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Malalai Joya wins
Malalai Joya young heroine
The Afghan Malalai Joya is brave, very young and she is already considered a heroine in her country. Today, with the "International Woman of the Year 2004 award", she has become a recognized heroine in the world. The prestigeous prize was given to her by the President of the Regional Counsil of Valle d'Aosta, Ego Perron, during the ceremony that was held on Friday 3rd December at the Grand Hotel Billia of Saint Vincent in Italy. It is an important recognition to her on the part of the Jury held by the princess Maria Gabriella of Savoia who was not present at the ceremony but through a video message she congratulated the winners and refered to them as "women like angels". "To Malalai Joya, for her great strength, because she has had the courage to dream and live for her dreams, because through her struggle she is reminding us that injustice is always a menace to life. Her moral strength can give hope to the Afghan women and to all her suffering country". In a short interview the winner expressed this message: "In this moment my hope is that all the democratic forces of the world stand together to condemn all forms of fundamentalism and dictatorship. Only a great force, united and democratic, from all over the world, can help many people to obtain their freedom".
Malalai Joya, a 25 year old social worker, during an Afghan Loya Jirga meeting in december 2003 in which the new Constitution was beeing discussed, bravely stood up to expose the crimes of the war lords, who were actually sitting in the chairs of the Loya Jirga Commission. She said and did what nobody else had ever dared to say and do. From that day she lives with an escort because her life is threatened and she has already faced two attacks. In spite of this situation full of difficulties she still lives in the province of Farah in Afghanistan. An international movement is making sure that the attention of the world stays on this young heroine. Malalai Joya is a member of the Association OPAWC (Organization of Promoting Afghan Women's Capabilities). Her association is active especially on income generation projects for women.
The event, held by Massimo Giletti, was cheered by the songs of the corous "Les enfants du Grand Paradis" made up of children from 4 to 12 years old and of the singer Tulipe Trapani who brought a touch of the American West Coast folk music with the song "Oh freedom". The prize "Soroptimist Club Valle d'Aosta" was awarded to the Uzbeki Tamara Chikunova, the founder of the association "Mothers against death penalty and torture"...
For details: http://www.consiglio.regione.vda.it |
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