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Amanpour
2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
Aired December 25, 2014 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST: Tonight: a special edition of our program as we look back at some of the highlights of our year.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
AMANPOUR: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Oslo City Hall. Now there have been 128 Nobel Peace laureates since 1901, with a list that
includes Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King.
And so for this year's honorees making it to this stage is, to say the least, a significant achievement. And in the next hour, you'll meet
children they have helped, Pakistani survivors of the Taliban's opposition, youngsters rescued from deplorable conditions of slavery in India and
you'll learn about the laureates' hopes and dreams for the future.
So now let us meet the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winners, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi.
(APPLAUSE)
AMANPOUR: Clearly, Malala and Kailash, well deserved applause and your speeches today earlier were really inspirational.
I just want to know what it was like to be up there at that moment, Malala.
MALALA YOUSAFZAI, EDUCATION ACTIVIST: Well, first of all, it was a great honor to be here and to receive this prestigious award, which we all
know is an award for peace and it encourages those people who are fighting for peace and fighting for human rights, women's rights, for children's
rights.
So when you see yourself on a stage and people appreciate what you have done and they encourage you, that we're supporting you and your
campaign, it gives you more strength and gives you more courage.
And when I speak, I just don't speak to the people in front of me. I believe that there will be millions of people listening to me right now.
And I'm going to speak to them and I'm going to tell every child that education is very important for us, for our future generations and we have
to stand up for it.
AMANPOUR: Kailash Satyarthi, you have been doing this for decades. You've been awarded before.
What was this? What does this mean to you, the height of the world of prizes?
KAILASH SATYARTHI, CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST: It is for the first time when the voices of the most deprived people, the most neglected, the
most ignored, the most abused, the most vulnerable people, they are children. They are our children. It has been heard at the highest podium
of peace and humanity. So it was a great thing. This is -- this is the first time when their voices and their faces have been recognized.
And through our efforts, we represent the faces of all those people, all those children.
AMANPOUR: And for all of us who have children, it means a huge amount. So we thank you.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martin Luther King once said that every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and
struggle. Malala and Kailash have both sacrificed and risked their lives for their causes and we'll see now that brought them global attention and
eventually to this stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call upon Kailash Satyarthi to come forward to receive the gold medal and the diploma.
Malala Yousafzai, please come forward.
(APPLAUSE)
AMANPOUR (voice-over): As ever, both this year's Nobel laureates were chosen for their unique efforts to make the world a better place. But
their personal stories couldn't be more different. Malala Yousafzai, a teenager from Pakistan's Swat Valley, has been famous since 2009 for her
anonymous blog about life under the Taliban and bravely promoting girls' education.
But after appearing in a documentary about her cause, her name became public. And in 2012, the Taliban went after her. A group of armed men
boarded her school bus and shot her in the head.
Her injuries were so severe her own father said he thought about planning her funeral. But she did survive. And while the Taliban
continues to threaten her, Malala has now become a global advocate for millions of girls who are denied an education.
YOUSAFZAI: I'm totally not afraid of death. And when I look at the support of people, then I'm sure that this cause is never going to die.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): That kind of courage on behalf of girls in the Muslim world has garnered Malala many awards. And now she's the youngest
person ever to receive a Nobel Prize.
Her cowinner is a man, a Hindu from Pakistan's sworn enemy and neighbor, India, who's been fighting his cause to end child slavery for
decades.
Kailash Satyarthi's organization claims that it's helped rescue more than 80,000 child laborers from 144 countries. This 60-year old has saved
children from factories, from circuses and from brick kilns, not to mention the sex trade.
He, too, has faced many threats to his life as he tries to put an end to what is a multibillion-dollar business. He started the Global March
Against Child Labour and he set up rehabilitation centers and schools for children who've been emotionally and physically abused.
SATYARTHI: Each time when I free a child, I feel that it's a small victory of liberty over slavery.
YOUSAFZAI: Education is the only solution.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): Malala is just beginning her adult life while Kailash Satyarthi has already spent a lifetime dedicated to enslaved
children, one from India, the other from Pakistan. The fact that these two nuclear armed nations have fought three wars and that tensions continue was
not lost on the Nobel Committee, which chose the pair, quote, "for their common struggle for education and against extremism."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AMANPOUR: Kailash and Malala, do either of you think about that last point we made that actually you both come from neighboring yet such tense
countries?
Do you think it'll have any diplomatic influence?
SATYARTHI: I don't know much. But as Malala can answer better, but I'm sure that it will help in building friendship, trust and deeper
relations between the people of these two countries. The children of these two countries who love us, the activists of these two countries who are
fighting for the rights of children and right for education and against child labor for so many years, they feel so empowered. They feel so
encouraged.
