The President: Thank you. (applause) Thank you so much. Madam Chairwoman, thank you
so much for your kind words and your leadership. To Prime Minister
Hailemariam, and the people of Ethiopia -- once again,
thank you for your wonderful hospitality and for
hosting this pan-African institution. (applause) To members of the African
Union, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen --
thank you for welcoming me here today. It is a great honor to be
the first President of the United States to address
the African Union. (applause) I'm grateful for this
opportunity to speak to the representatives of more than
one billion people of the great African continent. (applause) We're joined today by
citizens, by leaders of civil society, by faith
communities, and I'm especially pleased to see so
many young people who embody the energy and optimism
of today's Africa. Hello! Thank you for being here. (applause) I stand before you
as a proud American. I also stand before you
as the son of an African. (applause) Africa and its people helped
to shape America and allowed it to become the great
nation that it is. And Africa and its people
have helped shape who I am and how I see the world. In the villages in Kenya
where my father was born, I learned of my ancestors, and
the life of my grandfather, the dreams of my father, the
bonds of family that connect us all as Africans
and Americans. As parents, Michelle and I
want to make sure that our two daughters know their
heritage -- European and African, in all of its
strengths and all of its struggle. So we've taken our daughters
and stood with them on the shores of West Africa, in
those doors of no return, mindful that their ancestors
were both slaves and slave owners. We've stood with them in
that small cell on Robben Island where Madiba showed
the world that, no matter the nature of his physical
confinement, he alone was the master of his fate. (applause) For us, for our children,
Africa and its people teach us a powerful lesson -- that
we must uphold the inherent dignity of every
human being. Dignity -- that basic idea
that by virtue of our common humanity, no matter where we
come from, or what we look like, we are all born equal,
touched by the grace of God. (applause) Every person has worth. Every person matters. Every person deserves to be
treated with decency and respect. Throughout much of history,
mankind did not see this. Dignity was seen as a virtue
reserved to those of rank and privilege,
kings and elders. It took a revolution of the
spirit, over many centuries, to open our eyes to the
dignity of every person. And around the world,
generations have struggled to put this idea into
practice in laws and in institutions. So, too, here in Africa. This is the cradle of
humanity, and ancient African kingdoms were home
to great libraries and universities. But the evil of slavery took
root not only abroad, but here on the continent. Colonialism skewed Africa's
economy and robbed people of their capacity to shape
their own destiny. Eventually, liberation
movements grew. And 50 years ago, in a great
burst of self-determination, Africans rejoiced as foreign
flags came down and your national flags went up. (applause) As South Africa's Albert
Luthuli said at the time, "the basis for peace and
brotherhood in Africa is being restored by the
resurrection of national sovereignty and
independence, of equality and the dignity of man." A half-century into this
independence era, it is long past time to put aside old
stereotypes of an Africa forever mired in
poverty and conflict. The world must recognize
Africa's extraordinary progress. Today, Africa is one of the
fastest-growing regions in the world. Africa's middle class is
projected to grow to more than one billion consumers. (applause) With hundreds of millions
of mobile phones, surging access to the Internet,
Africans are beginning to leapfrog old technologies
into new prosperity. Africa is on the move, a
new Africa is emerging. Propelled by this progress,
and in partnership with the world, Africa has achieved
historic gains in health. The rate of new HIV/AIDS
infections has plummeted. African mothers are more
likely to survive childbirth and have healthy babies. Deaths from malaria have
been slashed, saving the lives of millions
of African children. Millions have been lifted
from extreme poverty. Africa has led the world in
sending more children to school. In other words, more and
more African men, women and children are living with
dignity and with hope. (applause) And Africa's progress
can also be seen in the institutions that bring
us together today. When I first came to
Sub-Saharan Africa as a President, I said that
Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs
strong institutions. (applause) And one of those
institutions can be the African Union. Here, you can come together,
with a shared commitment to human dignity
and development. Here, your 54 nations pursue
a common vision of an "integrated, prosperous
and peaceful Africa." As Africa changes, I've
