Like many of you here, I am trying to contribute towards a renaissance in Africa. The question of transformation in Africa really is a question of leadership. Africa can only be transformed by enlightened leaders. And it is my contention that the manner in which we educate our leaders is fundamental to progress on this continent. I want to tell you some stories that explain my view. We all heard about the importance of stories yesterday. An American friend of mine this year volunteered as a nurse in Ghana, and in a period of three months she came to a conclusion about the state of leadership in Africa that had taken me over a decade to reach. Twice she was involved in surgeries where they lost power at the hospital. The emergency generators did not start. There was not a flashlight, not a lantern, not a candle -- pitch black. The patient's cut open, twice. The first time it was a C-section. Thankfully, baby was out -- mother and child survived.
Ca multi dintre dumneavoastra, incerc sa contribui si eu la o renastere a Africii. Problema transformarii in Africa este in realitate o problema de conducere. Africa poate fi transformata doar cu ajutorul unor lideri luminati. Si imi permit sa afirm ca maniera in care ne educam liderii este fundamentala pentru progresul de pe acest continent. As vrea sa va spun niste povesti care va vor lamuri viziunea mea. Am auzit ieri cu totii despre importanta povestilor. O prietena americana a voluntariat anul acesta ca asistenta medicala in Ghana. Iar ea in trei luni de zile a ajuns la o concluzie despre starea conducerii in Africa, concluzie la care eu am ajuns in peste zece ani. A fost implicata de doua ori in operatii in care s-a luat curentul in spital. Generatoarele de urgenta nu au pornit -- si nu era acolo nici o lanterna, nici o lumanare. Inturneric bezna. Pacientul era deschis -- de doua ori. Prima data a fost o cezariana. Din fericire bebelusul a iesit -- mama si copilul au supravietuit.
The second time was a procedure that involved local anesthesia. Anesthetic wears off. The patient feels pain. He's crying. He's screaming. He's praying. Pitch black. Not a candle, not a flashlight. And that hospital could have afforded flashlights. They could have afforded to purchase these things, but they didn't. And it happened twice. Another time, she watched in horror as nurses watched a patient die because they refused to give her oxygen that they had. And so three months later, just before she returned to the United States, nurses in Accra go on strike. And her recommendation is take this opportunity to fire everyone, start all over again. Start all over again.
A doua oara a fost o interventie care necesita anestezie locala. Efectul anestezicului s-a dus. Pacientul incepe sa simta durere. Plange. Tipa. Se roaga. Intuneric bezna. Nici o lumanare, nici o lanterna. Si spitalul acela si-ar fi permis lanterne. Si-ar fi permis sa cumpere lucrurile acestea, dar nu au facut-o. Si acest lucru s-a intamplat de doua ori. Alta data a privit ingrozita cum asistentele au stat si s-au uitat la un pacient care murea, pentru ca ele refuzasera sa ii dea din oxigenul pe care il aveau. Astfel, peste trei luni, chiar inainte ca ea sa se intoarca in SUA, asistentele din Accra intra in greva. Ea a recomandat sa se folosesca ocazia aceasta pentru a concedia tot personalul. Pentru a lua totul de la inceput. Pentru a incepe de la zero.
Now what does this have to do with leadership? You see, the folks at the ministry of health, the hospital administrators, the doctors, the nurses -- they are among just five percent of their peers who get an education after secondary school. They are the elite. They are our leaders. Their decisions, their actions matter. And when they fail, a nation literally suffers. So when I speak of leadership, I'm not talking about just political leaders. We've heard a lot about that. I'm talking about the elite. Those who've been trained, whose job it is to be the guardians of their society. The lawyers, the judges, the policemen, the doctors, the engineers, the civil servants -- those are the leaders. And we need to train them right.
Ce treaba are asta cu conducerea? Vedeti, vina apartine ministerului sanatatii, administratorilor spitalelor, doctorilor, asistentelor -- acestia reprezinta aproximativ 5% dintre colegii lor care primesc educatie si dupa ciclul secundar de invatamant. Ei sunt elita. Ei sunt liderii nostri. Deciziile lor, actiunilor lor conteaza. Si cand ei gresesc, literalmente, o natiune sufera. Deci, cand vorbesc despre conducere nu vorbesc doar de lideri politici. Am auzit destule despre ei. Vorbesc despre elita. Despre aceia care au fost pregatiti. Aceia a caror meserie este sa fie protectorii societatii lor. Avocatii, judecatorii, politistii, doctorii, inginerii, functionarii publici -- acestia sunt liderii. Iar noi trebuie sa ii pregatim corespunzator.
