October 10 2014
2014 Nobel Peace Prize
CEO Richard Pichler: "Children have a right to be children"
Our heartfelt congratulations go to this year’s winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi. SOS Children’s Villages offers them our deepest thanks for their tireless efforts on behalf of the world’s children.
10 October 2014 - Core to the bravery and unwavering commitment of these two exceptional individuals is a belief in the fundamental rights of children. These are confirmed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: all children and young people have a right to a quality education, to learn about the world, to have their own opinion and to be listened to. They have a right to play and rest. In short, children have a right to be children.
It is particularly fitting that Malala, as a 17-year-old, is the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Young people not only deserve to be listened to and to have a say in their own futures, but to be included in global debates that will shape the world these young people will inherit.
In the coming months, as the world’s leaders debate the new set of targets to follow the Millennium Development Goals, we urge them to listen to young people and put children’s rights at the centre.
Richard Pichler
CEO
SOS Children’s Villages International