Three Children Who Changed the World
As much as we love our children, most of them can hardly pull their own pants up, let alone set off saving the world. Yet throughout the time, children have surprised adults again and again through their ability to change the face of the planet.
Here are 3 children who have changed the world with their bravery, intelligence, and generosity.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala was born in Pakistan to loving parents who were determined to give her something many girls couldn't boast about—all of the same opportunities as a boy. She grew up in a loving environment and went to school until age 11, when the Taliban took over the town she went in and forced all girls to stop going to school.
Malala stood up against them, and became an activist against the Taliban. She was shot in the face for daring to speak out.
She survived, and with her father to support her she continues to represent girls all over the world, and will continue to do so until every girl has the right to go to school. She was recognized in 2014 for her efforts, and became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel peace prize
Samantha Smith
In 1982, the cold war had been draggin on for 3 solid years. Relationships between the US and the Soviet Union were deteriorating on a daily basis, and the odds were good that a nuclear war would break out to devastating consequences.
Samantha Smith decided to write a letter to the president of the USSR, which read:
Dear Mr. Andropov,
My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you aren’t please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like to know why you want to conquer the world or at least our country. God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight.
Sincerely,
Samantha Smith
Her letter captured the minds of the USSR when parts of it were published in a newspaper there. Eventually, Mr. Andropov himself responded, and even invited Samantha Smith to visit the USSR. She was praised as the USA's youngest ambassador, and her charming nature may well have helped to prevent a nuclear war from actually taking place.
She tragically died in a plane crash at just 13 years of age, and when she passed away, the USSR isued a postage stamp with her likeness, and even named a diamond after her.
Ann Makosinski
In 2013, Ann Makosinski won the Google Science Fair for her incredible flashlight design that requires no batteries. The flashlight runs off the heat from the hand that is holding it, potentially saving the world from thousands of disposable batteries.
Ann is a powerhouse of other ideas, including a drinking mug that uses the heat of your coffee to generate enough power to charge your electronics.
These 3 girls are all very different people with very different backgrounds. What brings them together is that as children they saved the world at a time when it needed it most. Children can be incredible spokespeople for the world, and help when no adult really could. All they really need is the support of adults who can help them shine, and the confidence to pursue their interests.
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