Malala’s father named UN special adviser on global education

Ziauddin Youasfzai, father of teen education activist Malala Yousafzai’s, was on Sunday named the United Nation’s Special Adviser on Global Education.
Former British prime minister and UN Special Envoy Gordon Brown announced the appointment of Ziauddin as an adviser to assist the UN in getting every child to school by the end of 2015.
Gordon Brown said more than 32 million girls were not going to school and Ziauddin, a former teacher and headmaster, would play a critical role in helping remove the discrimination and barriers that prevented girls from attending school.
Brown will also unveil a ‘Malala Plan’ today to get all girls to school by the end of 2015.
Under the auspices of UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and President Zardari, Brown will ask supporters of girls’ education who are meeting in Paris on Monday at the ‘Stand up for Malala’ event, to join a day of action on July 12, Malala’s birthday.
“If the Taliban sought to vanquish her voice once and for all, they have failed. For today her voice and her insistent dream that children should go to school echoes all around the world,” Brown said.
“Soon Malala herself will to join the campaign and will become one of its leaders,” he added.
President to attend ‘Stand up for Malala’ conference: President Asif Ali Zardari will represent Pakistan in Paris today, in the ‘Stand up for Malala’-UNESCO joint conference, in support of the girls’ right to education.
The conference, which is being jointly organised by Pakistan and UNESCO, will highlight the importance of education for girls.
Pakistan, which is playing a key role in organizing this important conference, has given it the title “Stand Up for Malala – girl’s right to education”.
A special Malala Fund will be established on this occasion to raise money to help girls get education throughout the world; Pakistan is expected to provide seed money to establish this fund.