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EllenJohnsonSirleaf,LeymahGbowee,TawakkolKarman
NobelLecture
NobelLecture,Oslo,10December2011
by
LEYMAHROBERTAGBOWEE
YourMajesties,YourRoyalHighnesses,Excellencies,DistinguishedMembersofthe
NorwegianNobel
Committee
,GlobalLeaders,WomenofLiberia
[
Liberia
][
moreonLiberia
]
,
WomenofAfrica
andWomenof
theworld,
ThisisthedaytheLordhasmadeandIandmysistersgloballywillrejoiceandbegladinit[
Psalms118:24
(KJV)
].[
ThisIsTheDayThatTheLordHasMade
]
TodaymarksaveryhistoricdayastheNobelPeacePrizeisbeingawardedto
me,Tawakul,andmyown
PresidentandMother,Mrs.EllenJohnsonSirleaf
inhonorofallwomenglobally.
IamhumbledandhonoredtohavebeenselectedbymembersofthecommitteeandIreceivethePrizein
thenameofwomenwhocontinuetoworkforpeace,equalityandjusticeacrosstheWorld.Amomentof
silencefor
ProfWangariMaathai
[
IMAGE
],
Ms.DhekaAbdi
[
IMAGE
],MaWletiFreeman,MaAsata
Kandakai,MaFatuBah,RebeccaFlomo,MaKlunahBrown,the
sevenIvorianWomen
wholosttheirlives
duringthepostelectionsviolenceandwomenacrosstheworldwholosttheirliveswhilstfightingforpeace,
socialjusticeandequality.[
WonderfulEveryday
][
Lyrics
][
Original
]
Early2003,sevenofuswomengatheredinamakeshiftoffice/conferenceroomtodiscussthe
Liberiancivil
war
[
VIDEO
]andthefastapproachingwaronthecapital
Monrovia
[
VIDEO
].Armedwithnothingbutour
convictionand
$10UnitedStatesdollars
,the
WomenofLiberiaMassActionforPeaceCampaign
wasborn.
[
IntheBeginning
byKnaan][
VIDEOw/Context
][
Lyrics
]
Womenhadbecomethe
"toyofwar"
foroverdruggedyoungmilitias.Sexualabuseandexploitationspared
nowomanwewererapedandabusedregardlessofourage,religiousorsocialstatus.Acommonscene
dailywasamotherwatchingheryoungonebeingforciblyrecruitedorherdaughterbeingtakenawayasthe
wifeofanotherdrugemboldenedfighter[
VIDEO:Graphic!
][
VIDEO:Graphic!
].
Weusedourpains,brokenbodiesandscarredemotionstoconfronttheinjusticesandterrorofournation.
Wewereawarethattheendofthewarwillonlycomethroughnonviolence,aswehadallseenthattheuse
ofviolencewastakingusandourbelovedcountrydeeperintotheabyssofpains,death,anddestruction.
ThesituationinLiberiainthosewaryearsindeedreaffirmedtheprofoundstatementofNobelLaureate,the
late
Dr.MartinLutherKing
whenhesaid,"Violenceneverbringspermanentpeace.Itsolvesnosocial
problemitmerelycreatesnewandmorecomplicatedones".[
IHaveaDream
]
Thewomen'sMassActionCampaignstartedinonecommunityandspreadtoover50communitiesacross
Liberia.
Weworkeddailyconfrontingwarlords,meetingwithdictatorsandrefusingtobesilencedinthefaceof
AK
47
[
VIDEO
]and
RPG
s[
VIDEO
][
VIDEO
].Wewalkedwhenwehadnotransportation,wefastedwhenwater
wasunaffordable,weheldhandsinthefaceofdanger,wespoketruthtopowerwheneveryoneelsewas
beingdiplomatic,westoodundertherainandthesunwithourchildrentotelltheworldthestoriesofthe
othersideoftheconflict.Oureducationalbackgrounds,travelexperiences,faiths,andsocialclassesdidnot
matter.Wehadacommonagenda:
PeaceforLiberiaNow
.[
AK47OutofContext
][
...andMorew/anRPG
]
Wesucceededwhennoonethoughtwewould,weweretheconscienceoftheoneswhohadlosttheir
consciencesintheirquestforpowerandpoliticalpositions.Werepresentedthesoulofthenation.Noone
wouldhavepreparedmysistersandIfortodaythatourstrugglewouldgodowninthehistoryofthisworld.
