The Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello T.D., addressed the Tipperary International Peace Award ceremony this evening at which Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Tipperary International Peace Award for 2012. Speaking after his address the Minister said:
“I want to congratulate Malala on receiving this award. I applaud her singular bravery and I am delighted her efforts to champion human rights in the face of intimidation and adversity have been honoured this evening.”
This year’s award is being made to Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old Pakistani education activist, who was attacked by Taliban gunmen last October after she campaigned for girls to be allowed go to school without fear. In selecting her for the award, the Tipperary Peace Convention have recognised Malala's courage, determination and perseverance, along with the impact she has had on so many people across the world. Ms Yousafzai joins Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and former President Mary McAleese and Dr. Martin McAleese as recipients of the award. Malala is the youngest ever recipient.
In his speech, Minister Costello highlighted Malala’s efforts to promote access to education for all:
“I admire Malala’s courageous efforts to promote the fundamental right to education for every child and her efforts to achieve access to education for women and girls in Pakistan and other regions worldwide. As a former teacher I know the importance of education from an early age, for girls and boys alike, and I share Malala’s passion for promoting this.”
Minister Costello also spoke about the emphasis that Ireland places on promoting education through its international development programme:
“Ireland’s overseas development programme focuses on addressing girls’ education in a number of ways. These include through the recruitment and deployment of female teachers to areas where girls’ school attendance is low and through providing scholarships for girls to attend secondary schools in key partner countries, such as Uganda, Zambia and Lesotho. Our programme also seeks to strengthen the capacity of national education systems to more effectively facilitate the transition of girls to second level education by mapping, targeting, monitoring and supporting girls who are vulnerable to exclusion from the school system.”
Minister Costello added:
“Ireland has recently been elected to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council. Amongst our priorities for our three year term will be the promotion of the human rights of children, including their right to education, and the promotion and protection of human rights defenders.”
Press Office
20 August 2013
Note for Editors
The Tipperary Peace Convention was established in 1983. The original aims were to promote the concept of peace through music and discussion, to provide an open forum for the discussion of current peace-related issues with contribution from leading spokespeople of various and diverse viewpoints. The Convention also selects and rewards, annually, a person who has made a particularly noteworthy contribution to the peace-making process.
The founding committee of the Convention is: Tim Ryan, Joe Quinn, Maureen Walsh and Noel McInerney. The current Secretary of the Convention is Mr Martin Quinn.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi were among the five other 2012 finalists. Malala is youngest person ever to receive the award.
The recipients of the Tipperary International Peace Award, to date, are;
2012: Malala Yousafzai
2011: Former President Mary McAleese and Dr Martin McAleese
2010: Dr. Sima Samar
2009: The late Senator Edward Kennedy & Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith
2008: The Cluster Munitions Coalition
2007: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, the late Benazir Bhutto
2006: Lord Robin Eames
2005: Former Prime Minister of Lebanon, the late Rafic Hariri
2004: The late Margaret Hassan
2003: Mr. John O’Shea, founder of GOAL
2002:
2001: Mayor Rudy Giuliani & New York City Fire Department
2000: U.S. President, Bill Clinton
1999: U.S. Senator, George Mitchell
1998:
1997: Ms. Adi Roche
1996: Sr. Ethel Normoyle
1995: Dr, Martin Manseragh, Rev. Roy McGee & Father Alex Reid
1994:
1993: Mona Juul & Terje Larsen
1992: Mr. Geoff Loane
1991:
1990: Mr. Peter Brooke
1989: Former South African President, Nelson Mandela
1988: Former Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev
1987: The late Senator Gordon Wilson
1986: Mr. Barry McGuigan
1985: Sir Bob Geldof
1984: The late Sean McBride
Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas development programme. It is managed by the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.