Let’s March
Introduction
Author: Kailash Satyarthi
Theme: Children’s rights, education, freedom from child labor, global compassion.
Type: Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech (2014)
About Kailash Satyarthi
- Born in 1954 in India.
- Children’s rights activist fighting against child labor.
- Founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980.
- Protected over 83,000 children across 144 countries.
- Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 with Malala Yousafzai.
- Mission: Ensure every child is free to grow, learn, play, eat, sleep, dream, and live with dignity.
Key Points of the Speech
1. Opening:
- Starts with a Vedic mantra praying for unity and progress for all.
- Greets dignitaries, Malala (called his daughter), and children worldwide.
2. His Work:
- Dedicates award to children like Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das, Adarsh Kishore, and Iqbal Masih, who died for freedom.
- Feels liberated seeing a freed child’s smile.
3. Children’s Struggles:
- Himalayan child laborer asked why the world can’t give a toy or book instead of tools.
- Sudanese child soldier, forced to kill family, asked, “What is my fault?”
- Empty chair on stage represents millions of ignored children.
4. What He Rejects:
- World being too poor to educate kids (one week of military spending could school all children).
- Laws and police failing to protect children.
- Slavery being stronger than freedom.
5. Achievements:
Last 20 years:
- Out-of-school children reduced by half.
- Child laborers reduced by one-third.
- Child deaths and malnutrition decreased.
6. Challenges:
- Fear and intolerance are major threats.
- Poor education fails to teach compassion and global citizenship.
- Risks future violence if unchanged.
7. Solutions:
- Education restores hope and security.
- Small groups and individuals drive change, often unrecognized.
- Story of a bird carrying water to stop a forest fire shows small efforts matter.
8. Global Compassion:
- Calls for worldwide compassion to unite people.
- Quotes Mahatma Gandhi: Peace starts with children.
- Asks, “Whose children stitch footballs but never play?”-all children are ours.
9. A Child’s Voice:
- Rescued 8-year-old girl asked, “Why didn’t you come earlier?” urging faster action.
10. Vision for Today:
- World where every child has rights to life, freedom, education, health, safety, dignity, equality, peace.
- Sees children growing freely in stars, oceans, nature.
11. Call to Action:
Urges governments, businesses, NGOs, teachers, everyone to end child labor, trafficking, violence.
Calls for a march from:
- Exploitation to education.
- Poverty to prosperity.
- Slavery to liberty.
- Violence to peace.
- Ignorance to awakening.
Key Themes
1. Children’s Rights:
- Every child deserves freedom from labor and violence.
- Education and dignity are basic rights.
2. Education:
- Empowers children, fights poverty.
- Teaches compassion, global unity.
3.Compassion:
- Global compassion can transform the world.
- Small acts create big change.
4. Action:
- Urgent collective effort needed from all.
- Everyone plays a role in protecting kids.
5. Hope:
- Believes in a brighter future despite challenges.
- Encourages persistence, optimism.
Important Stories
1. Himalayan Child Laborer:
- Boy asked why no toy or book, only work.
2. Sudanese Child Soldier:
- Forced to kill family, questioned his fault.
3. Bird and Fire:
- Tiny bird carried water to stop fire, showing every effort counts.
4. Rescued Girl:
- 8-year-old asked, “Why didn’t you come earlier?”
5. Cobbler Boy:
- Young Satyarthi saw boy working, dreamed of him in school.
Key Vocabulary
- Aspiration: Strong desire or goal.
- Dignity: Self-respect, pride.
- Shackles: Chains trapping someone.
- Compassion: Kindness for others’ suffering.
- Exploitation: Unfair use of someone.
- Inculcate: Teach through effort.
- Democratise: Make available to all.
- Neutrality: Not acting or choosing sides.
- Innovative: New, creative ideas.
- Culminate: Reach highest point.
Social Issues Highlighted
- Child labor.
- Child trafficking.
- Slavery.
- Child marriage.
- Sexual abuse.
- Illiteracy.
Kailash Satyarthi’s Vision
Every child free to:
- Grow, develop.
- Eat, sleep, see daylight.
- Laugh, cry, play, learn.
- Attend school.
- Dream.
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