Malala Yousafzai (born 1997) is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala is from the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban has banned girls from attending school. Malala, whose family ran a chain of local schools, publicly stood against the Taliban's actions and launched an international movement, surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban on October 9th, 2012. The article discusses this incredible young woman and her continuing advocation for universal women's education.
Pair “Sometimes, History is Sadness” with “Malala Yousafzai: A Normal Yet Powerful Girl” and ask students to consider the ways in which terrorism and violence can motivate people to do extraordinary things. How is the story of Malala’s life and activism an example of a positive response to cruelty? How does Malala’s story support the idea that we must accept tragedies as an unfortunate but inevitable part of life?