Malala receiving her award overnight.

Once again Malala Yousafzai has made the world sit up and notice her words.

Once again this powerful, poignant warrior for children’s education has given a jaw dropping speech.

In it the 17-year old activist condemned “strong governments that had the resources to begin wars but not to enable universal education.”

At 17-years-old Malala Yousafzai has just became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history.

As she accepted her award in Oslo, Norway overnight she said:

“Why is it that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy, but giving books is so hard?”

Malala Yousafzai, who was nominated for the award as well last year, jointly received the medal along with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights campaigner who founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan, the Save the Childhood Movement, in 1980 and has protected the rights of 80,000 children.

“I am honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarthi, who has been a champion of children’s rights for a long time. Twice as long, in fact, than I have been alive..” she said “I am also glad that we can stand together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani can be united in peace and together work for children’s rights.”

“This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTKGpanBnFk

Malala told the audience  – which included many dignitaries such as the Norwegian royal family – but not the Prime Ministers of India or Pakistan.

“I had two options — one was to remain silent and wait to be killed”

“And the second was to speak up and then be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.”

“The terrorists tried to stop us,” she said. “Neither their ideas nor their bullets could win. We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder.

Watching her speech were female activists from around the world

“I tell my story not because it is unique but because it is not,” she said. “It is the story of many girls. Today, I tell their stories too. I have brought with me some of my sisters from Pakistan, from Nigeria, and from Syria who share this story.”

She concluded:

“We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago, and maybe we will soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century we must be able to give every child a quality education.”