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My calling was first of all to ensure there was peace in the country, because we could easily have gone back to war. In the midst of the country, there were still warlords; there were many child soldiers who had never gone to school - they were part of the social setting - compromises had to be made.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of peace and the complexities involved in achieving it in a society affected by war.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reflects on her duty to foster peace in a nation on the brink of war, highlighting the challenges posed by existing warlords and uneducated child soldiers. She acknowledges the need for compromises to establish a stable and peaceful society amidst a backdrop of conflict.

Themes

PeaceWarCompromiseChildrenSocietyLeadership

In practice

Example use cases

During a peace conference, I shared a powerful quote by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to emphasize the importance of compromise in rebuilding nations after conflict.

More from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Future generations will judge us _x000D_ not by what we say, but what we do.
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In terms of being able to renew my nation, to be able to be able to bring back a devastated country, to restore hope to our people, to lift women and to give them a new horizon, a new ambition and new dreams, in respect of all of that, I think we've accomplished it, and I feel very good about that.
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The people of Liberia know what it means to be deprived of clean water, but we also know what it means to see our children to begin to smile again with a restoration of hope and faith in the future.
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I would like to make sure, first of all, that our women in the informal sector - I mean, these are the farmers and the traders; many of them are not educated, many of them lacking literacy - be able to give them better working conditions. And we've done a lot to be able to achieve that.
Ellen Johnson SirleafRead
I work hard, I work late, I have nothing on my conscience. When I go to bed, I sleep.
Ellen Johnson SirleafRead
As more men become more educated and women get educated, the value system has to be more enhanced and the respect for human dignity and human life is made better.
Ellen Johnson SirleafRead

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