Washington, DC — Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Fifty Fifty Group, an organization supporting women's political participation in Sierra Leone, have received awards from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for their work in promoting democracy in their countries.
At the annual NDI luncheon on Wednesday, Sirleaf received the W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations who have demonstrated their commitment to promoting democracy and human rights.
Madeleine K. Albright, the former U.S. Secretary of State and current chairwoman of NDI, praised Sirleaf: "She is renowned for her courage, respected for her knowledge, admired for her leadership, and beloved for her understanding that development, like democracy, is built from the grassroots."
In her acceptance speech, Sirleaf called upon the international community to take greater action against illiberal regimes.
"I believe that democracy is sacred," she said. "We should continue to fight for it. We should not allow countries that call themselves democracies to be accepted into global democratic institutions when, behind the rhetoric, liberty, personal freedoms, and civil rights fall prey to fear and repression."
She also urged the United States to continue its bi-partisan efforts to support the spread of democracy: "If the U.S. were to lose its will and go quiet on the issues of liberty and human rights, this would shake the foundations of democracy around the world."
She also conveyed her hope that her own legacy will be more than becoming Liberia's first female democratically-elected head of state. She said she wants to be remembered "as a leader who turned a post-conflict country, crippled by 25 years of decline and a civil war with more than 200,000 dead and one million displaced, into a symbol of stability and democracy where the free market and private investment can prosper, where empowered people, free from dependency and violence, can take their destiny into their own hands."
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NDI also honored the Fifty Fifty Group with the Madeleine K. Albright Award. Founded in 2000, the group is a grassroots organization working in Sierra Leone to bring more women into leadership roles in the government. It has fielded 38 candidates for parliament.
The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who spoke at the event, praised the work of the group. "By encouraging gender equality among your nation's leaders, you are building democratic strength in your nation for years to come," she said.
The founder and former president of the group, Nemata Eshun-Baiden, thanked NDI and Albright for their support, calling the award "not only a vote of confidence, but also a vote of faith and hope."
"We have more than earned the right to advocate for a different system," she said, "one that mandates a full, equal role for women and men because we know this is the best defense against a return to the past."
