Teen Activism

“A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things” - Barack Obama. Teen activism is when one person stands out in front of the world making a change for the better. Activists are strong and hardworking beings who want peace and prosperity in the world. They put others before themselves and risk their lives for their country. However, there are only a few people who carry these traits, including Malala Yousafzai and Iqbal Masih. These teen activists are both determined to make their country a better place by standing up for what is right and showing their braveness by risking their lives.

Teen activism not only helps the society at the time being, but also encourages others to fight for what they believe in. Activism can result changes in the world, and it influences the next generation to make outstanding changes. If we have role models

to show us what to do, then the population of teen activism can grow. Moreover, teen activism can spread throughout the world, and can make peace in our society. For example, John Legend states, “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” We cannot be lazy, and we need to be proactive in order to make the world a better place. One of the many inspiring teen activists is Malala Yousafzai because she risks her life and shows determination by making Pakistan great again.
Firstly, Malala Yousafzai is like no one else because of her dogged personality.

She is passionate about her education and cares about her school. Malala disagrees with Taliban decisions, and stands strongly against their changes. All in all, she believes that school is the most important path that we can possibly take in our lives. For example, Malala states, “Let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons." This demonstrates that Malala believes in the education for girls, and will do anything to keep it. She knows the possibilities of getting hurt, but she wants to be the fearless hero that everyone looks up to. Malala shows how brave she is by risking her life, and proceeds to live a life with risks. For example, Malala powerfully states, “I told myself, Malala, you have already faced death. This is your second life. Don't be afraid — if you are afraid, you can't move forward.” Even after Malala nearly died, she believes that life has no meaning without fighting for what is truly right. Overall, Malala never hides her feelings away, but proudly shares them with the whole

world.
Secondly, Iqbal Masih is an inspiring young boy who stands against enslavement. Iqbal was sent to be a slave in a poor community called Mardike outside of Lahore because he needed to pay off his family’s debt. Unfortunately, not many of the children were set free because the people did not pay them enough to fight off debt. Iqbal hated the idea of these children not being able to learn instead of working, so he did anything possible to save them. For instance, “Iqbal and a few of his friends escaped. He ran to the local police and explained how the employer was beating the children and keeping them as slaves.” Sadly, after all Iqbal’s effort to receive help, the police did not listen to him and turned them in for a finder’s fee. However, he did not stop believing, or stop there. He started to spread the rule of how child slavery is abuse to children. For example, “Iqbal Masih began visiting other countries, raising awareness of child slaves and advocating for their freedom.” Of course, many people were angry with his actions and many threatened to kill him. Consequently, Iqbal’s life was taken away, but his works are still in the process of becoming a larger fight. Above all, Iqbal influences many children to stand against abuse issues and to never give up fighting against what we know is unacceptable.
In conclusion, both Malala Yousafzai and Iqbal Masih are extremely tenacious, and they both want to further better the conditions of their communities. Without people like Malala and Iqbal, there will not be any teen activism in our society today. In other words, activism causes less chaos and bullying in all of our countries. Malala Yousafzai is a bold young girl who treasures her education. Furthermore, she cares more about the education of her companions’. In addition, Iqbal Masih also cares about the education of children and stands strongly against child slavery. Without activism, our world would be full of tragedies and unfair treatment of innocent people.