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UN Chief Says He's Chosen Malala To Become UN Messenger Of Peace


Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai addresses young refugees at Kenya's sprawling Dadaab refugee complex during a visit organised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai addresses young refugees at Kenya's sprawling Dadaab refugee complex during a visit organised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, will soon become the youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace, the UN chief said on April 8.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he will appoint Malala, 19, to the highest honor bestowed by the UN on a global citizen on April 10.

Malala rose to international fame after being shot in the head on her school bus in Pakistan in 2012 by a Taliban gunman because she campaigned for the education of girls.

Malala was severely wounded, but survived after receiving medical treatment in Britain, where she now lives and goes to school.

In the years since, she has traveled the world promoting girls' education as a solution to violence like that promoted by the militant Islamic group. Her efforts earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

"Even in the face of grave danger, Malala Yousafzai has shown an unwavering commitment to the rights of women, girls and all people," Guterres said.

"Her courageous activism for girls' education has already energized so many people around the world. Now as our youngest-ever UN Messenger of Peace, Malala can do even more to help create a more just and peaceful world," he said.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
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