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A UMNS Report
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
12:00 P.M. ET Oct. 7, 2011
United Methodist Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia,
Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen were
awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their work on women’s rights.
Johnson Sirleaf, a member of First United Methodist Church,
Monrovia, Liberia, in 2006 was the first woman to be elected a head of
state in modern Africa. She is up for re-election this month.
Bishop John Innis, who leads Liberia's 170,000 United Methodists,
has urged support for Johnson Sirleaf from the first days of her
presidency.
"You are going to be a sweet mother to us all," he said when a
delegation of United Methodists from the United States and Liberia met
with the new president on her third day in office.
She calls herself “Mama Ellen” and has made equality for women a
top priority. In her inauguration speech, she said: “Women have endured
injustices and inhumane treatment; yet, it is the women who have
labored and advocated for peace."
Johnson Sirleaf addresses the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2008.
A UMNS photo by Maile Bradfield.
View in Photo Gallery
She thanked the women in Liberia who "had an unmatched passion"
for her candidacy. She said she would work to make sure women had their
proper place in the economic process.
Johnson Sirleaf addressed the United Methodist 2008 General Conference.
“This is a special honor for me,” she said. “I am the first African
leader and the first female president to address the General Conference
of The United Methodist Church.”
She was the first recipient of the James K. and Eunice Mathews
Bridge Builder Award, which was created to honor a person “who has
played a significant role in building global community and dismantling
barriers that separate people.”
In a statement released after she learned of her award, Johnson
Sirleaf said progress has been made in the last five years of her
presidency and a new foundation for Liberia has been built.
“Dear Liberians, as we look at the work that must still be done,
let us not forget that we are at peace with ourselves and our
neighboring countries. Liberia is no longer a place where its people
are fleeing in the thousands. On the contrary, Liberia is a country
that Liberians and the world are returning to.”
“I can think of no one who is more deserving than Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This award is powerful
example of the impact of women as peace builders,” said Thomas Kemper,
top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
“Global Ministries has a strong relationship with Liberia on issues of
peace and we have been so encouraged by the bishop of Liberia who is
the vice president of our board. I join United Methodists around the
world in congratulating Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and
Tawakul Karman on this extraordinary honor.”
United Methodist Bishop John Innis escorts Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after
her address to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. A UMNS file
photo by Mike DuBose.
View in Photo Gallery
Bishop Peter D. Weaver, Boston area, was part of the delegation from
the U.S. who attended Johnson Sirleaf’s inauguration in 2006. Hearing
of her award he said, “She is a great example of the influence of the
Prince of Peace, Jesus, on a life that has been dedicated to bringing
people together, nations together as a reflection of her own commitment
to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.”
The three prizewinners share the 2011 award "for their nonviolent
struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full
participation in peace-building work," Norwegian Nobel Committee
president Thorbjoern Jagland said in his announcement.
"We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless
women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at
all levels of society," he added.
Karman heads the human rights group Women Journalists Without
Chains. Gbowee organized a group of Christian and Muslim women to
challenge Liberia’s warlords.
* Gilbert is a multimedia reporter for the young adult content team at United Methodist Communications, Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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