Now, my first pointed and memorable experience with leadership in Ghana occurred when I was 16 years old. We had just had a military coup, and soldiers were pervasive in our society. They were a pervasive presence. And one day I go to the airport to meet my father, and as I walk up this grassy slope from the car park to the terminal building, I'm stopped by two soldiers wielding AK-47 assault weapons. And they asked me to join a crowd of people that were running up and down this embankment. Why? Because the path I had taken was considered out of bounds. No sign to this effect.
Experienta mea initiala si totodata memorabila legata de conducerea din Ghana s-a intamplat cand aveam 16 ani. Tocmai ce avusese loc lovitura de stat iar soldatii erau omiprezenti in societatea noastra. Erau omniprezenti. Intr-o zi ma duceam la aeroport sa ma intalnesc cu tatal meu, iar in timp ce mergeam pe o panta inverzita care se intindea de la parcare pana la cladirea terminalului, am fost oprit de doi soldati cu automate AK-47. Acestia mi-au cerut sa ma alatur unei multimi de oameni care alergau in sus si in jos pe un terasament. De ce? Pentru ca drumul pe care am mers era considerat interzis accesului. Nu scria nicaieri asta.
Now, I was 16. I was very worried about what my peers at school might think if they saw me running up and down this hill. I was especially concerned of what the girls might think. And so I started to argue with these men. It was a little reckless, but you know, I was 16. I got lucky. A Ghana Airways pilot falls into the same predicament. Because of his uniform they speak to him differently, and they explain to him that they're just following orders. So he takes their radio, talks to their boss, and gets us all released. What lessons would you take from an experience like this? Several, for me. Leadership matters. Those men are following the orders of a superior officer. I learned something about courage. It was important not to look at those guns. And I also learned that it can be helpful to think about girls.
Aveam 16 ani. Eram foarte ingrijorat cu privire la ce vor crede colegii mei de la scoala, daca ma vor vedea alergand in sus si in jos pe acel deal. Eram in special preocupat de ce vor crede fetele. Si am inceput sa ma cert cu acesti oameni. Am fost un pic nesabuit, dar, stiti cum e, aveam 16 ani. Am fost norocos. Un pilot al Ghana Airways cade in aceeasi situatie penibila. Datorita uniformei, ii vorbesc diferit acestuia, si ii explica faptul ca ei doar respecta ordinele. Asa ca acesta le ia statia, vorbeste cu seful lor si ne elibereaza pe toti. Ce concluzii ati trage dintr-o experienta precum aceasta? Eu personal am tras mai multe. Conducerea conteaza. Acei oameni respectau ordinele unui ofiter superior. Am invatat ceva despre curaj. Era important sa nu te uiti la acele arme. Am invatat de asemenea ca poate fi folositor sa te gandesti la fete.
(Laughter)
(Rasete)
So a few years after this event, I leave Ghana on a scholarship to go to Swarthmore College for my education. It was a breath of fresh air. You know, the faculty there didn't want us to memorize information and repeat back to them as I was used to back in Ghana. They wanted us to think critically. They wanted us to be analytical. They wanted us to be concerned about social issues. In my economics classes I got high marks for my understanding of basic economics. But I learned something more profound than that, which is that the leaders -- the managers of Ghana's economy -- were making breathtakingly bad decisions that had brought our economy to the brink of collapse. And so here was this lesson again -- leadership matters. It matters a great deal.
La cativa ani de la acest eveniment am parasit Ghana cu o bursa si mi-am continuat educatia la Swarthmore College. A fost ca o gura de aer proaspat. Stiti, facultatea acolo nu iti cere sa memorezi informatii si sa le reproduci pentru ei, asa cum am fost invatat in Ghana. Ei vroiau sa gandim critic. Vroiau sa fim analitici. Vroiau sa fim preocupati de problemele sociale. La cursurile de economie primeam note mari pentru ca intelegeam bazele economiei. Dar am invatat ceva mai profund decat atat, respectiv ca liderii -- managerii economiei din Ghana -- luau decizii incredibil de proaste care au adus economia noastra in pragul colapsului. Si iar am ajuns la aceiasi invatatura -- conducerea conteaza. Conteaza foarte mult.
But I didn't really fully understand what had happened to me at Swarthmore. I had an inkling, but I didn't fully realize it until I went out into the workplace and I went to work at Microsoft Corporation. And I was part of this team -- this thinking, learning team whose job it was to design and implement new software that created value in the world. And it was brilliant to be part of this team. It was brilliant. And I realized just what had happened to me at Swarthmore, this transformation -- the ability to confront problems, complex problems, and to design solutions to those problems. The ability to create is the most empowering thing that can happen to an individual. And I was part of that.
