Laxman Hembram, a 17-year-old tribal student of Odisha, has been invited to participate in the Malala Day United Nations Youth Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York on July 12.
The Malala Day United Nations Youth Assembly coincides with the 16th birthday of Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist and an advocate of girls' rights.
In support of the UN Secretary-General's Global Education First Initiative, international youth leaders will convene at the UN headquarters and in cities around the world in support of reaching the goal of having all children, especially girls, in school and learning by 2015.
Laxman, a student of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) here, is the only youth leader representative from India selected for the event at UN headquarters, KISS founder Achyut Samant told reporters here today.
Malala Yousafzai will mark her 16th birthday, on July 12 by giving her first high-level public appearance and statement on the importance of education, at the UN.
Malala became a public figure when she was shot by the Taliban while travelling to school on October 9 last year in the restive SWAT valley in Pakistan. She was targeted because of her committed campaigning for the right of all girls to an education. She was seriously injured but recovered after a prolonged treatment in the UK.
The global community will come together to celebrate Malala Day to highlight the leading role that youth can play in enabling all children to get education.
The outcome of the Youth Assembly will be a resolution urging governments, individuals and organizations to take decisive action to include every child within the fold of education, Samant said.
