Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Honored

At the sixth annual Madeleine K. Albright Global Development Lecture on November 7, 2018, the Aspen Global Innovators Group honored Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Laureate and the former president of the Republic of Liberia. Each year, the lecture recognizes an individual whose bold vision has led to ideas that tackle the challenges of global development. The first democratically elected president in Africa, Sirleaf has been recognized globally for securing peace in Liberia and promoting women’s rights and safety. More than 200 Institute board members, trustees, partners, and Madeleine Albright herself gathered at the Metropolitan Club in New York City as Sirleaf shared her vision for incremental reforms that will lead to transformative change in Africa. She celebrated the tremendous progress in Liberia and across Africa in economic prosperity, education reform, social services, and women’s political participation. Nevertheless, Sirleaf urged the audience not to sit still. “We are in a race against time in keeping up with the population growth and the rising expectations of Africa’s youth,” she declared. “We must meet their impatience with action.”