[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15663]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF PRESIDENT ELLEN SIRLEAF JOHNSON

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                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 14, 2011

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
congratulate the President of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, for 
recently being awarded the Noble Peace Prize for 2011. She was given 
the award in conjunction with peace activist Leymah Gbowee and pro-
democracy campaigner Tawakkol Karman. The trio was recognized for their 
nonviolent role in promoting peace, democracy, and gender equality.
  In typical fashion, President Sirleaf gave credit to the Liberian 
people, ``For we are now going into our ninth year of peace and every 
Liberian has contributed to it. We particularly give this credit to 
Liberian women, who have consistently led the struggle for peace, even 
under conditions of neglect.''
  South Carolina has a special relationship with Liberia many founders 
of the Republic of Liberia having a South Carolina heritage. I know 
firsthand the mutual affection of the people of our two countries in 
that I was present for the re-opening of the AME University in Monrovia 
where my constituent African Methodist Episcopal Bishop David Daniels 
of West Columbia, presided with Pastor Ronnie Brailsford of Bethel 
AlVIE, Columbia, SC. Appropriately Bishop Daniels is the Bishop of the 
Diocese of South Carolina and Liberia.
  Her leadership has proven instrumental in restoring democracy and 
lasting peace in Liberia which had been devastated by Civil War. 
President George W. Bush was effective in demanding abdication by the 
murderous dictator Charles Taylor.

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