Community & Government

Every Action Matters

Lesson time 06:38 min

You don’t have to be a global icon to start advocating for causes you care about. Malala highlights small actions you can take that will contribute to your cause in impactful ways.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Invest in Your Cause · Volunteer Your Time and Skills · Mentorship in Advocacy

Malala Yousafzai

Teaches Creating Change

Nobel Prize–winning activist Malala teaches you how to be an activist in your own community, from research and strategy to action and impact.

Preview

[MUSIC PLAYING] MALALA YOUSAFZAI (VOICEOVER): You do not need to be delivering speeches and leading protest. You can make an impact through small actions that you take. So it's important that we realize the power of our presence and the power of our actions. They can really help in building the movement. They can really help in-- you know, in taking forward the movement. So each and every action that you take is important, even if you are not at the front. If you're nervous about taking that first step, it's very important to take a deep breath and then remind yourself what you are doing, why are you doing this for, and realize the impact that it's going to have. So it's important to be optimistic and to be hopeful about the change that you want to see and you believe in each and every action, small or big, that you take. So you might have a big goal and ambition. Or you might be focused on a small change in your community. And you might feel that it is one small step. How is that gonna lead to change? Each and every action of your activism can contribute to change in the world. Sometimes people will ask me, you know, what-- what else can I do other than giving money? Like I understand that there are so many ways in which you can help, but giving financial support, making donations are so important in keeping these movements going, in keeping these organizations going. You need money to-- to-- you know, to keep your charity going. You need money to help build schools. You need money to train teachers. You need money to do advocacy for all of these things. For example, you see the issue of girls' education on TV. And you hear about girls' education in Pakistan. And you are, you know, based somewhere in the UK or the US. And you are wondering, you know, how can you help. Well, what we do have is-- is the financial support that we can provide. So when you give money to a charity, when you donate to them, they have their staff, they have their infrastructure there, in which they can make it possible for many girls to be in school. Donations are not just limited to money, though money is very important. But you can also provide your office space. You can provide your equipment, you know, from things like your printer, your computer to-- you know, to your furniture and your desk and chairs. All of these resources can really help another organization to have the facilities, which they currently may not have. There are other ways in which you can figure out how you can help a charity, how you can help a social cause. We are consumers. We buy products. We keep many companies going. So when you are in a position where you do not agree with the practices of a company, where you do not agree with their workspace and their environment and, you know, what they are selling and-- and how they're getting the money and how they're spending the money, all of these things, when you're in that position, you have ...

About the Instructor

When she first took a stand, Malala simply acted on her belief that all Pakistani girls like her had a right to education. Now the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history teaches you how to fight injustice in the world and in your everyday life, starting with your own community. Learn Malala’s framework for influencing change: Research issues, build a strategy, take action, and create an impact right where you are.

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Malala Yousafzai

Nobel Prize–winning activist Malala teaches you how to be an activist in your own community, from research and strategy to action and impact.

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