Malala Yousafzai: "A City Without a Library is Like a Graveyard"

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and winner of the Children's Peace Prize, recently opened a new library in Birmingham, England, where she was flown for medical treatment after she was shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting girls' education in her homeland of Pakistan. Speaking to a crowd of 300 people at the new library, Yousafzai spoke passionately about her love of reading and her belief in the power of books: 
"Now I have challenged myself that I will read thousands of books and I will empower myself with knowledge. Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism. I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls. This is the way forward to our destiny of peace and prosperity."
Yousafzai's cause has inspired millions across the world, including former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who this week urged the Nigerian government to invest more heavily in education (and, of course, ZODML!). The brutal attack she suffered has not dampened her desire to see all children educated and equipped with the skills to change their communities and the world for the better. Watch her speech in its entirety below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LGg8G35jwuo Read more about Malala Yousafzai in this article and on her blog.