When Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Met Education Activist Malala Yousafzai
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who has shaken the world with her climate movement, has once again shocked everyone when she refused to accept an International environmental award
On Tuesday, Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg for the first time met Nobel Peace Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai at the University of Oxford campus.
The meeting was important and special from the point of view that both the girls shot to worldwide fame after standing up for major global issues such as climate change and women's education. At such a young age, they forced elders and decision-makers to take certain significant steps and in the future too they are going to pressurize policymakers, thereby becoming an inspiration for future leaders.
Yousafzai, who is widely known by her first name, Malala, is presently a student at the University of Oxford, where she studies philosophy, politics and economics. After the meeting, the 22-year-old activist later shared a photograph of hers with Thunberg sitting on a bench with arms around each other, with a caption, "Thank you, @gretathunberg" and a heart emoji.
17-year-old Greta Thunberg is presently in the United Kingdom to join a school strike in Bristol, which is going to start from this weekend. Thunberg became a household name after she started campaigning, skipping school on every Friday in Sweden to protest against climate change, while Malala was attacked and shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan for her campaigns for girls, where she fought for the rights of the girls to be allowed to go to school.
In the year 2014, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy of education. She thus became a global symbol of the resilience of women, who face oppression. On the other hand, Thunberg was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize both in the year 2019 and 2020.
The activist pair met in order to discuss their activism together at Lady Margaret Hall, which is also Malala's Oxford college. Along with Malala, Thunberg also talked to some of the students of the college about climate change and the protest.
The head of the college, Alan Rusbridger also posted a photo of Thunberg on his own personal Instagram and Twitter, saying that he was honoured to host Greta Thunberg and is grateful to her as she found time to talk with the students of the college.
Malala also posted the photo on her Twitter with a caption, "She is the only friend I'd skip school for."