Malala Yousafzai: the 16 year old girl fighting for education

Roughly nine months ago, I wrote a piece about the attempted murder of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. She was shot at on her way to school by Taliban militants because of her campaign for girls' education and was subsequently flown to Britain for emergency surgery and rehabilitation. Despite her undisputed bravery and dedicated fight for social justice, Malala's future was uncertain. Unable to return to Pakistan for fear of a repeated attack but unlikely to give up her battle, the question remained - could Malala change a nation?

Yesterday, on her 16th birthday, Malala gave a speech at the United Nations that firmly answered that question. "The terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions," she said, "but nothing changed in my life, except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born." Less than a year after undergoing brain surgery, relocating to the United Kingdom and dealing with the repercussions of an assassination attempt, Malala stood amongst world leaders and her peers to let them know that her campaign was not over, and that just as before, education is her chief concern. "One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first."

Schools in Pakistan continue to exist in peril; establishments all over the country are under constant pressure from the Taliban - the threat of violence then discourages parents from sending their children to school, which perpetuates the association of education with fear. Just under a month ago in Quetta, 14 girls were killed by a bus explosion on their way to university, with militants then laying siege to the hospital that the wounded were being treated in. Though Malala has become the face of Pakistani female education rights, it is clear now that her story is one of many incidents of terror and murder throughout the country. The culture of fear is so strong that it has even forced some members of Malala's own community to distance themselves from the girl, out of concern that their children will suffer from similar attacks. However, Malala herself aspires to be the voice for those who do not have one, and it appears that no amount of adversity or threat will change that.

In her address at the UN, Malala focused not only on education in Pakistan, but the provision and implementation of educational policy worldwide. A Unesco and Save the Children studyreleased to coincide with the speech shows that 57 million children are currently out of school, and that attempts to rectify this incredible number have come to a "virtual standstill." Unsurprisingly, half of the primary school aged children out of school live in conflict affected countries. This correlation was noted by Malala in her speech, as she stated, "We are really tired of these wars." The simple collective pronoun spoke for every child forced to grow up in a war zone, every girl denied rights because of her gender, and every child facing hundreds of different wars on a daily basis. This wasn't just a speech about free education for all, but rather a message to all world leaders - strategic policies must change if we are ever to protect children against violence and conflict, let alone offer them the education they are entitled to.

The battle for a basic right to education is a simple wish made daunting by the prospect of cultural, financial and political opposition. Despite this, Malala's petition to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon asks that "the United Nations General Assembly fund new teachers, schools, books and recommit to getting every girl and boy in school by December 2015." It's an ambitious goal - 44% of the uneducated children in conflict zones are from sub-Saharan Africa, and 14% are from the Arab states. If the recent incidents in Egypt, Libya and Syria, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are anything to go by, Malala and her supporters will be facing an uphill struggle. In addition to the political issues, there is also the cultural opposition which is arguably far more difficult to remedy. Practices such as early-marriage and frequent gender violence are some of the key preventatives to women receiving an education - it is estimated that women represent two thirds of the 775 million illiterates in the world.

These numbers are intimidating, the task seemingly impossible, but at the helm of the campaign we have a 16 year old girl whose experiences speak of both intimidation and impossibility. This is just the beginning of one of the most important worldwide campaigns at present. In my first article on Malala, I questioned whether the attack would "spur her on", or whether it would convince her of the danger in her task. The following words taken from her speech are perhaps the only way to answer that question: "The Taliban thought the bullet would silence us, but they failed."

This article was originally published in the Cherwell's online edition.

What Lee Halpin's death should teach us about homelessness

This is an article I published in conjunction with a homelessness discussion event at my university. The event included the excellent short film The Truth About Stanley, and talks from formerly homeless ambassadors of Crisis, which is both a charity and an advocacy group. 

