Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Commencement Address | Harvard Commencement 2011

Transcript

[APPLAUSE] SPEAKER 1: Our speaker today is a Harvard Kennedy School alumna who was inaugurated in 2006 as the 24th president of Liberia, and is the first African female elected head of state. Her path to the presidency was met with resistance in many different oftentimes terrifying forms. Between serving as the nation's finance minister in the late... Read More

Summary

The speaker, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is a Harvard Kennedy School alumna and the first African female elected head of state. She shares her journey to the presidency of Liberia, which was filled with resistance and challenges. Despite facing execution, exile, treason charges, and assassination plots, she never gave up on her pursuit of social justice and political reform. She discusses the tasks she faced as president, such as revitalizing the economy, reducing national debt, and reforming the country's international reputation. She also talks about the progress made and challenges that still exist in Liberia and Africa as a whole. The speaker emphasizes the importance of hope and resilience in bringing about change and encourages the graduating class to dream big and embrace the future.

Questions & Answers

Q: What challenges did Ellen Johnson Sirleaf face on her path to becoming the president of Liberia?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf faced resistance and challenges throughout her journey to the presidency. She narrowly escaped execution, was forced into exile, charged with treason, jailed twice, and had to avoid assassination plots. Despite these challenges, she never gave up on her pursuit of social justice and political reform.

Q: How did Ellen Johnson Sirleaf address the collapsing economy and national debt in Liberia?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took the task of revitalizing Liberia's collapsing economy and reducing its national debt seriously. Within five years, she formulated laws, policies, and strategies for growth and development. She successfully removed international sanctions on primary exports, introduced a cash-based budget, and increased revenue by over 400%. She also mobilized foreign direct investment, which was 16 times the size of the country's economy when she assumed office.

Q: What progress did Ellen Johnson Sirleaf make in rebuilding Liberia's infrastructure?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf focused on rebuilding Liberia's infrastructure, which had been ruined during years of violence and warfare. She restored electricity and clean water supply to the capital that had been lacking for two decades. Additionally, she reconstructed two modern universities, referral hospitals, roads, bridges, schools, training institutions, and local government facilities throughout the country.

Q: What challenges still exist in Liberia's development and governance?

Despite the progress made, Liberia still faces challenges in sustaining growth and development. The country's stability is threatened by the return of thousands of individuals from US prisons and regional refugee camps who lack technical skills. Regional tensions with neighboring countries also pose a threat to peace. Additionally, slow project execution, low absorptive capacity, institutional decay, and a corrupted value system of dependency and dishonesty hinder governance and development efforts.

Q: How did Ellen Johnson Sirleaf lead a transformation in Liberia's education system?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ensured that Liberia's children went back to school after years of conflict. She focused on improving education and empowering young people. This included programs aimed at the education of girls, the empowerment of adolescent youth, and improving working conditions for market women. She also mobilized financial and technical resources from US foundations, sororities, and individuals to support these programs.

Q: How has Africa as a continent transformed in recent years?

Africa has seen significant transformation and progress in recent years. The continent has experienced a rise in democracy, with an increasing number of African states holding democratic elections. African states now act in concert on many substantive issues, adopting a common African position and negotiating as one. The African economy has also shown growth, with a rise in the middle class in many countries. These developments indicate that Africa is no longer the dark continent in continual economic decline, but a continent on the upsurge.

Q: How has technology and connectivity impacted the world in the past decade?

Over the past decade, technology and connectivity have transformed the world and brought about significant changes. Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have connected people globally, opening doors for communication and information-sharing. Technology has also played a role in economic growth and wealth creation. The interconnectedness of markets and economies has increased, leading to rapid adjustments and changes. Furthermore, technology has played a role in political movements, as seen in events like the Tunisian Revolution.

Q: What message does Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have for the graduating class of 2011?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf encourages the graduating class to be fearless about the future and to dream big. She emphasizes the importance of hope, resilience, and creativity in bringing about transformation. She advises them to remember that the size of their dreams should always exceed their current capacity to achieve them. She urges the graduates to embrace a future full of uncertainties and challenges, as they have the power to make a difference in the world.

Takeaways

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's speech highlights the challenges she faced and the progress made in Liberia. She spoke about the importance of hope, resilience, and creativity in bringing about change. She emphasized the role of technology and connectivity in transforming the world and encouraged the graduating class to dream big and embrace the future. Overall, her speech showcased the potential for progress and development in Africa and the importance of strong leadership and dedication to social justice.