called on the world to change its
approach to Africa. (applause) So many Africans have told
me, we don't want just aid, we want trade that
fuels progress. We don't want patrons, we
want partners who help us build our own
capacity to grow. (applause) We don't want the indignity
of dependence, we want to make our own choices and
determine our own future. As President, I've worked
to transform America's relationship with Africa
-- so that we're truly listening to our African
friends and working together, as equal partners. And I'm proud of the
progress that we've made. We've boosted American
exports to this region, part of trade that supports jobs
for Africans and Americans. To sustain our momentum --
and with the bipartisan support of some of the
outstanding members of Congress who are here today
-- 20 of them who are here today -- I recently signed
the 10-year renewal of the African Growth and
Opportunity Act. (applause) And I want to
thank them all. Why don't they stand very
briefly so you can see them, because they've done
outstanding work. (applause) We've launched major
initiatives to promote food security, and public health
and access to electricity, and to prepare the next
generation of African leaders and entrepreneurs
--investments that will help fuel Africa's rise
for decades to come. Last year, as the Chairwoman
noted, I welcomed nearly 50 African presidents and prime
ministers to Washington so we could begin a new
chapter of cooperation. And by coming to the African
Union today, I'm looking to build on that commitment. I believe Africa's rise
is not just important for Africa, it's important
to the entire world. We will not be able to meet
the challenges of our time -- from ensuring a strong
global economy to facing down violent extremism, to
combating climate change, to ending hunger and extreme
poverty -- without the voices and contributions
of one billion Africans. (applause) Now, even with Africa's
impressive progress, we must acknowledge that many of
these gains rest on a fragile foundation. Alongside new wealth,
hundreds of millions of Africans still endure
extreme poverty. Alongside high-tech hubs of
innovation, many Africans are crowded into shantytowns
without power or running water -- a level of poverty
that's an assault on human dignity. Moreover, as the youngest
and fastest-growing continent, Africa's
population in the coming decades will double to some
two billion people, and many of them will be
young, under 18. Now, on the one hand, this
could bring tremendous opportunities as these
young Africans harness new technologies and ignite
new growth and reforms. Economists will tell you
that countries, regions, continents grow faster
with younger populations. It's a demographic edge and
advantage -- but only if those young people
are being trained. We need only to look at the
Middle East and North Africa to see that large numbers of
young people with no jobs and stifled voices can fuel
instability and disorder. I suggest to you that the
most urgent task facing Africa today and for
decades ahead is to create opportunity for this
next generation. (applause) And this will be an
enormous undertaking. Africa will need to generate
millions more jobs than it's doing right now. And time is of the essence. The choices made today will
shape the trajectory of Africa, and therefore, the
world for decades to come. And as your partner and your
friend, allow me to suggest several ways that we
can meet this challenge together. Africa's progress will
depend on unleashing economic growth -- not just
for the few at the top, but for the many, because an
essential element of dignity is being able to
live a decent life. (applause) That begins with a job. And that requires
trade and investment. Many of your nations have
made important reforms to attract investment -- it's
been a spark for growth. But in many places across
Africa, it's still too hard to start a venture, still
too hard to build a business. Governments that take
additional reforms to make doing business easier will
have an eager partner in the United States. (applause) And that includes reforms to
help Africa trade more with itself -- as the Chairwoman
and I discussed before we came out here today --
because the biggest markets for your goods are
often right next door. You don't have to just look
overseas for growth, you can look internally. And our work to help Africa
modernize customs and border crossings started with the
East African Community -- now we're expanding
our efforts across the continent, because it
shouldn't be harder for African countries to trade
with each other than it is for you to trade with
Europe and America. (applause) Now, most U.S. trade with the region is
with just three countries -- South Africa, Nigeria and
Angola -- and much of that is in the form of energy. I want Africans and
Americans doing more business together in more
sectors, in more countries. So we're increasing trade
missions to places like Tanzania, Ethiopia
Mozambique. We're working to help more
Africans get their goods to market. Next year, we'll host
