By Amar Toor
Kailash Satyarthi and 17-year-old Malala Yousafzay have won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the decision at a press conference today in Oslo. Satyarthi, an Indian, and Yousafzay, from Pakistan, will share an award of 8 million Swedish kronor ($1.1 million). With today’s award, Yousafzay — widely referred to simply as Malala — becomes the youngest to ever win the Peace Prize.
“The Nobel Committee regards it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism,” the organization said in a statement Friday morning.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee received a record 278 nominations for this year’s Peace Prize, including Pope Francis, Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege, and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Malala was widely touted as a favorite to win last year, before the Committee awarded the honor to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for their work in dismantling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s arsenal of chemical weapons. [Read more…]
