.
I wish I could've achieved as much as Malala when I was 17, and I can still aspire to achieve what Kailash did by the same I'm 60.
Fuck anti-education assholes, and fuck slavery.
Pakistan and India have been hostile since they first were separated from each other, but they're not so different!! Surely this gesture will make them realize this and they'll have no choice but to bury the hatchet, that's just how human psychology works.
Malala Yousafzay campaigns for womens and girls rights, and in the UK she gets sent to a private, segregated all girls school... I always found that slightly ironic.
There's some kind of myth that is sought to be promulgated by certain people that the Nobel committee is politically independent. That is completely wrong. The entire commitee is put together by votes in the parliament, and former and high profile politicians are heavily involved. So consider basically the committee's choices the result of the preferences of political appointees.
The current head of the commitee, Thorbjørn Jagland, is a former head politician of the Labour party. He was the one who gave the prize to Barack Obama. Of course, the commitee does have five people in it - but they are all political appointees, and the president has a double vote.
He has been severely and repeatedly criticised over many years, from high profile people, for completely ignoring Alfred Nobel's will. For example, here: http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/nobels-fredspris/nobel-forfatter-jagland-burde-gaatt-av-for-lenge-siden/a/10062076/ - headline "Jagland should have resigned a long time ago", criticism from the author of the book "Nobel's Will". Article about the author here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredrik_Heffermehl .
Nobel's will states that the prize should go to whomever works to reduce standing armies and arrange peace conferences - it should go to efforts to reduce conventional wars.
The new conservative government has indicated that they are going to remove Jagland. Jagland has presented a conspiracy theory that this is because they are trying to please China. But that's probably not going to float, so the streak of madness and Labour party preference is going to end soon.
Neither has contributed much to the "fraternity of nations" and the "abolition or reduction of standing armies." Neither did Al Gore, who also won the prize. Truth of the matter is that the Nobel committee stopped handing out Peace prizes long ago and now hands out Ideologies We Like awards. The recipients may be very deserving of some sort of award, but few lately meet the original criteria of fostering peace and reducing war, Kissinger and Obama being the starkest proof of that. It's sad really: with all the wars that are raging now, you'd think promoting peace would be important to someone.
Where's Obama's second Peace Prize?
"In 2012, the Taliban shot her in the head, but she survived and continued her struggle."
That ladies and gentlemen is what we call a zombie. Can a zombie win the nobel prize? Apparently so. I for one welcome our new teenage zombie overlords.
an educated population is one of the best defenses against mindless wars. That's why it's so important to the corrupt governments that want to wage those wars to have control of the education systems in their societies.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
I approve of this award. These are an invasion of women's rights. These are kids in need of protection. These are people who need SJWs facetweeting for them from coffee shops. Mark and Frank giggling about a 'dongle' across the hall is a first world problem.
lol, you have no idea what you're talking about and you can't even be bothered to check out wikipedia before you attack a teenage girl?
Let me make it easy for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...
She attended school, despite threats from various, very scary groups that any girl caught doing so would be attacked.
There was basically a civil war while she was in school and girls were banned from attending, but she went anyways.
She worked for the BBC all this time, describing what it was like. Enlightening people in the west to the plight of girls in this area of the world.
Then the Taliban ordered her dead. A gunman drove up, ordered her to identify herself or he'd shoot them all. She did and was shot. She nearly died.
She survived the attack and continued to attend school.
This brought world wide attention to the plight of women in Pakistan.
She recovered, continued to attend school, got exiled, etc...
She's met with damn near every world leader.
Asked and received funding to support the education of women.
Got money from the UN
Wrote books, articles, blogs, etc... all encouraging young women to attend school and get an education no matter what.
At any point during all of this she could have simply attended private school and shut her mouth to avoid the threats but she refused.
Nobel Prizes are given for a lifetime of achievement. This girl has already done more in the less than 2 decades she's been alive then the whole of the Slashdot community combined. There are a lot of questionable Nobel awards out there, but this is not one of them.
Possibly not in the US, I would not know about the UK, but here in Europe, she regularly has been in the news and on the agenda for her work.
an educated population is one of the best defenses against mindless wars. That's why it's so important to the corrupt governments that want to wage those wars to have control of the education systems in their societies.
Because MISeducating their population is key. "Give them a light, and they'll follow it anywhere."
But this needs another caveat: If the population in general doesn't have any effective power over the goverenment, they can know exactly what's going on, be against it, but be utterly unable to change it. If some of them attempt to make such change, it just separates them out from those who will knuckle under, for easy removal from the herd.
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
Certainly in the west nobody has heard anything about the young girl since she was released from hospital after her recovery. I'm interested to know the real world changing accomplishments she has personally brought to fruition? In addition, Satyarthi "accomplishments" appear to be limited to one country. Is this then the Peace prize for India? I've seen Mother Teresa's name bounced around in justification because of her work in Calcutta but she worked in tends (if not more) nations around the world.