another U.S.-Africa Business Forum to mobilize billions
of dollars in new trade and investment -- so we're
buying more of each other's products and all
growing together. Now, the United States isn't
the only country that sees your growth as
an opportunity. And that is a good thing. When more countries invest
responsibly in Africa, it creates more jobs and
prosperity for us all. So I want to encourage
everybody to do business with Africa, and African
countries should want to do business with every country. But economic relationships
can't simply be about building countries'
infrastructure with foreign labor or extracting
Africa's natural resources. Real economic partnerships
have to be a good deal for Africa -- they have to
create jobs and capacity for Africans. (applause) And that includes the point
that Chairwoman Zuma made about illicit flows with
multinationals -- which is one of the reasons that
we've been a leading advocate, working with the
G7, to assist in making sure that there's honest
accounting when businesses are investing here in
Africa, and making sure that capital flows are
properly accounted for. That's the kind of
partnership America offers. Nothing will unlock Africa's
economic potential more than ending the cancer
of corruption. (applause) And you are right that it
is not just a problem of Africa, it is a problem of
those who do business with Africa. It is not unique to Africa
-- corruption exists all over the world, including
in the United States. But here in Africa,
corruption drains billions of dollars from economies
that can't afford to lose billions of dollars --
that's money that could be used to create jobs and
build hospitals and schools. And when someone has to pay
a bribe just to start a business or go to school, or
get an official to do the job they're supposed to be
doing anyway -- that's not "the African way." (applause) It undermines the dignity of
the people you represent. Only Africans can end
corruption in their countries. As African governments
commit to taking action, the United States will work
with you to combat illicit financing, and promote good
governance and transparency and rule of law. And we already have strong
laws in place that say to U.S. companies, you can't engage
in bribery to try to get business -- which not
all countries have. And we actually enforce
it and police it. And let me add that criminal
networks are both fueling corruption and threatening
Africa's precious wildlife -- and with it, the tourism
that many African economies count on. So America also stands with
you in the fight against wildlife trafficking. That's something that
has to be addressed. (applause) But, ultimately, the most
powerful antidote to the old ways of doing things is this
new generation of African youth. History shows that the
nations that do best are the ones that invest in the
education of their people. (applause) You see, in this information
age, jobs can flow anywhere, and they typically will
flow to where workers are literate and highly
skilled and online. And Africa's young people
are ready to compete. I've met them -- they are
hungry, they are eager. They're willing
to work hard. So we've got to
invest in them. As Africa invests
in education, our entrepreneurship programs
are helping innovators start new businesses and create
jobs right here in Africa. And the men and women in
our Young African Leaders Initiative today will be the
leaders who can transform business and civil society
and governments tomorrow. Africa's progress will
depend on development that truly lifts countries from
poverty to prosperity -- because people everywhere
deserve the dignity of a life free from want. A child born in Africa today
is just as equal and just as worthy as a child born in
Asia or Europe or America. At the recent development
conference here in Addis, African leadership helped
forge a new global compact for financing that
fuels development. And under the AU's
leadership, the voice of a united Africa will help
shape the world's next set of development goals, and
you're pursuing a vision of the future that you
want for Africa. And America's approach to
development -- the central focus of our engagement with
Africa -- is focused on helping you build your own
capacity to realize that vision. Instead of just shipping
food aid to Africa, we've helped more than two million
farmers use new techniques to boost their yields, feed
more people, reduce hunger. With our new alliance of
government and the private sector investing billions
of dollars in African agriculture, I believe we
can achieve our goal and lift 50 million
Africans from poverty. Instead of just sending aid
to build power plants, our Power Africa initiative
is mobilizing billions of dollars in investments from
governments and businesses to reduce the number of
Africans living without electricity. Now, an undertaking of this
magnitude will not be quick. It will take many years. But working together,
I believe we can bring electricity to more than 60
