Ellen attends Roundtable in Washington
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has participated in a Private Roundtable with U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, amid news saturating the social media in Liberia about her death. A dispatch from Washington says the private high-level roundtable…
By Jonathan Browne
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has participated in a Private Roundtable with U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, DC, amid news saturating the social media in Liberia about her death.
A dispatch from Washington says the private high-level roundtable with Mrs. Sirleaf focused on her steadfast mission to promote women’s participation in politics and civil society, especially contribution of women in peacebuilding, including raising the next generation of leaders via the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development.
The dispatch describes the forum jointly attended by former President Sirleaf and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield as timely and strategic, given the release of the U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, and heading into the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit next week.
It notes that several countries in Africa have recently seen democratic backsliding, exemplified by military takeovers particularly in the West Africa and Sahel regions, while stressing that stable governance requires the purposeful inclusion of a wide range of stakeholders, including women and youth, both in ensuring democratic processes and in leadership positions.
Ahead of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, the USIP’s fireside chat with the two iconic women leaders was meant to explore their personal journeys to positions of leadership, the importance of empowering women in politics, public service and the private sector across Africa, and their shared bond in lifting the next generation.
The Roundtable was moderated by Aluel Atem and Angela Chin. Ms. Atem is a Program Officer with the USIP Curriculum and Training Design Team. She also manages the Border Security Training Program’s Community Engagement Project with the Kenya Border Police Unit and provides technical support to the Border Security Training Program (BSTP), including support to the training-of-trainer (ToT) process and delivers training, among others.
Her co-moderator, Angela Chin is the Senior Program Assistant for the USIP Sudan and South Sudan programs. She hails from Prince George’s County, Maryland, and is completing her Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University where she focuses on inclusive peacebuilding and China’s evolving role in Africa.
Mrs. Sirleaf was accompanied to the forum by two leaders of her flagship organization, Amujae.
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) works to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict around the world. USIP does this by engaging directly in conflict zones and by providing analysis, education, and resources to those working for peace. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1984 as an independent, nonpartisan organization, USIP’s more than 300 staff work at the Institute’s D.C. headquarters, and on the ground in the world’s most dangerous regions.
Meanwhile, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development says it is shocked, dismayed and disturbed by false rumors circulating over social media, claiming that the former Liberian president is dead.
In an official reaction, the Director of Communications and Research for the Center, Christopher Ifeanyi-Nwanze, writes: “False rumors of this nature are very dangerous and must not be given ground to take root. Madam Sirleaf is alive and well.”
He maintains that Mrs. Sirleaf is currently in the United States, attending international events and will participate in next week’s US-Africa Leaders’ Summit with President Joe Biden.
Current Liberian President George Manneh Weah is already in the U.S. upon invitation of the American President for the Summit.
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