That's Inspirational!

Egalitarianism (n):  a belief in human equality esp. in social, political, and economic affairs

Heroism (n):  the qualities of a hero, (eg) bravery, courage…valor

Inspirational (adj):  (having) the act or power of moving the intellect or emotions, (eg) embolden, encourage, hearten

Merrian-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus (2006)

Words such as these usually evoke images of soldiers, police officers or firefighters heroically risking their own lives to save someone else’s.  The connotation doesn’t naturally flow to include a small, soft-spoken 15 year old Pakistani girl named Malala.  Yet, with every fiber of her being, she personifies equality, heroism, and inspiration.  Despite having been nearly killed by a Taliban assassin who cowardly jumped aboard a school bus and put a bullet in her brain and another in her neck, she remains steadfast and determined to stand up to tyranny.  Prior to undergoing her most recent round of surgery, she quietly but purposefully stated in a news conference that she intends to continue with her campaign to assure the right of education for children all over the world.  During the conference, Malala said, “…I am getting better day by day.  It’s just because of the prayers of people.  Because all people – men, women and children – all of them have prayed for me.  And because of all these prayers, God has given me this new life, a second life.  And I want to serve.  I want to serve the people, I want every girl, every child, to be educated.”  That’s inspirational!

In December, a young medical student from India lost the struggle to survive after enduring inexplicable horror in a gang rape and brutal beating which took place on a bus in New Delhi.  Unbelievably, a similar incident took place in India just a few weeks later, but this time the victim survived the ordeal and was dumped like a sack of garbage in a local village once her attackers had finished with her.  The Human Rights Watch recently gave a failing grade to India’s government regarding what that organization described as the rampant sexual abuse of women and children, especially in schools and state-run facilities.  Spurred into action by these shocking atrocities, the people of India – women and girls, in particular – have decided that enough is enough.  They are fighting back and demanding that the authorities take definitive action in putting an end to such outrageous and unacceptable behaviour.  That’s inspirational!

Again in December, the world witnessed another vile act of depravity when six teachers – all of them women – did their best to shield their tiny students from a gunman’s assault rifle.  Those teachers and twenty little children died in a hail of bullets.  But, the nightmare of their last moments on earth has emboldened millions of people in the US to stand up to the powerful influence of the NRA and to press on with their battle to ban assault weapons.  That’s inspirational!

Within my own ever expanding family, there is a group of awesome young women who have wholeheartedly grasped the opportunity which post-secondary education offers, and some of them have even left home and family behind at a relatively young age to pursue their academic dreams in far-away centers of learning.  Others have chosen to follow a similar scholarly path closer to home while simultaneously holding down part-time or full-time jobs.  That’s inspirational!

Thank you, Malala, and all the other enthusiastic, determined, intelligent, young – and not so young – women of the world whose dream is to make a better life for themselves and everyone around them, regardless of sex, race, creed, or social standing.  May your simple message and strong witness to the tenets of respect and equality for all reverberate throughout the world, dismantling the shackles of oppression and intimidation link by link until basic human rights are afforded to every single person who inhabits this earth.  That’s inspirational!