In April this year, 26 year old Lee Halpin was found dead in a derelict hostel. Halpin had been sleeping rough for three nights, and it is believed that he succumbed to hypothermia. However, it wasn’t just the news of a tragic death that caused this story to hit the national press. It transpired that Lee Halpin was not in fact a homeless person, but an aspiring journalist attempting to sleep rough in Newcastle for a week, in order to make a film for the Dispatches’ “Fearless Journalism” competition. The prize was a 12 month internship. Halpin used the platform to raise awareness about the rising homelessness rates, and the repercussions of welfare cuts. “I will sleep rough, scrounge for my food, interact with homeless people and immerse myself in that lifestyle as deeply as I can”, says Halpin in a YouTube video, now seen by over 180,000 people. Halpin’s ambition to raise awareness was a truly admirable one, and in death his message has reached a huge audience. However, this story goes well beyond the death of one man, however tragic. It raises uncomfortable questions about problems at the core of our society; namely the public attitude towards homelessness, and the provision of welfare for the country’s most vulnerable sectors.

Living in Oxford, we are faced with homelessness every day. The disparity in the city is undeniable – Oxford has the highest housing costs outside of London, and the fourth highest homelessness rate. Alongside the number of people sleeping rough on the street there are the “hidden homeless”, those living in hostels, temporary accommodation and shelters. Oxford City Council’s ‘No Second Night Out’ initiative and the excellent work of local charities goes some way to offering immediate help, but with cuts to welfare provision and the impact of the bedroom tax, the problems can only get worse. Crisis report a 31% rise in the average number of people sleeping on the streets per night, and this increase suggests that the £6bn cut to Housing Benefit has eroded the safety net meant to defend the vulnerable against the economic downturn. These figures are genuinely frightening, but the ripple effect of these reforms can only really be understood when we pay attention to each individual we see on the street.

Percentages and politics aside, homelessness is humanised. Lee Halpin’s investigation hinged upon engaging with homeless people, and experiencing the dangers that they face every day. When we step out of the door and see a person on our street, how do we react? In most cases, we either walk away, or uncomfortably offer our coppers before shuffling off to Tesco. Both acts are quick, even easy, but neither really helpful. Local charities warn against giving money to homeless people, as it can perpetuate substance abuse, or prevent the individual from seeking out institutions that offer more permanent solutions. The act of giving money is often a manifestation of guilt. In the very human desire to form a connection – money is the simplest way to do so.

Of course, the wish to interact is no bad thing, but how inclined is the average person to actually talk to a homeless person? Sadly, I’d say it’s unlikely. Public attitudes towards the homeless are highly disconcerting; presumptions as to the causes of homelessness are easy to make, and extremely reductive. For example, a recent incident in London saw the police confiscate the food and possessions of a group of homeless people. When asked to comment, CI John Fish stated that “the public rely on police to reduce the negative impact of rough sleepers.” These people are not victims; they are not even human. They are a “negative impact.”

What CI Fish neglects to realise is that rough sleepers are the public. Homelessness is not just vagrancy, the lack of a roof, or the violation of squatting laws. It is a condition of isolation, of complete social alienation, and as Crisis put it, it constitutes loss of a “legal and social dimension.” The experience is destructive, difficult to escape, and even harder to recover from. The average age of death for a homeless person is just 47 years old. Lee Halpin was far younger than that, but the sad irony of his story is the fact that we heard of it in the first place. If the body of your average, 47 year old homeless man was discovered in a derelict hostel, would news of it have reached the national newspapers? Would anybody notice, or even care?

It all comes down to that question. Who cares for the homeless, and who is responsible for them? On a day-to-day basis, we are. Get involved with the Oxford Homeless Action Group, with Crisis or Oxford Pathways. If the issue moves you, do something! Halpin wanted to engage with homelessness as a “frontline journalist”, but for what it’s worth, I believe we should all be on the frontline when it comes to this issue. All it takes is a walk down the street and the problem is right there, embodied by every man and woman who sits in a doorway, and on the fringes of society.

NB: Since this article was published I have spoken to several homeless people and  looked further in to the aforementioned "No Second Night Out" policy. The homeless people spoken to commented that the system is extremely flawed, and as such I will be trying to find out more information as to why this is.