Dar nu am inteles in totalitate ce s-a intamplat cu mine la Swarthmore. Aveam o banuiala. Dar nu am realizat complet pana nu am inceput sa muncesc, si am inceput sa muncesc la Microsoft Corporation. Am facut parte din aceasta echipa -- din aceasta echipa care gandea si invata -- a carei sarcina era sa conceapa si sa implementeze noi software-uri care au creat lucruri de valoare in lume. Si a fost extraordinar sa fac parte din aceasta echipa. Extraordinar. Si atunci am realizat ce se intamplase cu mine la Swarthmore, transformarea -- capacitatea de a confrunta probleme, probleme complexe, si de a dezvolta solutii la acele probleme. Capacitatea de a crea este cel mai motivant lucru care i se poate intampla unui individ. Si eu am fost parte din asta.
Now, while I was at Microsoft, the annual revenues of that company grew larger than the GDP of the Republic of Ghana. And by the way, it's continued to. The gap has widened since I left. Now, I've already spoken about one of the reasons why this has occurred. I mean, it's the people there who are so hardworking, persistent, creative, empowered. But there were also some external factors: free markets, the rule of law, infrastructure. These things were provided by institutions run by the people that I call leaders. And those leaders did not emerge spontaneously. Somebody trained them to do the work that they do. Now, while I was at Microsoft, this funny thing happened. I became a parent. And for the first time, Africa mattered more to me than ever before. Because I realized that the state of the African continent would matter to my children and their children. That the state of the world -- the state of the world depends on what's happening to Africa, as far as my kids would be concerned.
In timpul in care am fost la Microsoft, veniturile anuale ale companiei au depasit produsul intern brut al Republicii Ghana. Si, apropo, cu trecerea timpului au continuat sa creasca. Diferenta s-a marit de cand am plecat. Deja am vorbit despre unul dintre motivele pentru care acest lucru s-a intimplat. Ma refer la faptul ca oamenii de acolo sunt atat de muncitori, de perseverenti, de creativi si atat de motivati. Dar sunt si niste factori externi: pietele libere, puterea legii, infrastructura. Aceste lucruri sunt oferite de institutii conduse de oameni pe care eu ii numesc lideri. Si acei lideri nu au aparut in mod spontan. Cineva i-a pregatit pentru a desfasura activitatile respective. Cat timp eram la Microsoft, s-a intamplat un lucru amuzant, Am devenit parinte. Si pentru prima data, Africa insemna pentru mine mai mult decat oricand inainte. Pentru ca am realizat ca starea continentului african va conta pentru copii mei si pentru copii lor. Ca starea lumii -- starea lumii depinde de ce se intampla cu Africa, din punctul de vedere al copiilor mei.
And at this time, when I was going through what I call my "pre-mid-life crisis," Africa was a mess. Somalia had disintegrated into anarchy. Rwanda was in the throes of this genocidal war. And it seemed to me that that was the wrong direction, and I needed to be back helping. I couldn't just stay in Seattle and raise my kids in an upper-middle class neighborhood and feel good about it. This was not the world that I'd want my children to grow up in. So I decided to get engaged, and the first thing that I did was to come back to Ghana and talk with a lot of people and really try to understand what the real issues were. And three things kept coming up for every problem: corruption, weak institutions and the people who run them -- the leaders.
Si in acest timp in care treceam prin ceea ce am numit "criza mea de dinaintea varstei a doua", Africa era in dezordine. Somalia se dezintegrase in anarhie. Rwanda era in agonia cauzata de razboiul genocid. Si mi se parea ca acea directie era una gresita si ca eu trebuie sa ma intorc sa acord o mana de ajutor. Nu puteam sa stau pur si simplu in Seattle si sa imi cresc copii intr-un cartier din patura medie-superioara si sa fiu mandru de asta. Nu era lumea in care vroiam sa creasca copii mei. Asa ca am decis sa ma implic si primul lucru pe care l-am facut a fost sa ma intorc in Ghana si sa vorbesc cu o multime de oameni si sa incerc cu adevarat sa inteleg care erau adevaratele probleme. Si trei lucruri se regaseau in fiecare probelema: coruptia, institutiile slabe si oamenii care le conduc -- liderii.
Now, I was a little scared because when you see those three problems, they seem really hard to deal with. And they might say, "Look, don't even try." But, for me, I asked the question, "Well, where are these leaders coming from? What is it about Ghana that produces leaders that are unethical or unable to solve problems?" So I went to look at what was happening in our educational system. And it was the same -- learning by rote -- from primary school through graduate school. Very little emphasis on ethics, and the typical graduate from a university in Ghana has a stronger sense of entitlement than a sense of responsibility. This is wrong.