million African homes and businesses and connect more
Africans to the global economy. (applause) Instead of just telling
Africa, you're on your own, in dealing with climate
change, we're delivering new tools and financing to more
than 40 African nations to help them prepare and adapt. By harnessing the wind and
sun, your vast geothermal energy and rivers for
hydropower, you can turn this climate threat into
an economic opportunity. And I urge Africa to join
us in rejecting old divides between North and South so
we can forge a strong global climate agreement
this year in Paris. Because sparing some of the
world's poorest people from rising seas, more intense
droughts, shortages of water and food is a matter of
survival and a matter of human dignity. Instead of just sending
medicine, we're investing in better treatments and
helping Africa prevent and treat diseases. As the United States
continues to provide billions of dollars in the
fight against HIV/AIDS, and as your countries take
greater ownership of health programs, we're moving
toward a historic accomplishment -- the first
AIDS-free generation. (applause) And if the world learned
anything from Ebola, it's that the best way to prevent
epidemics is to build strong public health systems that
stop diseases from spreading in the first place. So America is proud to
partner with the AU and African countries
in this mission. Today, I can announce that
of the $1 billion that the United States is devoting
to this work globally, half will support efforts
here in Africa. (applause) I believe Africa's progress
will also depend on democracy, because Africans,
like people everywhere, deserve the dignity of being
in control of their own lives. (applause) We all know what the
ingredients of real democracy are. They include free and fair
elections, but also freedom of speech and the press,
freedom of assembly. These rights are universal. They're written into
African constitutions. (applause) The African Charter on Human
and Peoples Rights declares that "every individual
shall have the right to the respect of the dignity
inherent in a human being." From Sierra Leone, Ghana,
Benin, to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, democracy
has taken root. In Nigeria, more than 28
million voters bravely cast their ballots and power
transferred as it should -- peacefully. (applause) Yet at this very moment,
these same freedoms are denied to many Africans. And I have to proclaim,
democracy is not just formal elections. (applause) When journalists are put
behind bars for doing their jobs, or activists are
threatened as governments crack down on
civil society - (applause) -- then you may have
democracy in name, but not in substance. (applause) And I'm convinced that
nations cannot realize the full promise of independence
until they fully protect the rights of their people. And this is true even for
countries that have made important democratic
progress. As I indicated during
my visit to Kenya, the remarkable gains that
country has made with a new constitution, with its
election, cannot be jeopardized by restrictions
on civil society. Likewise, our host,
Ethiopians have much to be proud of -- I've been amazed
at all the wonderful work that's being done here --
and it's true that the elections that took place
here occurred without violence. But as I discussed with
Prime Minister Hailemariam, that's just the
start of democracy. I believe Ethiopia will not
fully unleash the potential of its people if journalists
are restricted or legitimate opposition groups can't
participate in the campaign process. And, to his credit, the
Prime Minister acknowledged that more work will need to
be done for Ethiopia to be a full-fledged,
sustainable democracy. (applause) So these are conversations
we have to have as friends. Our American democracy
is not perfect. We've worked for
many years -- (applause) -- but one thing we do is
we continually reexamine to figure out how can we make
our democracy better. And that's a force of
strength for us, being willing to look and see
honestly what we need to be doing to fulfill the promise
of our founding documents. And every country has to
go through that process. No country is perfect, but
we have to be honest, and strive to expand freedoms,
to broaden democracy. The bottom line is that when
citizens cannot exercise their rights, the world has
a responsibility to speak out. And America will, even if
it's sometimes uncomfortable - (applause) -- even when it's sometimes
directed toward our friends. And I know that there's some
countries that don't say anything - (laughter) -- and maybe that's easier
for leaders to deal with. (laughter) But you're kind of stuck
with us -- this is how we are. (applause) We believe in these things
and we're going to keep on talking about them. And I want to repeat, we do
this not because we think our democracy is perfect, or
we think that every country has to follow
precisely our path. For more than two centuries
since our independence, we're still working on
perfecting our union. We're not immune
