The call to commemorate Nov. 10 as Malala Day received universal appeal when the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon extended his voice in support of observing the day as "Global Day of Action for Malala Yousafzai." Meanwhile, there is a swelling demand by campaigners that the British government nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize.
"Malala Yousafzai is a global symbol of every girl's right to an education," the UN chief said in a video message placed on the United Nations' website. "I am adding my voice to the messages from over one million people across the globe. Education is a fundamental human right. It is a pathway to development, tolerance and global citizenship," Ban said.
More than a million people have signed global petitions calling for Malala Yousafzai to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. A campaign led by a Pakistani-British woman demanded the British Prime Minister David Cameron and other senior government officials to nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize. "Malala doesn't just represent one young woman, she speaks out for all those who are denied an education purely on the basis of their gender," campaign head Shahida Chaudhry said in a statement issued by global petition platform Change.org.
Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy for Global Education, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented a petition with more than a million signatures in support of Malala to the Pakistan government. The petition was presented to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad who also signed the petition.
Malala, the 14-year-old child rights activist from Pakistan's Swat Valley, was shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting girl's education. The strong opponent of Taliban philosophy, Malala was flown to the UK in an air ambulance provided by the UAE for treatment and is recovering in Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.