La drept vorbind, eram un pic speriat, pentru ca atunci cand intalnesti aceste trei probleme ele par destul de greu de confruntat. Si unii ar spune sa stai linistit, nici sa nu incerci. Dar eu am ridicat intrebarea, "De unde vin acesti lideri?" Care este acel lucru la Ghana care produce lideri care sunt lipsiti de etica sau de capacitatea de a rezolva problemele?" Asa ca mi-am indreptat atentia catre ce se intampla in sistemul nostru educational. Si era la fel -- invatatul pe de rost -- de la scoala primara pana in facultate. Foarte putin accent pus pe etica. Si absolventul mediu, tipic al unei univeritati din Ghana are mai dezvoltat un simt al meritului decat simtul responsabilitatii. Asta nu este bine.
So I decided to engage this particular problem. Because it seems to me that every society, every society, must be very intentional about how it trains its leaders. And Ghana was not paying enough attention. And this is true across sub-Saharan Africa, actually. So this is what I'm doing now. I'm trying to bring the experience that I had at Swarthmore to Africa. I wish there was a liberal arts college in every African country. I think it would make a huge difference. And what Ashesi University is trying to do is to train a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders. We're trying to train leaders of exceptional integrity, who have the ability to confront the complex problems, ask the right questions, and come up with workable solutions.
Asa ca am decis sa abordez strict aceasta problema. Pentru ca mi se pare ca orice societate, orice societate trebuie sa fie foarte preocupata de cum isi dezvolta liderii. Si Ghana nu era foarte preocupata. Acest lucru este de fapt adevarat pentru toate tarile africane sub-sahariene. Asa ca asta fac acum. Incerc sa aduc experienta pe care am avut-o la Swarthmore in Africa. Imi doresc sa fie un colegiu de stiinte umaniste in orice tara africana. Cred ca ar fi foarte important. Si ceea ce Universitatea Ashesi incearca sa faca este sa dezvolte o generatie de lideri etici, intreprinzatori. Incercam sa cream lideri de o integritate exceptionala, care sa aiba abilitatea de a se confrunta cu probleme complexe, de a pune intrebarile corecte si de a veni cu solutii viabile.
I'll admit that there are times when it seems like "Mission: Impossible," but we must believe that these kids are smart. That if we involve them in their education, if we have them discuss the real issues that they confront -- that our whole society confronts -- and if we give them skills that enable them to engage the real world, that magic will happen. Now, a month into this project, we'd just started classes. And a month into it, I come to the office, and I have this email from one of our students. And it said, very simply, "I am thinking now." And he signs off, "Thank you." It's such a simple statement. But I was moved almost to tears because I understood what was happening to this young man. And it is an awesome thing to be a part of empowering someone in this way. I am thinking now.
O sa admit ca sunt momente care seamana cu "Misiune Imposibila". Dar trebuie sa credem ca acesti copii sunt destepti. Ca daca ii implicam in propria lor educatie, daca le punem in discutie adevaratele probleme cu care se confrunta -- cu care intreaga noastra societate se confrunta -- si daca le oferim cunostintele care sa le permita sa abordeze lumea reala, acea magie se va produce. Intr-o luna de cand incepusem proiectul, abia incepusem cursurile. Deci, dupa o luna, am ajuns la birou, si aveam un email de la unul din studenti. Spunea, foarte simplu, "Acum gandesc". Si incheie prin a spune "Va multumesc." Este un enunt foarte simplu. Dar am fost miscat pana la lacrimi pentru ca am inteles ce se intampla cu acest tanar. Si este cel mai minunat lucru sa fii parte din motivarea cuiva in acest fel. Acum gandesc.
This year we challenged our students to craft an honor code themselves. There's a very vibrant debate going on on campus now over whether they should have an honor code, and if so, what it should look like. One of the students asked a question that just warmed my heart. Can we create a perfect society? Her understanding that a student-crafted honor code constitutes a reach towards perfection is incredible. Now, we cannot achieve perfection, but if we reach for it, then we can achieve excellence. I don't know ultimately what they will do. I don't know whether they will decide to have this honor code. But the conversation they're having now -- about what their good society should look like, what their excellent society should look like, is a really good thing.