Ratherwhenconfrontingwarlordswedidsobecausewefeltitwasourmoraldutytostandasmothersand
girdourwaist,tofightthedemonsofwarinordertoprotectthelivesofourchildren,theirland,andtheir
future.[
PraytheDevilBacktoHell
]
Therearemanyexamplesgloballyofsuchstrugglesbywomen.Ibelievethattheprizethisyearnotonly
recognizesourstruggleinLiberiaandYemen.Itisinrecognitionandhonorofthestrugglesofgrassroots
womeninEgypt,theDemocraticRepublicofCongo,
Coted'Ivoire
,Tunisia,inPalestineandIsrael,andin
everytroubledcorneroftheworld.[
Franafrique
][
Franafrique
]
Soallowmetopaytributetosomeofthegiantsinwomen'scontinuedstruggletobefreeandequal.This
prizeisatributeto:
WomenofZimbabweArise(WOZA)
,fortheircourageinthefaceofarrestandtorture,forremaining
thevoiceandfaceofthesufferingpeopleof
Zimbabwe
The
WomenofCongo
,whohaveenduredsomeoftheworstactsofmen'sinhumanitytowomen.
TheWorldiswellawarethattheyoustillendurethehorrificsexualviolencethatisthenatureofthe
endlessandsenselesswarin
DRC
[
Congo/Women
]
Women
of
AcholiLand
in
Uganda
whointhefaceofthesocalled
Lord'sResistanceArmy
's
continuedtortureandraperemainadvocatesforpeaceandjustice[
WarChild
][
InvisibleChildren:
Kony2012
]
WomenofAfghanistan
andmanyotherplacesonearthwhereinthe21stCenturywomencanbe
rapedandstillgotojailorsometimesbesubjectedto
honorkilling
thisprizeisatributetoyourcry
forjustice,freedom,andequality.[
RevolutionaryAssociationoftheWomenofAfghanistan(RAWA)
]
[
AboutHonorKilling?
]
YourMajesties,YourRoyalHighnesses,distinguishedladiesandgentlemen,womenoftheworld
,
Thisprizecouldnothavecomeatabettertimethanthisatimewhenglobalandcommunityconversations
areabouthowlocalcommunitymembersandunarmedcivilianscanhelpturnourupsidedownWorld,
rightsideup.Ithascomeatatimewhenunarmedcitizensmenandwomen,boysandgirlsare
challengingdictatorshipsandusheringindemocracyandthesovereigntyofpeople
Yes!Ithascomeatatimewheninmanysocietieswherewomenusedtobethesilentvictimsandobjectsof
men'spowers,womenarethrowingdownthewallsofrepressivetraditionswiththeinvinciblepowerof
nonviolence.Womenareusingtheirbrokenbodiesfromhunger,poverty,desperationanddestitutionto
staredownthebarrelofthegun.Thisprizehascomeatatimewhenordinarymothersarenolonger
beggingforpeace,butdemandingpeace,justice,equalityandinclusioninpoliticaldecisionmaking.
Imustbequicktoaddthatthisprizeisnotjustinrecognitionofthetriumphofwomen.Itisatriumphof
humanity.Torecognizeandhonorwomen,theotherhalfofhumanity,istoachieveuniversalwholenessand
balance.LikethewomenImetinCongoDRCoverayearagowhosaid"Rapeandabuseistheresultof
largerproblem,andthatproblemistheabsenceofwomeninthedecisionmakingspace".Ifwomenwere
partofdecisionmakinginmostsocieties,therewouldbelessexclusivepoliciesandlawsthatareblindto
abuseswomenendure.
InconclusionletmeagaincongratulatetheNobelCommitteeforawardingthePeacePrizetousthree
women.Bythisactyouaffirmthatwomen'srightsaretrulyhumanrightsandthatanyleader,nationor
politicalgroupthatexcludeswomenfromallformsofnationalandlocalengagementissettingthemselves
upforfailure.
LetthisrecognitionserveasarenewedcompactbetweenwomenandWorldleaders,thatcommitments
madetowomenthroughvariousUNandotherglobalinstitutions'resolutionswillbepursuedwithgreater
commitmentandvigilance
Letthisbearenewedcompactthattheintegrityofawoman'sbodyandthesanctityofwomen'sliveswillnot
besubsumedundermaleinventedtraditions
TowomenofLiberiaandsisterhoodacrossWestAfricawhocontinuetobandtogethertorespondtocrisisin
oursubregiontowomeninAsia,theMiddleEastandtheWorld:Aswecelebrateourachievementthrough
thisrecognitionletusremindourselvesthatvictoryisstillafar.Wemustcontinuetouniteinsisterhoodto
turnourtearsintotriumph,ourdespairintodeterminationandourfearintofortitude.Thereisnotimetorest
untilourworldachieveswholenessandbalance,whereallmenandwomenareconsideredequalandfree.
[
westafricanmusic
][
westafricamusic
]
And,finally,Liberianwomen:thankyouformakingourcountryproud.Thankyouforsittingintherainand
underthesun.Thisisyourprize.Thisisourprize.TheworldusedtorememberLiberiafor
childsoldiers
but
theynowrememberourcountryforthe
whitetshirtwomen
[
whitetshirtwomenliberia
].Whowouldhave
everthoughtthatLiberianwomenwouldhavebeenamongfacesofwomen'sglobalvictory,butyoudidit.
Sothankyou!
[(:
VIDEO
:)]