Africa's "Iron Lady," President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, spoke on College Hill on Friday, recounting her tumultuous path to the presidency and outlining her vision for the future of her war-ravaged country.
The University conferred on Johnson Sirleaf an honorary Doctor of Laws, bringing her, in President Ruth Simmons' words, into the "Brown family."
In receiving the honorary degree, Sirleaf joined the ranks of former U.S. presidents George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - all of whom have been likewise honored by Brown - said Chancellor Emeritus Artemis A.W. Joukowsky '55, who commenced the ceremony.
Professor of Africana Studies Anthony Bogues introduced Sirleaf, acknowledging her exemplary professional accomplishments as exemplary but emphasizing her outsize moral and political fortitude - displayed often in the face of grave personal danger - as most deserving of commendation.
"There is a unique courage which she has demonstrated in facing down undemocratic political authority," Bogues said. "The individual we honor today has paid the price for her belief in democracy."
In a short acceptance speech, Johnson Sirleaf proudly described the progress her country has made since recently emerging from a series of bloody civil conflicts, but admitted that much work has yet to be done. Overall, she offered a message of cautious hope - one that celebrated Liberians' tenacity and faith in a promising future, but also acknowledged the challenges they must face along the road to development.
"We're glad today that we have an opportunity for a new beginning - a chance to right the wrongs of the past," Johnson Sirleaf said. "But I'll be the first one to tell you that though we've made much progress, we've still got a long way to go."
The filled-to-capacity Sayles Hall included many members of Rhode Island's Liberian diaspora, whose frequent thunderous applause and occasional celebratory outbursts lent the event an air of energetic pride.
When Mator Kpangbai, president of the Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island, issued a series of particularly resounding celebratory cries, Simmons, seemingly mistaking him for a member of the presidential delegation, asked from the stage: "Are you a member of the family?"
"We're all family!" shouted another audience member in response.
After the degree-conferral ceremony in Sayles Hall, the Liberian president sat down with Simmons for a public conversation before the same audience.
Johnson Sirleaf described the "humbling responsibility" she feels she has as a leader to women in Africa and around the world. As the first elected female African head of state, she said she also faces challenges working among African male leaders.
"I can't invite them to go have a beer," she said. "It's lonely out there. I'm waiting for two or three others to join me."
In describing the state of Liberia's efforts for restoration, Johnson Sirleaf cited the importance of developing strategies for capitalizing upon the country's resources and making sure that they are responsibly reinvested in Liberia's economy. This, she said, requires attracting foreign investment by restoring Liberia's reputation as a peaceful, democratic nation.
Improving education and professional training in Liberia is also crucial, said Johnson Sirleaf. She said that recently enacted compulsory education laws had brought national enrollment rates up to 40 percent.
"It has its own downsides. Enrollment means not enough schools and not enough teachers and not enough books," she said. "But we're trying to tackle that also."
Johnson Sirleaf, who held several high-ranking positions at the United Nations and in the private sector before becoming president, came to study in the United States more than four decades ago, and eventually earned a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard. When Simmons asked her about her views on changing attitudes in the United States toward education, she recalled an era when access to education was much more limited, but its merits were much more highly valued.
"I'm not sure whether today there's as much of a longing and an appreciation for what an education stands for and what it brings," Johnson Sirleaf said. "There's something missing."
She also said that it is unfortunate that the West persists in its ignorance to the complexity of African issues, and said that students and activists interested in Africa can begin to remedy the situation by visiting the continent to work, study or volunteer.
Johnson Sirleaf also issued a challenge to the Liberian diaspora to "make that sacrifice" by reinvesting the skills they've acquired abroad back into their country.
"You've got to go back - to give back to those who are there," she said.
Johnson Sirleaf even seemed to pose a similar challenge, though perhaps more of an invitation, to Simmons herself. Simmons had asked where she could acquire elaborate clothes similar to those of Johnson Sirleaf.
The Liberian president brought the conversation to a close, saying: "Her outfit awaits her in Liberia."
Kpangbai, the president of the Liberian Community Association, said he thought Johnson Sirleaf's words were "brilliant," adding that in the face of much misinformation about the state of affairs in Liberia, it is important for Liberians in Rhode Island to hear firsthand about issues facing their country from their president first hand.
As for Johnson Sirleaf's calling on local Liberians to give back to their home country, Kpangbai said, "It's a challenge, and I'm excited to work on it."
