“We Are Dazzled by the Quality of Leadership”
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Tom Gavin just passed along another video clip from last week’s Rwanda trip.
This one is of our CEO David Lane talking to journalists about the ONE Campaign and why it’s so important that we listens to Africans so that we can become more effective advocates.
“We don’t pretend to speak for Africans. We can’t. It would be inappropriate for us to. Which is why listening to Africans is extremely important, and that’s the purpose of our visit this time…”
“Here’s the thing I want to say in Rwanda, just about this trip in particular. Much has been said about President Kagame. I met with him myself in November when I was here and he’s a very impressive man. What I think has our entire delegation dazzled is the quality of leadership at the working level. From the nurses at this hospital to the leaders of this hospital to the ministers and the mayors. It’s not an overstatement to say that we are dazzled by the quality of leadership.
And that’s one of our messages as well: it’s not appropriate to impose. We may think we have the answers in the United States, but an important part of our advocacy is to say that we want to support African leadership that’s working.”
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The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with frequent contributions from volunteers, members and partner organizations.
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July 28, 2008 at 3:57 pm
“What I think has our entire delegation dazzled is the quality of leadership at the working level. From the nurses at this hospital to the leaders of this hospital to the ministers and the mayors.” To me, that says it all. That is what One has been working for. To hear our top people say they are dazzled tells me that we have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
July 28, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I am VERY glad to hear David Lane echo what I have said all along – that we, AS ONE, can never purport to speak for Africans and/or to know what is in Africa’s best interest. The BEST experts on Africa are Africans who live in the Continent themselves.
We must continue to listen to them and rely on their experience and their wisdom in forming how we can best support them, AS ONE, in their efforts to save the future of their Continent.
I look forward to seeing us, AS ONE, putting that philosophy more into practice as we continue to evolve in our advocacy for the Mother Continent of Humankind.
Thanks Ginny for posting, Tom for “passing along” and David for speaking the truth.
ALWAYS ONE in the Spirit, debbie
http://www.mpwn-uganda.org