I'm getting hundreds of phone calls from my friends in Pakistan and of course, from India. And they are so happy about it. And that relationship
is most important for building the peace between any nation, between two nations or between -- or among many nations in the world.
AMANPOUR: Does that cross your mind, the idea of the two nations?
YOUSAFZAI: Well, I always wanted Pakistan and India to have good relationships because I believe that this is very important for the
development of both the countries and we can see that both the countries have this huge percentage of youth, young generation, and we are fortunate
-- we both are fortunate countries that we have this young generation.
So this young generation needs quality education and we should give them the message of love, friendship, that these two countries are not
enemies but they're friends. And they're just like a family and tolerance should be there, patience should be there and there should be love for each
of us.
AMANPOUR: Kailash, we know because it was so public, the danger and the almost taking of her life that Malala went through. We don't know so
much about the dangers that you have faced.
Tell us what happened, for instance, when you've been on raids to try to forcibly free indentured children.
SATYARTHI: Well, I am completely covered now, but if you look at my body right from leg to my head, you will find many, many scars: I had my
left leg broken, I had my backbone broken. I have scars on my head, my right shoulder is broken. So it's a part of life.
AMANPOUR: What is it, though? You -- what, people jumped on you? They wouldn't let you release these kids?
SATYARTHI: Well, these people are very powerful people. It's like Mafia operation. They make huge amount of illicit money. As you know that
-- and people know in the world -- that human trafficking and particularly the child trafficking is the third -- or people say it's the first --
biggest illicit trade in the world. It is the biggest black moneymaker in the world.
And that meant black money, it is not less than $150 billion a year globally. This is used for all these kind of things. And the traffic of
human beings and children, trafficking of arms, in small arms, and trafficking of drugs is so common. And that makes them as real as the
Mafia. So when we go to rescue the children anywhere in India or anywhere in the world, the danger is there.
AMANPOUR: And Malala, you were shot at point-blank range. It truly is incredible to see you just going from strength to strength and carrying
on your fight.
How difficult do you think it will be to keep taking on those vested interests, the people who don't want girls to have education in your own
country still?
YOUSAFZAI: Well, that has been my experience during the past 17 years of my life. There are these extremist people who do not want any freedom
for women, who do not want any education for girls.
And not even now, like I'm becoming quite famous now, but right from the beginning, there were -- they opposed these ideas. They opposed this
mindset. And it's really important that we change the education system and we try to -- it is important that we talk about education and building
schools. But then it's important what's written inside those books and what are the children taught.
If they are taught hatred, if they are taught about sectarianism and prejudice and these things, then we can see that there will be terrorism in
society.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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AMANPOUR: Malala's family is with us. It's great to see them. And you've also brought with you some special guests, who may not be family but
you may consider themselves as sisters.
First, friends and schoolmates, Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan. They were wounded in the school bus attack that day, but thankfully, they
survived, and they're here, and they are now at university in the U.K. So we're very, very pleased that they are here.
And I also want to acknowledge three other special people that you've invited. From left to right, Kainat Soomro from Pakistan, who, for eight
years has been fighting for justice after she says she was gang-raped by four men when she was barely a teenager.
Malala and Kainat are meeting in person for the very first time this week here in Oslo.
Sixteen-year-old Mazoon Rakan is a Syrian refugee. She goes from tent to tent in the camps out there, encouraging girls to go to school, and some
even call her the Malala of Syria.
And finally, Malala met Amina Yusuf on her visit this year to Nigeria where, as we know, Boko Haram is terrorizing families and their girls.
Like Malala, many girls in her community consider Amina's role -- Amina a role model as she struggles to help them.
And also Kailash Satyarthi, your family, your son is here, and he is the one who has helped you and has been on many of the raids with you as
you have sought to liberate some of these child laborers.
So what does it mean to you to have these wonderful girls in the audience right now?
YOUSAFZAI: I'm really happy that they are with me today. They are my sisters, and they are presenting those girls whose voices need to be heard.
Shazia and Kainat, they have this passion for education, and they are encouraging girls to stand up for their rights.
And Kainat Soomro, she has been through an extreme violence, but she has not stopped, and she's still continuing her education, the Malala
Foundation is supporting her. We are supporting her.
And most of all, Mazoon, she really inspires me, her energy and the way she talks about education and its importance.
And we should try to understand the life of these girls because Mazoon, she is homeless now, because when you are a way from your country,
when you are living as a refugee, it is very hard. You have no hope that you would be able to go to your home ever again.
So she's going through a very difficult time, which some of us cannot even imagine. But she still continues her fight.
And then, Amina, my sister from Nigeria, she is fighting for girls' rights because we know that in Nigeria, Boko Haram threatens and kidnaps
girls just for wanting to go to school, which is extreme.
