Featuring

 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President, Republic of Liberia

 

Host

 

Masood Ahmed, President, Center for Global Development

 

Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will join Center for Global Development's President Masood Ahmed to discuss her experience as president and lessons learned from Liberia’s relationship with development partners. 

 

President Sirleaf made history as Africa’s first elected female president and spent twelve years as Liberia’s leader. She became president after a devastating civil war and led a process of nation building and reconciliation. During her time in office she convinced creditors to erase almost $5 billion of external debt and managed Liberia’s Ebola crisis. In 2011, President Sirleaf was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to protect women's rights and promote their participation throughout the peace-building process in Liberia. After retiring at the end of two terms in January 2018, she was awarded the prestigious Ibrahim African Leadership prize.