In 2005, the Sagamore Institute hosted then Liberian presidential candidate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; she went on to win the election and maintains strong ties with Sagamore Institute.
Johnson-Sirleaf spoke to the Sagamore audience regarding rebuilding the failed states of Africa. In campaign mode, she outlined her plan for reform, explaining how she would curb corruption.
“There has to be a fundamental altering of the way we do things,” Johnson-Sirleaf said. “And that means we will have internal havoc because we must uproot the vested interests that have kept things the way they are for such a long time.” The Harvard alumna, who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize alongside two of her colleagues, went on to win 59% of the vote in 2005, propelling her to the Presidency becoming the first female head of state on the continent of Africa.