And so that's why they're here. They're speaking out, they're standing up for girls' rights. And I'm hopeful that their voices would be
heard.
And now, when I speak, when I spoke at the -- here at the Nobel ceremony, and further on when I'll speak, I'm going to raise their voice,
and we are going to raise the voice of those 66 million girls who are deprived of education.
And every child, whether a boy or a girl, who do not have access to quality education.
AMANPOUR: And I was struck in your speech when you really gave a very impassioned plea to the world, when you said, why is it so easy to give
people a gun and so hard to give people books?
Why is it so easy to build tanks and so difficult to build schools?
And even with this Nobel, even armed with all that you have now, your notoriety, your Malala Fund, it's still going to be hard to achieve and to
implement the promises that your own government has made years and years ago, that there will be primary and secondary education for everybody.
YOUSAFZAI: It's really sad that we are not working together. The world leaders, they make promises, but they do not fulfill it, and it's
really disappointing that now people have stood up, because they have lost hope. They have lost hope, and that's why they are sending up that if the
leaders can't do, then we have to go forward.
So it's a symbol of hope that now people are not waiting for others to come and stand up for their rights, they say that we want to do it by
ourselves.
But I would once again request the world leaders that it is really important. If we want the future generation to be bright, if we want to
have a developed future, than we need to think about the next generation, and that is the children.
AMANPOUR: And even the head of the Nobel committee in his opening address said that it is not just a luxury or a nice thing to do to give
education.
All over the world, education to young people, especially young girls, has shown to be a macroeconomics investment, and to have raised all
communities up to be able to be really productive members of our human race and our society.
Malala, we have not asked you to go back to the day when you were shot. You've told that story so many times, and we don't want to put you
through that again today.
But you've done something quite extraordinary. You have for the first time allowed your school uniform that you were wearing that very day in
that bus to be publicly displayed.
And the world can now view the uniform that she wore when she was shot by the Taliban two years ago.
It is a traditional headscarf, it is a blouse, it is trousers, and it is displayed here at the Nobel exhibit here at the City Hall.
So why did you decide to do that?
YOUSAFZAI: My uniform really matters for me, and it is very special to me. It gives me that feeling of being a student and showing that I had
the right to go to school, and I had the right to learn.
And when you wear the uniform, there's a special feeling when you -- it is more important in a society where hardly any girl gets education.
And when you see that there are so many children deprived of this basic right, and you get this opportunity, then it's something special.
It's like, for children here, in the developed countries, for them, Xbox and PlayStation they are special for us. The school uniform and books
are special. So this uniform really matters for me, and it is -- I want to tell children that they respect their school and they should give
importance to their studies.
It can really bring change, it can really help them in finding the talents they have, in finding the skills they have, and it can really make
their future bright and make the future of their country bright.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
AMANPOUR: And finally tonight, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi will split this year's award of more than $1 million U.S. So naturally the
question is, what do they intend to do with it? And that is what we're going to ask you.
What do you both want to do with that money, and what is your message after all of today's incredible honors?
Malala?
YOUSAFZAI: This money is really important because it can really change the life of some children who are in my village, some girls who
cannot get education because there is no school there at all.
So this money will go to my home, my home in Swat, Inshallah, and it will be spent there on building schools, especially for girls, because they
need secondary education especially.
Other than that, I would like to give a message to all my friends and my sisters and brothers and the world leaders all around the world that it
is the time we take action. Let's not wait.
Let this become the last time that we see a child out of school, and let this become the last time that we see a child suffering from child
labor, child trafficking, and child losing his life in war. So let's bring this change. And we have to unite for it, we have to work together.
AMANPOUR: And Kailash, what will you do with the money?
SATYARTHI: This entire money will go for the cause of children. Not only for my organization, not for me, and not in any organization where I'm
sitting now, but for the cause. And let young people take the leadership.
And also spending that money for the cause of children who are most deprived and who are facing violence and illiteracy, because they are the
heroes. The very presence of these beautiful daughters and so many other young people around brings hope.
But their hope has to be substantiated by strong support from the governments, from the intergovernmental agencies, from the business, from
the faith leaders, from the civil society organizations, from everyone.
Because we live in a world where no problem could be solved in isolation. This problem of children cannot be solved in isolation. So let
us begin a new movement for children with the children.
AMANPOUR: All right.
And now, Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."
I want to thank Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi for their moral leadership and shining example.
This is our 20th year doing this program in Oslo and every year we're grateful for the partnership and the cooperation of the Norwegian Nobel
Institute. We're also grateful as well for the technical support of our colleagues at Norwegian State Television, NRK, and for production support
from SVT Swedish Television.
And of course, thank you to all of our audience here and all of you watching us around the world. On behalf of all of us here at CNN, I'm
Christiane Amanpour. Goodbye from Oslo.
END
