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When we first learned about Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old Pakistani student who was shot in the face for her beliefs about women and education, most the country fell head over heels for her. Not only was she intelligent and well-spoken, but she seemed sweeter than pie and more together than a lot of 40-year-old women we know. She possesses confidence and courage in buckets. She's exactly the kind of BFF most of us want for our own teen daughters.
The world seems to agree. Malala will go down in history as the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize -- an honor she will share with Indian children's rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi.
Malala was shot by a member of the Taliban in 2012 when he found her standing at her school bus stop, actually asked for her by name, and then shot her three times. One of the bullets hit the left side of her forehead, and she was hospitalized in critical condition.
And that's not even where her personal hell ended. Members of the Taliban threatened to then kill both Malala and her father. Their threats prompted the world to take action and ensure that she wasn't suffering in vain. The little girl who was nearly killed because of a blog she started writing when she was 11 inspired Pakistan's first Right to Education Bill, which requires that all children attend school.
But the most inspiring thing about Malala may be the way she handled herself after the shooting. She didn't call for her shooter's head on a platter. She called for peace and understanding.
More from The Stir: Jon Stewart's Interview With Malala Yousafzai Makes Us Want to Adopt Her Too (VIDEO)
Truly a beautiful soul.
Malala shares the prestigious award with 60-year-old Satyarthi, who has held numerous peaceful protests in India in his fight to eliminate child labor.
Both of these remarkable individuals were chosen out of a record-breaking 278 candidates for the prize. They will receive and split the $1.1 million prize on December 10. Congrats to both of them, who are clearly strong role models for peace.
What do you think about Malala winning a Nobel Peace Prize?
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