10/21/2014

Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize this year — and was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education, told 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner President Barack Obama he could "change the world," if only he'd start arming countries with education instead of weapons, she said Tuesday.

"My message was very simple," Malala, who is now 17, said at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia, speaking of her meeting with the president last year, which reports had already revealed Malala told Obama that U.S. drone attacks were fueling terrorism. "I said instead of sending guns, send books. Instead of sending weapons, send teachers." Asked how Obama reacted, she said simply that his response was "pretty political." "I'm not going to request the Prime Ministers anymore. When I grow up I'll become a Prime Minster and I'll bring the change."