Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel peace prize winner who was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan, has told the Archbishop of Canterbury she wants to promote "religious and cultural harmony".
Yousafzai, aged 19, was speaking in a public forum with Archbishop Justin Welby during his visit to Dudley College in the West Midlands.
Yousafzai, who settled in Birmingham after being treated for her injuries in the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said she wanted young people, especially women, to stand up for what they believed, the Express And Star reported.
She had become prominent in Pakistan for her BBC blog describing her life in the Swat valley and on the rights of women to an education, and on children's rights in general. She was shot in October 2012 while she was on a school bus.
She was the youngest ever Nobel laureate when she won the prize aged just 17 in 2014.
"I knew if I couldn't get my education, I couldn't get on with my life," she said.
Since her recovery she has become an advocate for girls' education and for women's rights, speaking around the globe.
Yousafzai says in the above video: "It was an opportunity to be together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and to empower youth. It is important for youth to believe in their voice, to believe in themselves and this is the message I am here to deliver because when I started speaking out about women's education it started because I had faith and I had this belief in my voice.
"I think the Archbishop is an example to youth here. Their religious message, their cultural message is for them to speak out for their rights and never be silent for any of the discrimination they are facing in society."
Women need to have more leadership roles, she added.
She also says she is applying for university, and jokes that she might have won the Nobel Peace Prize but this was of little help when it came to completing her personal statement.
Sam Setchell of the Worcester diocese reported that when asked how she would motivate her contemporaries, Malala said: "I have seen children in refugee camps in Jordon and Lebanon with a passion for learning. They have no school building, but they will want to learn. Those children can see that if they want to achieve their dreams in life and grow as individuals then they need to learn. I'd like all young people to understand that school is the best place to grow."
The Archbishop and Malala also talked about how we could overcome the fear that seems to exist between different groups, Setchell said.
Malala said: "Rather than watching TV to find out what Muslims are like, instead go out and talk to your Muslim neighbour and really get to know them. Once you interact with other groups and communities, you'll realise there is nothing strange about different people – it's essential that you meet people and try to learn about them before making a judgement."
Malala also spoke about the importance of women being given opportunities. "We need to allow women to take up more leadership roles in all areas of life. Women need to believe in themselves , challenge society and bring about change. That change will happen, we just need more examples of women in all different roles to inspire the next generation of young girls."
Archbishop Welby told her: "I'm struck by the leadership and imagination you had that made you want to do something to change things."
