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The education of girls was a theme of the two-day summit, especially on Thursday evening, as Jolie presented a video message from the 15-year-old Malala, who has been recovering and attending school in Britain. "Today I'm going to announce the happiest moment of my life," the girl said, dressed in a bright red headscarf, at one point shyly covering her face with her hands. She said that thanks to the new Malala's Fund, which she will administer, a new school in her homeland would be built for 40 girls. "Let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million girls," she said. Clinton also referred to Malala in her speech. "The Taliban miscalculated," she said. "They thought if they silenced Malala, and thank God they didn't, that not only she but her cause would die. Instead, they inspired millions of Pakistanis to finally say,
'Enough is enough.'" Malala has garnered huge global attention since she was shot in the head in October by Taliban attackers angered by her activism. After undergoing skull reconstruction in Britain, she has now signed a deal to write her memoir. Jolie gave a poignant rendition of her story. "Here's what they accomplished," she said of Malala's attackers. "They shot her at point blank range in the head
-- and made her stronger. The brutal attempt to silence her voice made it stronger." After Jolie's introduction, Brown, who created the Women in the World summit, told the audience that Jolie had just committed $200,000 personally to the fund, which was established by the Washington group Vital Voices, with a donation from the Women in the World Foundation. Streep was there to honor another activist, Inez McCormack, of Northern Ireland, who died in January of cancer. At the first summit in 2010, Streep had played McCormack in a short play, called "Seven," with McCormack watching from the audience. Streep spoke some lines from the play on Thursday evening in a flawless Irish accent. And late Friday, Hanks grew tearful as he honored Nora Ephron, the writer, filmmaker, journalist and author of his new play on Broadway, "Lucky Guy," who died last year at age 71. But clearly Clinton was the headliner of the event, with the audience excitement over her potential future plans. As she concluded her speech she told the crowd: "I look forward to being your partner in all the days and years ahead." She didn't, though, say in what capacity. ___ Online:
http://womenintheworld.org/pages/
women-in-the-world-summit-2013
[Associated
Press;
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