The pen and the book are the most powerful weapons

In the name of Allah, the best and most merciful.

Dear UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Dear President of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremic, dear UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown, dear elders and my dear brothers and sisters: I wish you peace.

It is my pleasure to speak again today after a long time. This moment here with such honorable people will be a momentous one in my life. I am also honored to wear today the shawl of the late Benazir Bhutto, the democratically elected Prime Minister. I don't know where to begin my speech. I don't know what people would expect me to say, but first, thank God for making us all equal, and thank everyone who prayed for me to recover quickly and start a new life. I can't believe how much love people have shown me. I received thousands of greeting cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you all. Thanks to the children, whose innocent words encouraged me. Thanks to my elders, their prayers have made me stronger. I would like to thank the nurses, doctors and staff who cared for me and helped me regain my health and strength in the hospitals of the governments of Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

I fully support the global Education First Initiative led by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the work of UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown and the Honourable President of the General Assembly VUK Jeremic. I thank them for their continued leadership. They constantly inspire us to practice. Dear brothers and sisters, please remember one thing: Malala Day is not my day. Today belongs to every woman, every boy and every girl who has spoken for their rights.

Hundreds of human rights activists and social workers are not only speaking out for their rights, but also working to achieve the goals of peace, education and equality. Tens of thousands of people have been killed by terrorists and millions have been injured by terrorist attacks. I'm just one of them. And so I stand here as one of those who have been hurt. I speak not only for myself, but also for those whose voices cannot be heard. Those who fight for their rights, their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. They have the right to equal opportunity. Their right to receive education.

Dear friends, on October 9, 2012, the Taliban shot me in the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends, too. They thought the bullets would silence us, but they failed. Thousands of voices rose in that silence. The terrorists thought they could change my goals, stop my ideals. But nothing had changed in my life, except the passing of cowardice, fear and helplessness. Firmness, strength and courage were born. I am the same Malala. My ideal is still the same. My hopes remain the same. And my dream remains the same. Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Nor do I speak here out of personal vendetta against the Taliban or other terrorist groups. I'm here to speak for every child's right to an education. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban, all terrorists and extremists. I don't even resent the Taliban who shot me.

Even if I had a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I wouldn't shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned from the Prophet Muhammad, Jesus and the Buddha. This is the legacy of change I've learned from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

It's a philosophy of non-violence I learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. It's the forgiveness I learned from my parents. This is what my soul tells me: love peace and love everyone.

Dear sisters and brothers, seeing darkness we realize the importance of light, and in silence we realize the importance of voice. Similarly, when we were in Swat in northern Pakistan, we realized the importance of pens and books when we saw guns. So goes the wise saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword. Indeed, extremists are afraid of books and pens. They fear the power of education. They are afraid of women. They fear the power of women's voices. That is why they killed 14 innocent students in the recent attack in Quetada. That's why they kill female teachers. That's why they blow up schools every day, because they have always been afraid of the change and equality we can bring to our society. I remember there was a little boy in the school, and the reporter asked him, "Why are the Taliban against education?" Pointing to his book, he replied simply, "The Taliban don't know what's in this book."

They thought Allah was a tiny conservative who would point a gun at the head of someone going to school. These terrorists misuse the name of Islam for their own gain. Pakistan is a peaceful and democratic country. Pashtuns want their daughters and sons to be educated. Islam is a religion of peace, benevolence and brotherhood. It is its duty and responsibility to send every child to school, so Islam says. Peace is essential to education. In many parts of the world, especially In Pakistan and Afghanistan, terrorism, war and conflict prevent children from going to school. We are weary of these wars. Women and children suffer in many ways as they do in many parts of the world.

In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child Labour. Many schools were destroyed in Nigeria. In Afghanistan, Afghans are under the influence of extremism. Young girls have to do housework, child Labour and are forced to marry at an early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the denial of basic rights are the biggest problems facing both men and women.

Today, I'm focused on women's rights and girls' education because they suffer the most. Once upon a time, women activists asked men to fight for their rights. But this time we'll stand up for ourselves. I'm not telling men to stop speaking up for women's rights. I'm focusing on women's independence and fighting for them. Well, dear sisters and brothers, now is the time to speak up for ourselves. Today, we call on world leaders to change their policies to support peace and prosperity. We call on leaders to protect the rights of women and children in all agreements. Agreements that violate women's rights are unacceptable.

We call on all Governments to ensure that every child has access to free and compulsory education. We call on all Governments to confront terrorism and violence. To protect children from violence and harm. We call on advanced countries to support and expand girls' access to education in developing countries. We call on all communities to be tolerant and reject prejudice based on caste, creed, faction, colour, religion or agenda to ensure freedom and equality for women so that they can thrive. We can't be completely successful when half of us are blocked. We call on our sisters around the world to be brave, to embrace their inner strength, to reach their full potential.

Dear brothers and sisters, we demand schools and education for every child's bright future. We will continue our journey to the destination of peace and education. No one can stop us. We will stand up for ourselves, and we will bring change to our voices. We believe in the power and appeal of our words. Our words can change the world -- because we are united in our commitment to education. If we are to achieve our goals, let us motivate ourselves with the weapon of knowledge, and let us protect ourselves through solidarity and fraternity.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us not forget the millions who suffer from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget the millions of children who are out of school. Let us not forget that our sisters and brothers await a bright and peaceful future.

So let us wage a magnificent struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism. Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only answer. Education comes first. Thank you.