Oslo: Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai on Wednesday said that her winning the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Kailash Satyarthi shows the world that an Indian and a Pakistani can be united in peace and work together for children's rights.
"I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarti, who has been a champion of children's rights for a long time. Twice as long, in fact, than I have been alive," said the 17-year-old girl in her speech after winning the coveted prize at a ceremony here.
Malala, who was shot by the Taliban in 2012, said ,"I am also glad that we can stand together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani can be united in peace and together work for children's rights."
Malala, who was nominated in the peace prize category last year also, became the youngest ever Nobel laureate. She kept the audience in splits with her humour.
"I am pretty certain that I am also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers. I want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still working on that," she said amid peals of laughter.
Satyarthi also expressed his delight at being awarded alongside Malala, saying, "Many things are happening today and the best thing that happened is that a young and courageous Pakistani girl has met an Indian father and the Indian father met the Pakistani daughter."
He lauded Malala's courage and spirit in his speech.
"We have utterly failed in imparting an education to our children. An education that gives the meaning and objective of life and a secure future. An education that builds a sense of global citizenship among the young people. I am afraid that the day is not far when the cumulative result of this failure will culminate in unprecedented violence that will be suicidal for humankind," Satyarthi said.
"Yet, young people like Malala, are rising up everywhere and choosing peace over violence, tolerance over extremism, and courage over fear," he said.