This is another Nobel fail. Nice people but not worthy of the prize.
I agree.
I admire both for standing up for their convictions and working hard to spread a message of a world with equal access to education and without child labour, However, their message, while relevant globally, seems to be limited to India and Pakastan.
Perhaps giving them the Nobel prize was a way that the committee thought to draw more global attention to the these human rights issues. I do agree that the achievement of global human rights and education can lead to world peace.
That being said, just preaching a message should not qualify for a Nobel Peace prize. Neither of these fit the criteria of having "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
The worst part is that the Nobel Peace prize used to mean something and it gave the person awarded a little bit of extra gravitas in working towards peace. Now, it has been cheapen to be a political award give to people with little actual accomplishments.
Russia doesn't have bad education
Actually they do. Their education when it comes to history and especially social state of European countries is so incorrect that it only can be considered as propaganda.
I think I'll have to invoke Godwin on this one or for that matter post 9/11 US, education doesn't stop wacky wars. At least not education with a high degree of political slant and indoctrination, people can read/write or for that matter be an engineer/developer and still swallow political propaganda hook, line and sinker.
This is far older and simpler than this, it's opposition to equality of the sexes. They'd rather have their women be ignorant half-slave housekeepers, sex servants, child bearers and nannies. The first step is denying them any education so they're illiterate, then wrap them in burqas and make them terrified of contact with any other male who might treat them like a human being and finally subjugate them in law, to refuse your husband is never rape, no divorce, the kids belong to the father and if a woman gets raped let's punish her because obviously she tempted them in some way.
And just to get back on that education track, if the choices are no education, religious indoctrination (ev-uh-lution? what's that?) or government indoctrination I think for the most part I favor democratically imposed standards of education over individual whack jobs who want to inflict their wacky world view on their children. Not that I think public school is necessarily a good school, but most of them are pretty bland and expose you to a wide variety of other children with different backgrounds.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
The Nobel "Peace" prize is such a farce. First we have warmonger Obama. Then we have Snowden completely ignored.
The fact you have to ask shows what lack of education has done to you.
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
What does set her attackers apart is their warped interpretation of a wide spread Semitic monotheistic religion that got polluted by ancient Middle Eastern tribalism.
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
Anonymous Coward, cos' he can't even spell his own name :-D
I was really hoping Obama would get it again. You know, for failing to do anything or engage in combat with ISIS for months. Just letting the enemy take over and burying your head in the sand is what those anti-war protestors want after all.
Is there any proof for your hypothesis?
Yes, there is evidence. The US invasion of Iraq was not history's bloodiest war, but it was one of the dumbest. Polls taken in 2002-2003 clearly show that opposition to that invasion was strongly correlated with education level. High school dropouts were the most likely to favor invading, and people with graduate degrees were the most likely to oppose it.
This doesn't mean that education can prevent all wars, but maybe it can prevent the really dumb wars.
few lately meet the original criteria of fostering peace and reducing war,
I think it's been very broad for the last 50 years, and what they also now recognize is nonviolent resistance to tyranny. That's why MLK and Lech Walesa won the prize (among others), and I have a hard time thinking of anyone more deserving.
You are correct that Atyarthi is working in one country but you seem to forget (or don't know) it's the world's second most populated country and they have some horrendous problems re. women and children rights.
The award was also a sign to the people and politicians of India and Pakistan they are facing similar problems and should reconsider their hostilities.
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
Did you not see how ISIS tries to control what is being taught in the schools about mathematics and chemistry?
The Taliban also do the same to keep women and girls out of education because they might learn about other possibilities and lose their dependence on men.
In the US, it was illegal in the early 1800s to teach slaves how to read or write. If a slave were to learn, they would quickly overpower their masters.
Why else do you think there were times when the Catholic church would shun science? Education of the stars took away the geocentric theory and was bound to take away our importance of being the center of the universe.
Authoritarians have throughout history done what they could to control education. An ignorant populace is not a threat. An educated populace is capable of organization and can quickly create problems for the powers that be.
Examples of racism in South Africa were actually greater towards the Indian population than the African population because Indians
Place something witty here
Libertarians in practice are just conservatives without the context of history and social forces.
Education, and the education of women in particular, begets peace. Well demonstrated fact. Find another way to attack her credibility. You've failed here.
Ensuring that everyone enjoys, equally, the same basic human rights is not "imposing our religion" on anyone. No. Your chosen collection of religious dogma does not trump those rights. The failure to grasp that is why ignorant fundamentalists in northern Pakistan (and elsewhere - I'm looking at you, red states) fight. Malala is a hero, because she's challenging such ignorant "culture".
What's grotesque is pretending that antiquated ways of treating women have a place in this world. They don't.
What a damned shame that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama has rendered it a joke for the rest of time. Used to be something prestigious and precious, an important statement...but then, they jumped the shark and now it's just a punchline.
Finally - a Peace Prize goes to someone who actually earned it!
an educated population is one of the best defenses against mindless wars.
