"Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai are both incredible examples of each individual's power to improve our world," said Kerry Kennedy, President of the RFK Center. "Though they are decades apart in age, and though they hail from two countries historically hostile to one another, they share a common commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity. They are richly deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center is so proud to be associated with both of them." 

Ms. Yousafzai, 17, was shot by the Pakistani Taliban for insisting on girls' right to education. After surviving the assassination attempt, she continued her advocacy.

Mr. Satyarthi, 60, has campaigned for an end to child labor and child slavery, particularly in his native India, since the 1980s, There are still at least 5.5 million children in slavery worldwide. In 1995, the RFK Center recognized him with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award, initiating a partnership in support of his work that continues to this day.

He has been a particularly enthusiastic participant in the RFK Center's Speak Truth To Power human rights education program, frequently videoconferencing with students around the world about his experiences on the front lines of the struggle for justice and human rights, as can be seen in this student-made video about Mr. Satyarthi, an entry in the RFK Center's Speak Truth To Power student video contest. He is also featured in the Speak Truth To Power photo exhibition , which consists of 50 portraits by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams, and in Kerry Kennedy's book Speak Truth To Power: Human Rights Defenders Who are Changing Our World.