In acest an i-am provocat pe studentii nostri sa conceapa singuri un cod al onoarei. Este o dezbatere foarte vibranta care are loc acum in campus, daca ar trebui sa aiba un cod al onoarei, si daca da, cum ar trebui sa sune acesta. Unul dintre studenti a pus o intrebare care mi-a mers la inima. Putem crea o societate perfecta? Faptul ca a inteles ca un cod al onoarei facut de studenti constituie un pas catre perfectiune este incredibil. Adevarul este ca nu putem atinge perfectiunea. Dar daca facem pasi catre ea putem atinge excelenta. Nu stiu ce vor face in final. Nu stiu daca se vor decide sa aiba acest cod al onoarei. Dar discutiile pe care le poarta acum -- despre cum ar trebui sa arate buna lor societatea, despre cum ar trebui sa arate societatea lor excelenta -- este un lucru cu adevarat bun.
Am I out of time? OK. Now, I just wanted to leave that slide up because it's important that we think about it. I'm very excited about the fact that every student at Ashesi University does community service before they graduate. That for many of them, it has been a life-altering experience. These young future leaders are beginning to understand the real business of leadership, the real privilege of leadership, which is after all to serve humanity. I am even more thrilled by the fact that least year our student body elected a woman to be the head of Student Government. It's the first time in the history of Ghana that a woman has been elected head of Student Government at any university. It says a lot about her. It says a lot about the culture that's forming on campus. It says a lot about her peers who elected her. She won with 75 percent of the vote.
Am ramas fara timp? OK. Acum vreau sa las ecranul acela acolo pentru ca este important sa ne gandim la acel lucru. Sunt foarte incantat de faptul ca orice student al Universitatii Ashesi face munca in folosul comunitatii inainte de absolvire. Ca pentru multi dintre ei a fost o experienta care le-a schimbat viata. Acesti tineri, viitori lideri incep sa inteleaga adevarata menire a conducerii. Adevaratul privilegiu al conducerii, care este, pana la urma, sa serveasca omenirea. Sunt si mai incantat de faptul ca anul trecut corpul nostru de studenti a ales o femeie pentru functia de presedinte al Guvernului Studentilor. Este prima oara in istoria Ghanei cand o femeie a fost aleasa presedinte a Guvernului Studentilor la o universitate. Asta spune multe despre ea. Spune multe despre cultura care se dezvolta in campus. Spune multe despre colegii care au ales-o. A castigat prin 75% din voturi.
And it gives me a lot of hope. It turns out that corporate West Africa also appreciates what's happening with our students. We've graduated two classes of students to date. And every single one of them has been placed. And we're getting great reports back from corporate Ghana, corporate West Africa, and the things that they're most impressed about is work ethic. You know, that passion for what they're doing. The persistence, their ability to deal with ambiguity, their ability to tackle problems that they haven't seen before. This is good because over the past five years, there have been times when I've felt this is "Mission: Impossible."
Si asta imi da multe sperante. Se pare ca si corporatiile din vestul Africii apreciaza de asemenea ce se intampla cu studentii nostri. Pana azi avem doua generatii care au absolvit. Si fiecare dintre ei a fost repartizat undeva. Si primim inapoi vesti foarte bune de la corporatiile din Ghana, din Vestul Africii. Si lucrul care ii impresioneaza cel mai mult este etica muncii. Stiti, pasiunea pentru ceea ce fac. Perseverenta, abilitatea de a face fata ambiguitatii, abilitatea de a infrunta probleme pe care nu le-au mai intalnit pana atunci. Acesta este un lucru bun, stiti, in ultimii cinci ani au fost momente cand asta parea a fi "Misiune Imposibila".
And it's just wonderful to see these glimmers of the promise of what can happen if we train our kids right. I think that the current and future leaders of Africa have an incredible opportunity to drive a major renaissance on the continent. It's an incredible opportunity. There aren't very many more opportunities like this in the world. I believe that Africa has reached an inflection point with a march of democracy and free markets across the continent. We have reached a moment from which can emerge a great society within one generation. It will depend on inspired leadership. And it is my contention that the manner in which we train our leaders will make all the difference. Thank you, and God bless.
Si este minunat sa intrezarim, intr-un fel, aceste licariri ale sperantei de ce se poate intimpla daca ne educam copiii asa cum trebuie. Cred ca liderii actuali si viitori ai Africii au o sansa incredibila de a conduce o renastere pe continent. Este o sansa incredibila. Nu exista multe oportunitati precum aceasta in lume. Cred ca Africa a atins un punct de inflexiune cu marsuri ale democratiei si piete libere de-a lungul continentului. Am ajuns la un moment din care poate rasari o societate extraordinara in decurs de doar o generatie. Asta va depinde de o conducere inspirata. Si eu afirm ca maniera in care ne educam liderii va schimba cu totul situatia. Va multumesc si Dumnezeu sa va binecuvanteze.
(Applause)
(Aplauze)