from criticism. When we fall short of our
ideals, we strive to do better. (applause) But when we speak out for
our principles, at home and abroad, we stay true to our
values and we help lift up the lives of people
beyond our borders. And we think
that's important. And it's especially
important, I believe, for those of us of African
descent, because we've known what it feels like to be
on the receiving end of injustice. We know what it means to
be discriminated against. (applause) We know what it
means to be jailed. So how can we stand by when
it's happening to somebody else? I'll be frank with you, it
can't just be America that's talking about these things. Fellow African countries
have to talk about these things. (applause) Just as other countries
championed your break from colonialism, our nations
must all raise our voices when universal rights
are being denied. For if we truly believe
that Africans are equal in dignity, then Africans have
an equal right to freedoms that are universal -- that's
a principle we all have to defend. (applause) And it's not just a Western
idea; it's a human idea. I have to also say that
Africa's democratic progress is also at risk when leaders
refuse to step aside when their terms end. (applause) Now, let me be honest with
you -- I do not understand this. (laughter) I am in my second term. It has been an extraordinary
privilege for me to serve as President of the
United States. I cannot imagine a greater
honor or a more interesting job. I love my work. But under our Constitution,
I cannot run again. (laughter and applause) I can't run again. I actually think I'm a
pretty good President -- I think if I ran I could win. (laughter and applause) But I can't. So there's a lot that I'd
like to do to keep America moving, but the
law is the law. (applause) And no one person
is above the law. Not even the President. (applause) And I'll be honest with you
-- I'm looking forward to life after being President. (laughter) I won't have such a big
security detail all the time. (laughter) It means I can
go take a walk. I can spend time
with my family. I can find other
ways to serve. I can visit
Africa more often. (applause) The point is, I don't
understand why people want to stay so long. (laughter) Especially when they've
got a lot of money. (laughter and applause) When a leader tries to
change the rules in the middle of the game just to
stay in office, it risks instability and strife --
as we've seen in Burundi. (applause) And this is often just a
first step down a perilous path. And sometimes you'll hear
leaders say, well, I'm the only person who can hold
this nation together. (laughter) If that's true, then that
leader has failed to truly build their nation. (applause) You look at Nelson Mandela
-- Madiba, like George Washington, forged a lasting
legacy not only because of what they did in office, but
because they were willing to leave office and transfer
power peacefully. (applause) And just as the African
Union has condemned coups and illegitimate transfers
of power, the AU's authority and strong voice can also
help the people of Africa ensure that their leaders
abide by term limits and their constitutions. (applause) Nobody should be
president for life. And your country is better
off if you have new blood and new ideas. (applause) I'm still a pretty young
man, but I know that somebody with new energy and
new insights will be good for my country. (applause) It will be good for yours,
too, in some cases. Africa's progress will also
depend on security and peace -- because an essential part
of human dignity is being safe and free from fear. In Angola, Mozambique,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, we've seen conflicts end and
countries work to rebuild. But from Somalia and Nigeria
to Mali and Tunisia, terrorists continue to
target innocent civilians. Many of these groups claim
the banner of religion, but hundreds of millions of
African Muslims know that Islam means peace. (applause) And we must call groups like
al Qaeda, ISIL, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram -- we must call
them what they are -- murderers. (applause) In the face of threats,
Africa -- and the African Union --has shown
leadership. Because of the AU force
in Somalia, al-Shabaab controls less territory and
the Somali government is growing stronger. In central Africa, the
AU-led mission continues to degrade the Lord's
Resistance Army. In the Lake Chad Basin,
forces from several nations -- with the backing of the
AU -- are fighting to end Boko Haram's
senseless brutality. And today, we salute all
those who serve to protect the innocent, including
so many brave African peacekeepers. Now, as Africa stands
against terror and conflict, I want you to know that the
United States stands with you. With training and support,
we're helping African forces grow stronger. The United States is
supporting the AU's efforts to strengthen peacekeeping,
and we're working with countries in the region to
