Conquer It
Now that you have practiced and reviewed identifying facts and opinions in primary sources, you will conquer this skill. The passage below is also based on efforts made by a female crusading for human rights and democracy. This passage is taken from a speech by Malala Yousafzai, who at the age of 17 already achieved international attention for her efforts to fight for women’s rights and education in Pakistan. Pakistan is a nation that traditionally limits women’s rights and their ability to attend school. Malala comes from a family that runs schools in her home region in defiance of these traditions, and has spoken in front of many organizations in support of the crusade. She has been the target of threats and violence by militant and terrorist organizations that oppose her crusade. She survived an assassination attempt in 2012, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in 2014.
At 17, Malala Yousafzai was jointly awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her "struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education."
Image Source: Russell Watkins/Department for International Development via Wikimedia Commons Opens a new window, CC BY 2.0
Read the passage below from Malala Yousafzai’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize on December 10, 2014. As you read, try to identify fact from opinion. Also think about how Malala’s background influenced her opinions.
“I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love. Thank you to my father for not clipping my wings and for letting me fly. Thank you to my mother for inspiring me to be patient and to always speak the truth- which we strongly believe is the true message of Islam. And also thank you to all my wonderful teachers, who inspired me to believe in myself and be brave.
In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and to get this opportunity to fulfill their dreams.
This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school.
Dear brothers and sisters, great people, who brought change, like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi, once stood here on this stage. I hope the steps that Kailash Satyarthi and I have taken so far and will take on this journey will also bring change – lasting change. My great hope is that this will be the last time, this will be the last time we must fight for education. Let's solve this once and for all. We have already taken many steps. Now it is time to take a leap.
It is not time to tell the world leaders to realize how important education is - they already know it - their own children are in good schools. Now it is time to call them to take action for the rest of the world's children. We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority.
We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe will soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give every child quality education.
- Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Lecture, December, 2015
Source: Nobelprize.org Opens a new window.
