Page 23 - 2021-bfw-shea-all-2e

We call upon all governments to fight against believe in the power and the strength of our
terrorism and violence, to protect children from words. Our words can change the world.
brutality and harm. Because we are all together, united for the skill workshop
We call upon the developed nations to cause of education. And if we want to achieve
support the expansion of educational our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the
opportunities for girls in the developing world. weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves
We call upon all communities to be tolerant — with unity and togetherness.
to reject prejudice based on cast[e], creed, sect, Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget
religion or gender. To ensure freedom and that millions of people are suffering from
equality for women so that they can flourish. We poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not
cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. forget that millions of children are out of
We call upon our sisters around the world to 25 schools. We must not forget that our sisters and
be brave — to embrace the strength within brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future.
themselves and realize their full potential. So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy,
Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books
and education for every child’s bright future. We and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.
will continue our journey to our destination of One child, one teacher, one pen and one 30
peace and education for everyone. No one can book can change the world.
stop us. We will speak for our rights and we will Education is the only solution. Education
bring change through our voice. We must First.

Making a Claim

One of the most important components of any argument is its claim, the central point
the writer or speaker is trying to prove to the audience. While Yousafzai addresses many
topics, her claim is likely found in this statement from the very end of her speech:
“Education is the only solution. Education First.” She clearly believes that education is
the most important element to creating lasting change; her claim is arguable because
some might suggest that addressing poverty is the only solution, or eliminating gender
discrimination. She has a lot of relevant personal experience, so it is easy and
appropriate for her to use herself and her story as evidence. In the discussion that
follows, we will examine more closely how she does this. Throughout this workshop,
you will consider topics and claims that you have personal experience with as well, so
that you can see how this type of evidence can work in an argument.

Writing a Claim activity
1. Consider the following prompts to help you begin identifying a topic for your own
argument. Respond to as many prompts as needed to help you to identify a topic:
• Describe a time when you suffered an injustice of some kind. The experience
might be tied to your race, gender, ethnicity, or other part of your identity. If no
experience comes to mind from your own life, consider writing about the
experience of someone close to you.
7 7
Copyright © Bedford/St. Martin’s. Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample chapter.
Distributed by BFW Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.

sheaall2e_24428_ch05_002_095.indd 7 09/07/20 5:30 PM