ExhibitionDec 12, 2014-Nov 25, 2015
The Nobel Peace Prize exhibition 2014 – Malala and Kailash told the story of Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi’s unstoppable fight for children’s rights.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 is to be awarded to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. (…)
Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for their struggle against oppression of children and youth, and for all childrens’ right to education. The Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition of 2014 illustrated this struggle through photographs and live images. Together with family photos of Malala as a small child and photojournalist Lynsey Addario’s pictures of the Taliban’s occupation of the Swat Valley, where Malala grew up, told the story of Malalas youthful courage.
Malala Yousafzai comes from the Swat Valley in Pakistan. In 2009 the Taliban decreed that all girls’ schools should be closed or there would be consequences. Malala continued to go to school. She started to blog about girls’ right to education, and became known as one who defied the school ban. On 9 October 2012 she was shot by the Taliban, but survived. She has not allowed threats to silence her and is a global voice as she continues to campaign for the right of girls to education. The Malala Fund helps to provide schooling for girls in Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan and Kenya. Her message has been that children’s right to education is the foundation for peace, and an important measure in the fight against extremism. Aged just 17, Malala is the youngest ever Nobel laureate.
"The day I was attacked I was wearing this uniform and I was fighting for my right to go to school and I was fighting for my right to get education. I want to show everyone that this is my right, this is the right of every child to go to school and this should not be neglected. "
Malala has become the very symbol of girls’ right to education. At the age of 11 she became known for her blog on the BBC’s Urdu service and attracted international media attention. The world was appalled by the attempt to assassinate her in 2012, but Malala recovered and forgave her attacker. Political leaders and celebrities have paid tribute to the Pakistani schoolgirl and have endorsed her message that every child is entitled to go to school. The campaign “I am Malala” was launched to promote her cause. On Malala’s 16th birthday, 12 July 2013, she addressed the UN, which responded by naming the day “Malala Day”.
Honouring Malala Yousafzai’s own wish, the school uniform she wore when she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in October 2012, became part of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition.
For decades India’s Kailash Satyarthi has waged a battle against child labour. Through awareness-raising and information campaigns, raids and rescue missions, his organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Movement) has helped tens of thousands of children to escape from forced labour and into education. Satyarthi has put the fight against child labour and for education on the global agenda. In the late 1990s he led the Global March Against Child Labour, a campaign which led to the ILO’s Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Satyarthi has set up the “Good Weave” labelling scheme for the South Asian carpet industry, which shows that the products have not been made by children. Despite death threats and the murder of two colleagues, he continues the fight for children's rights.
Kailash Satyarthi took photographer Lynsey Addario along on raids to liberate child labourers, and to various centres where the children were offered a new and better life.
"Those who continue to buy goods made by child labour are responsible for the perpetuation of child slavery."
Malala and Kailash was the Nobel Peace Center’s tenth Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition.
The exhibition was supported by Mint of Norway.
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