Precisely. For instance, my own country (the USA) is in the top 12% in the world in education. When was the last time you saw us start some mindless war?
An assertive woman is a ballbreaker, yeah, right.
Listen up, homeboy: There can be no true peace without justice. Subjugation of women is not just.
BTW, "Gandhi" was simply her husband's name, which she assumed upon their marriage. Her husband (Feroze Gandhi) was not related to Mohandas.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
A whole bunch of people got jolted awake. You might not consider that positive, but some folks do.
And what the heck does Atyarthi have to do with NSA surveillance, anyway?
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
In the interviews with her I've heard, she has also talked quite a bit about peace and how the likes of the Taliban do not stand for Muslims and how she understands her religion.
This cuts to one of the big problems facing us, namely the fact that groups such as the Taliban and ISIS are trying there hardest to make the west think that they are representative of Islam and therefore promote religious war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
That's only true of the American brand of libertarian. There are also leftists who are libertarian and they are the only ones who have had any real influence. Examples include Gandhi, the Dali Llama and Mandela.
Note I'm using the original definition of libertarian being the opposite of totalitarian and being one of the other 2 axis of politics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
American news is horribly, terribly insular. I mean really, really bad.
The moral of the story is that she has a spine, and you've none.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
This is another Nobel fail. Nice people but brown and female so not worthy of the prize.
TFTFY.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
>Do you see any women grow their >food,
Yes
>take there trash out,
Yes of course
>build their house,
Yes.
> defend their border?
Of course. Ever heard of female soldiers????
>Feminist only bark for equal representation in the easy desk job.
Bullshit.
>They do not want these hard, but essential jobs,
More bullshit.
>and therefore are still dependent on men for living.
Only in twisted misogynistic sad mind.
> Sexual division of labour is still common practice
True. Unfortunately. I whish more men would go into labour and squeeze a bowling ball out off their ass. ^_^.
>and as in the past millennia still favour women.
Nonsense.
>Feminist are despicable hypocrite and manipulating this young Pakistani girl for propaganda is revolting.
You nothing but a sad mysogistic pile of shit. And before you cry "ad hominem", you just described me as revolting and despicable.
>I will not be satisfied until 50% of coffins return from war are female coffin. Equality! Equality! Equality!
Good. I hope you want equal pay for everyone as well as on average women earn only 77% of that what men get. For the same job. And I hope you vote for a female president and for more female CEOs. Zero female presidents, 4% female CEOs. Guess the next 22 US presidents should be female then. :-)
>I am very serious; send women to war. Doing so will change the world.
Sure. Just don't stop there with equality.
Nobody will ever support a war were women die in combat because only men are disposable.
Bullshit. Lots of armies have female soldiers and they did just like men.
Your world view is simply misogyn and anachronistic.
Err.. It's great reading how everyone is praising her and saying she deserves every bit of it. Frankly I don't take Nobel Award seriously anymore, I mean Obama has one, that didn't stop the drone attacks against Pakistan..right? Well, now lets talk about education. In Pakistan we do have an education system which to be honest isn't that great, boys and girls both have to chance to get education, however due to backward nature of some regions they can't really study. They're told to study Quran btw and then seek education. Being a women in Pakistan isn't that easy especially when you're stuck in some Taliban influenced area. However, I can't recall her actions and campaigns actually making any real change, we do get some media attention but the schools which are still open are empty not because their aren't students, it's because the teachers don't care. It's basically corruption that is killing everyone here. Sure she is brave and stood up for education but at the same time, she is being promoted for other means. Lot of children who share the same fate as her and have been killed already. Still I don't see any real change in my Country. She is making a small change but I can assure you, she is being led on and being pampered by other AGENCIES for their own agenda. It's pretty much the way everything goes in Pakistan. NGO's, charities. They all say they're going to HELP people but in the end, they don't get anything. And if you're going to give the same level of education that I got, then it's better not to get educated at all. Seriously the course is outdated and isn't close to any International standard. But oh well. At least everyone has something to look forward to. In the mean time we sit and watch as protestors sit in the capital and demand for freedom and people get beaten and arrested for asking for freedom and their rights in Pakistan and here we see the flags for education. I ask you, when the Government is corrupt and won't listen to people, how can you run an education campaign? Everyone outside of Pakistan thinks that giving us education would fix things, it won't education can't work because the people in-charge wouldn't let it work. Google PTI Protests etc
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Fair point.
In 1932 British regime recommended Independent States for SC/ST/Dalit/Untouchable/Muslim/Sikh/Christian/Parsi/Buddhist/Jain communities in 2nd Round Table Conference. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...
Casteism
This girl has already done more in the less than 2 decades she's been alive then the whole of the Slashdot community combined.
I would not be so sure of that if I were you... Not everyone here posts under their real name and lists their real life accomplishments.
"Someone needs to talk to the tree of liberty about its ghoulish drinking problem." by ohnocitizen