Monrovia – Former President of Liberia, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is currently in South Africa to join in the celebration of the 100th centenary anniversary of President Nelson Mandela birth, in South Africa.
On Tuesday, July 17 President Barack Obama delivered the 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture.
It may be recalled Former President Sirleaf delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg in 2008.
Tuesday’s lecture was preceded by a panel discussion that featured former President Sirleaf, Kofi Annan and the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Algeria, Lakhdar Brahimi at the Obama Foundation gathering of young African leaders.
Those events were also preceded by the launch of the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program; a year-long initiative “Leaders of Africa” that will connect 200 emerging leaders from across Africa to take on challenges in their communities. Four (4) Liberians were selected to form part of the inaugural class of the “Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program.” The 4 Liberians: Hh Zaizay, Gbovadeh Gbilia, Jarius Greaves and Mlen-Too Wesley joined 196 young leaders from 43 other African countries to benefit from a yearlong leadership development and civic engagement programs aimed at training, supporting, and connecting emerging African leaders as a means creating positive change in their communities.
Today, Wednesday, July 18, 2018, former President Sirleaf join will join the Elders, an independent group of global leaders working together for peace and human rights, in highlighting the extraordinary contributions made by a group of 100 brilliant grassroots organizations. Those organizations classified as “Sparks of Hope” are positively impacting communities in Africa and across the globe.
As part of today’s events, former President Sirleaf again joined a panel discussion with Madam Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Raj Panjabi, co-founder and CEO of Last Mile Health, which is one of the 100 Sparks of Hope. The discussion was centered on world peace, access to health, justice, and equality.