2014 Nobel Peace Prize

The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly 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." The award was announced on October 10, 2014, by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Background

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in 1895. The Peace Prize is awarded annually to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to peace efforts. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by the Parliament of Norway, is responsible for selecting the laureates.

Laureates

Kailash Satyarthi

Kailash Satyarthi is an Indian children's rights activist who has been at the forefront of the global movement to end child labor and exploitation. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) in 1980, which has rescued over 80,000 children from various forms of servitude and helped in their reintegration, rehabilitation, and education.

Satyarthi's work has been instrumental in bringing international attention to the plight of child laborers and advocating for their rights. He has been a key figure in the Global March Against Child Labour and has worked with various international organizations to promote child rights.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist who became known for her advocacy of the education of girls in her native Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. In 2012, she survived an assassination attempt by a Taliban gunman, which brought her international recognition.

Following her recovery, Malala continued her activism and co-authored the book "I Am Malala". She became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate at the age of 17. Malala has since founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization that advocates for girls' education worldwide.

Significance of the Award

The joint award to Satyarthi and Yousafzai highlights the importance of education in achieving peace and the need to protect the rights of children globally. Their efforts underscore the interconnectedness of education, human rights, and peace.

The Nobel Committee emphasized that "children must go to school and not be financially exploited" and that "the world must see the grave consequences of the suppression of children and young people."

Also see

• Nobel Peace Prize
• List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates
• Child labour
• Education for All
• Human rights