deal with emerging crises with the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership. The world must do
more to help as well. This fall at the United
Nations, I will host a summit to secure new
commitments to strengthen international support for
peacekeeping, including here in Africa. And building on commitments
that originated here in the AU, we'll work to develop a
new partnership between the U.N. and the AU that can provide
reliable support for AU peace operations. If African governments and
international partners step up with strong support, we
can transform how we work together to promote security
and peace in Africa. Our efforts to ensure our
shared security must be matched by a commitment
to improve governance. Those things are connected. Good governance is one of
the best weapons against terrorism and instability. Our fight against terrorist
groups, for example, will never be won if we fail
to address legitimate grievances that terrorists
may try to exploit, if we don't build trust with all
communities, if we don't uphold the rule of law. There's a saying, and I
believe it is true -- if we sacrifice liberty in the
name of security, we risk losing both. (applause) This same seriousness of purpose is needed to end conflicts. In the Central African
Republic, the spirit of dialogue recently shown by
ordinary citizens must be matched by leaders committed
to inclusive elections and a peaceful transition. In Mali, the comprehensive
peace agreement must be fulfilled. And leaders in Sudan must
know their nation will never truly thrive so long as they
wage war against their own people -- the world will
not forget about Darfur. In South Sudan, the joy of
independence has descended into the despair
of violence. I was there at the United
Nations when we held up South Sudan as the promise
of a new beginning. And neither Mr. Kiir, nor
Mr. Machar have shown, so far, any interest in sparing
their people from this suffering, or reaching
a political solution. Yesterday, I met with
leaders from this region. We agree that, given the
current situation, Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar must reach an
agreement by August 17th -- because if they do not, I
believe the international community must raise the
costs of intransigence. And the world awaits the
report of the AU Commission of Inquiry, because
accountability for atrocities must be part
of any lasting peace in Africa's youngest nation. (applause) And finally, Africa's
progress will depend on upholding the human rights
of all people -- for if each of us is to be treated with
dignity, each of us must be sure to also extend that
same dignity to others. As President, I make it a
point to meet with many of our Young African Leaders. And one was a young
man from Senegal. He said something wonderful
about being together with so many of his African
brothers and sisters. He said, "Here, I have met
Africa, the [Africa] I've always believed in. She's beautiful. She's young. She's full of talent and
motivation and ambition." I agree. Africa is the beautiful,
talented daughters who are just as capable
as Africa's sons. (applause) And as a father, I believe
that my two daughters have to have the same chance
to pursue their dreams as anybody's son -- and that
same thing holds true for girls here in Africa. (applause) Our girls have to
be treated the same. We can't let old traditions
stand in the way. The march of history shows
that we have the capacity to broaden our moral
imaginations. We come to see that some
traditions are good for us, they keep us grounded, but
that, in our modern world, other traditions
set us back. When African girls are
subjected to the mutilation of their bodies, or forced
into marriage at the ages of 9 or 10 or 11 --
that sets us back. That's not a good tradition. It needs to end. (applause) When more than 80 percent
of new HIV cases in the hardest-hit countries are
teenage girls, that's a tragedy; that sets us back. So America is beginning a
partnership with 10 African countries -- Kenya, Lesotho,
Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe -- to keep teenage girls
safe and AIDS-free. (applause) And when girls cannot go
to school and grow up not knowing how to read or write
-- that denies the world future women engineers,
future women doctors, future women business owners,
future women presidents -- that sets us all back. (applause) That's a bad tradition --
not providing our girls the same education as our sons. I was saying in Kenya,
nobody would put out a football team and then
just play half the team. You'd lose. (applause) The same is true when it
comes to getting everybody and education. You can't leave half the
team off -- our young women. So as part of America's
support for the education and the health of our
daughters, my wife, Michelle, is helping to lead
a global campaign, including a new effort in Tanzania
and Malawi, with a simple message -- Let Girls Learn
-- let girls learn so they grow up healthy and
they grow up strong. (applause) And that will be
good for families. And they will raise smart,
