In an effort to support girls’ education, SOC Outreach (spearheaded by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy) and BBDO have collaborated to create the world’s first bulletproof book, titled, Knowledge is Bulletproof. The book is written by Sanam Maher and tells the story of Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz, the two girls who were shot alongside Malala, and who later went on to become advocates for education. The book, which has 150 pages, is bound with a special layering of bullet-resistant Kevlar XP fiber that has the capability to repel a 9mm bullet fired from as close as 5 meters.
“Knowledge is bulletproof and that is the message behind this unique book,” Academy Award winner, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy told Instep. “We wanted to draw attention to the importance of education in Pakistan. Shazia and Kainat’s story is an inspirational one for all of us here in Pakistan and by bringing their stories to the world we wanted to raise funds to support education in Pakistan.”
On why there was a need for a bulletproof book, Sharmeen said, “A cover design is supposed to give an explanation of what the book carries, and we decided to do the most meaningful and relevant cover possible, to accompany the meaningful and inspiring story inside.”
She added, “If our message was that knowledge can continue despite bullets, then a book itself should be literally capable of repelling a bullet. In this case you can judge the book by its cover.”
SOC Outreach is a community engagement program that works with educational institutions and organizations to instill critical thinking in the next generation of Pakistanis. The project is also an activation designed by BBDO to inspire girls towards education and strengthening them. This particular project will look towards raising funds with the sale of these books in order to donate to a cause benefitting girls’ education in Northern Pakistan.
The book, featuring photography by Insiya Syed, is a limited edition collector’s item that will also be auctioned to collect funds.
