From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sat Jul 11 2009 - 15:43:13 EDT
Text of Obama's speech in Ghana
By The Associated Press The Associated Press
11/07/2009
Text of President Barack Obama's speech Saturday in Accra, Ghana, as
provided by the White House:
___
OBAMA: Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra
and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply
grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and
Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are
strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as
president of the United States of America.
I want to thank Madam Speaker and all the members of the House of
Representatives for hosting us today. I want to thank President Mills for
his outstanding leadership. To the former presidents - Jerry Rawlings,
former President Kufuor - vice president, chief justice - thanks to all of
you for your extraordinary hospitality and the wonderful institutions that
you've built here in Ghana.
I'm speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a
summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy for a meeting of the
world's leading economies. And I've come here to Ghana for a simple reason:
The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow
or Washington, but by what happens in Accra, as well.
This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are
overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's
prosperity. Your health and security can contribute to the world's health
and security. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human
rights for people everywhere.
So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see
Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world ... as partners
with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That
partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect.
And that is what I want to speak with you about today.
We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to
Africans.
I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this
part of the world. After all, I have the blood of Africa within me, and my
family's ... my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and
triumphs of the larger African story.
Some you know my grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though
he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for
much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles,
but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life,
colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms
of trade - it was something experienced personally, day after day, year
after year.
My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance
away from the American universities where he would come to get an education.
He came of age at a moment of extraordinary promise for Africa. The
struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations,
beginning right here in Ghana. Africans were educating and asserting
themselves in new ways, and history was on the move.
But despite the progress that has been made - and there has been
considerable progress in many parts of Africa - we also know that much of
that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya had a per capita
economy larger than South Korea's when I was born. They have badly been
outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent.
In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism,
even despair. Now, it's easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these
problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to
breed conflict. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source
of resources rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the
destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which
children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly
tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long
stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is
still a daily fact of life for far too many.
Now, we know that's also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a
face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only
tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put
democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power
even in the wake of closely contested elections. And by the way, can I say
that for that the minority deserves as much credit as the majority. And with
improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown
impressive rates of growth.
This progress may lack the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, but
make no mistake: It will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is
important to emerge from the control of other nations, it is even more
important to build one's own nation.
So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana and for Africa
as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born.
This is a new moment of great promise. Only this time, we've learned that it
will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's
future. Instead, it will be you - the men and women in Ghana's parliament -
the people you represent. It will be the young people brimming with talent
and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous
generations never realized.
Now, to realize that promise, we must first recognize the fundamental truth
that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good
governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many
places, for far too long. That's the change that can unlock Africa's
potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.
As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than
just the dollars we spend. I've pledged substantial increases in our foreign
assistance, which is in Africa's interests and America's interests. But the
true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that
helps people scrape by - it's whether we are partners in building the
capacity for transformational change.
This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And
today, I'll focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa
and the entire developing world: democracy, opportunity, health, and the
peaceful resolution of conflict.
First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments.
As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and
in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict:
Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by
consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable and more
successful than governments that do not.
This is about more than just holding elections. It's also about what happens
between elections. Repression can take many forms, and too many nations,
even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their
people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders
exploit the economy to enrich themselves ... or if police - if police can be
bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where
the government skims 20 percent off the top ... or the head of the port
authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of
law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy,
that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And
now is the time for that style of governance to end.
In the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the
key to success - strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent
judges ... an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society.
Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what
matters in people's everyday lives.
Now, time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over
autocracy and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your
people to break through. We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously
- the fact that President Mills' opponents were standing beside him last
night to greet me when I came off the plane spoke volumes about Ghana;
victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition in unfair
ways. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas,
who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience
Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it
in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating
in the political process.
Across Africa, we've seen countless examples of people taking control of
their destiny and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya,
where civil society and business came together to help stop postelection
violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three-quarters of the
country voted in the recent election - the fourth since the end of
apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved
brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is
their sacred right.
Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not
with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. Africa
doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.
Now, America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other
nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its
own destiny. But what America will do is increase assistance for responsible
individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good
governance - on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that
opposition voices are heard ... on the rule of law, which ensures the equal
administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get
involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting
and automating services ... strengthening hot lines, protecting
whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.
And we provide this support. I have directed my administration to give
greater attention to corruption in our human rights reports. People
everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education
without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act
responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America
will do.
Now, this leads directly to our second area of partnership: supporting
development that provides opportunity for more people.
With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a
broader base of prosperity. Witness the extraordinary success of Africans in
my country, America. They're doing very well. So they've got the talent,
they've got the entrepreneurial spirit. The question is, how do we make sure
that they're succeeding here in their home countries? The continent is rich
in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers,
Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own
opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities
- or a single export - has a tendency to concentrate wealth in the hands of
the few and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.
So in Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been
very responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians
know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore,
history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and in
their infrastructure ... when they promote multiple export industries,
develop a skilled work force and create space for small and medium-sized
businesses that create jobs.
As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in
extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and
administration, we want to put more resources in the hands of those who need
it, while training people to do more for themselves. That's why our $3.5
billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies
for farmers - not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid
is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating
the conditions where it's no longer needed. I want to see Ghanaians not only
self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries
and earning money. You can do that.
Now, America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy
nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a
meaningful way. That will be a commitment of my administration. And where
there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private
partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building
that trains people to grow a business; financial services that reach not
just the cities but also the poor and rural areas. This is also in our own
interests - for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in
Africa, guess what? New markets will open up for our own goods. So it's good
for both.
One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is
energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the
world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet
will spread disease, shrink water resources and deplete crops, creating
conditions that produce more famine and more conflict. All of us -
particularly the developed world - have a responsibility to slow these
trends - through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But
we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.
Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity and help
countries increase access to power while skipping - leapfrogging the dirtier
phase of development. Think about it: Across Africa, there is bountiful wind
and solar power; geothermal energy and biofuels. From the Rift Valley to the
North African deserts; from the Western coasts to South Africa's crops -
Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting
profitable, clean energy abroad.
These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're
about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a
family; a farmer can transfer their goods to market; an entrepreneur with a
good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work; it's about
the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.
Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it's also critical to the third
area I want to talk about: strengthening public health.