Kailash Satyarthi Quotations

Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child's eye - it is very beautiful.

Child labor perpetuates poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population growth and other social problems.

Today, I see thousands of Mahatma Gandhis, Martin Luther Kings, and Nelson Mandelas marching forward and calling on us. The boys and girls have joined. I have joined in. We ask you to join, too.

India may be a land of over a 100 problems, but it is also a place for a billion solutions.

I am positive that I would see the end of child labour around the world in my lifetime, as the poorest of the poor have realised that education is a tool that can empower them.

If not now, then when? If not you, then who? If we are able to answer these fundamental questions, then perhaps we can wipe away the blot of human slavery

Economic growth and human development need to go hand in hand. Human values need to be advocated vigorously.

Every single minute matters, every single child matters, every single childhood matters.

Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here. A lot of work still remains, but I will see the end of child labor in my lifetime.

There is a triangular relationship between poverty, child labour and illiteracy who have a cause and consequence relationship. We will have to break this vicious circle.

I dream for a world which is free of child labour, a world in which every child goes to school. A world in which every child gets his rights.

Each time I free a child, I feel it is something closer to God.

I call for a march from exploitation to education, from poverty to shared prosperity, a march from slavery to liberty, and a march from violence to peace.

I am really honoured, but if the prize had gone to Mahatma Gandhi before me, I would have been more honoured.

Denial of childhood and denial of freedom are the biggest sins which humankind has been committing and perpetuating for ages.

Let us unite the world through the compassion for our children.

I have been very strongly advocating that poverty must not be used as an excuse to continue child labour. It perpetuates poverty. If children are deprived of education, they remain poor.

I never go to temples, but when I see a child, I see God in them.

For me, peace is a fundamental human right of every child; it is inevitable and divine.

As the anti-slavery community, we must together ensure that this attention is transferred into concrete action and results.

The fight against child slavery is the fight against traditional mindset, policy deficit, and lack of accountability and urgency for children across the globe.

I am thankful to the Nobel committee for recognising the plight of millions of children who are suffering in this modern age

If you keep on buying things made by child slaves in such conditions, you are equally responsible for the perpetration of slavery.

I think of it all as a test. This is a moral examination that one has to pass... to stand up against such social evils

We adults, our policies, our ways of governance, are responsible for poverty, not the children.

I am really honoured but if the prize had gone to Mahatma Gandhi before me I would have been more honoured

India has hundreds of problems and millions of solutions.

Equity is compromised due to the privatisation of education. Education has become a commodity. Those who can afford to buy it, buy it, and those who can sell it make money out of it

A lot of work still remains but I will see the end of child labor in my lifetime.

We talk of globalization, and how much money is needed for the education of children in the world, their liberation and rehabilitation just $9 billion which is four days of military expense. Just four days. Nine billion dollars is nothing. But what Americans spent on ice cream just 20 percent of this. One fifth of what you spend on ice creams could bring the children out of the clutches of their masters and put them to school.

During the past few years North East India has emerged as one of the biggest destinations for child trafficking.

My philosophy is that I am a friend of the children. I don't think anyone should see them as pitiable subjects or charity. That is old people's rhetoric. People often relate childish behaviour to stupidity or foolishness. This mindset needs to change. I want to level the playing field where I can learn from the children. Something I can learn from children is transparency. They are innocent, straightforward, and have no biases. I relate children to simplicity and I think that my friendship with children has a much deeper meaning than others.

For centuries, we were taught that anger is bad. Our parents, teachers, priests, everyone taught us how to control and suppress our anger. But I ask: why can't we convert our anger for the larger good of society?

First of all, everyone must acknowledge and feel that child slavery still exists in the world, in its ugliest face and form. And this is an evil, which is crime against humanity, which is intolerable, which is unacceptable and which must go. That sense of recognition must be developed first of all. And secondly there is a need of higher amounts of political will. There is a need of higher amount of corporate engagement, and the engagement of the public towards it. So, everybody has a responsibility to save and protect the children on this planet.

There is no greater violence than to deny the dreams of our children.

I refuse to accept that the world is so poor, when just one week of global spending on armies is enough to bring all of our children into classrooms.

I refuse to accept that the shackles of slavery can ever be stronger than the quest for freedom.

The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat, sleep, see daylight, free to laugh and cry, free to play, free to learn, free to go to school, and above all, free to dream.