Malala, Satyarthi inspire people across the globe: World Bank

WASHINGTON: World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today said the joint winners of Nobel Peace Prize awards, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, have inspired people across the world with their courageous efforts.

"Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi have inspired the world with their their courageous efforts on behalf of children everywhere --- for their fundamental right to be educated, to live free of fear and exploitation, to fulfill their unique potential," said Jim.

Malala's bravery in raising her voice and standing up to the brutal extremism in her own country Pakistan has given new hope to girls everywhere, he said.

Jim said Satyarthi's ' Bachpan Bachao Andolan' -- the Save Childhood Movement --- has peacefully shone a spotlight on the unconscionable exploitation of countless children, rescuing them from slavery and restoring them to childhood.

"Both follow in the tradition of Nobel Peace laureates before them, championing the most fundamental rights of all human beings, including and especially the youngest and most vulnerable among us," he said.

"They have led us by example, fulfilling the vision of Mahatma Gandhi and the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, who said that 'peace is not a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.'"

The World Bank chief said: "We applaud the Nobel Committee for honouring these two extraordinary individuals and their peaceful efforts to create a better world."