healthy children, and that will be good for every
one of your nations. Africa is the beautiful,
strong women that these girls grow up to become. The single best indicator
of whether a nation will succeed is how it
treats its women. (applause) When women have health care
and women have education, families are stronger,
communities are more prosperous, children do
better in school, nations are more prosperous. Look at the amazing African
women here in this hall. (applause) If you want your country to
grow and succeed, you have to empower your women. And if you want to empower
more women, America will be your partner. (applause) Let's work together to stop
sexual assault and domestic violence. Let's make clear that we
will not tolerate rape as a weapon of war
-- it's a crime. (applause) And those who commit
it must be punished. Let's lift up the next
generation of women leaders who can help fight injustice
and forge peace and start new businesses and create
jobs -- and some might hire some men, too. (laughter) We'll all be better off when
women have equal futures. And Africa is the beautiful
tapestry of your cultures and ethnicities and
races and religions. Last night, we saw this
amazing dance troupe made up of street children who had
formed a dance troupe and they performed for the
Prime Minister and myself. And there were 80 different
languages and I don't know how many ethnic groups. And there were like 30
different dances that were being done. And the Prime Minister was
trying to keep up with -- okay, I think that one is -- (laughter) -- and they were moving fast. And that diversity here in
Ethiopia is representative of diversity all
throughout Africa. (applause) And that's a strength. Now, yesterday, I had the
privilege to view Lucy -- you may know Lucy -- she's
our ancestor, more than 3 million years old. (applause) In this tree of humanity,
with all of our branches and diversity, we all go
back to the same root. We're all one family --
we're all one tribe. And yet so much of the
suffering in our world stems from our failure to remember
that -- to not recognize ourselves in each other. (applause) We think because somebody's
skin is slightly different, or their hair is slightly
different, or their religious faith is
differently expressed, or they speak a different
language that it justifies somehow us treating
them with less dignity. And that becomes the source
of so many of our problems. And we think somehow that
we make ourselves better by putting other people down. And that becomes the source
of so many of our problems. When we begin to see other
as somehow less than ourselves -- when we
succumb to these artificial divisions of faith or sect
or tribe or ethnicity -- then even the most awful
abuses are justified in the minds of those who are
thinking in those ways. And in the end, abusers lose
their own humanity, as well. (applause) Nelson Mandela taught us,
"to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains,
but to live in a way that respects and enhances
the freedom of others." Every one of us is equal. Every one of us has worth. Every one of us matters. And when we respect the
freedom of others -- no matter the color of their
skin, or how they pray or who they are or who they
love -- we are all more free. (applause) Your dignity depends on my
dignity, and my dignity depends on yours. Imagine if everyone had that
spirit in their hearts. Imagine if governments
operated that way. (applause) Just imagine what the world
could look like -- the future that we could
bequeath these young people. Yes, in our world, old
thinking can be a stubborn thing. That's one of the reasons
why we need term limits -- old people think old ways. And you can see my grey
hair, I'm getting old. (laughter) The old ways
can be stubborn. But I believe the human
heart is stronger. I believe hearts can change. I believe minds can open. That's how change happens. That's how societies
move forward. It's not always a straight
line -- step by halting step -- sometimes you go forward,
you move back a little bit. But I believe we are
marching, we are pointing towards ideals of
justice and equality. That's how your nations won
independence -- not just with rifles, but with
principles and ideals. (applause) That's how African Americans
won our civil rights. That's how South Africans --
black and white -- tore down apartheid. That's why I can stand
before you today as the first African American
President of the United States. (applause) New thinking. Unleashing growth that
creates opportunity. Promoting development that
lifts all people out of poverty. Supporting democracy that
gives citizens their say. Advancing the security and
justice that delivers peace. Respecting the human
rights of all people. These are the keys to
progress -- not just in Africa, but
around the world. And this is the work
that we can do together. And I am hopeful. As I prepare to return home,
my thoughts are with that same young man from Senegal,
who said: Here, I have met Africa, the [Africa]
I've always believed in. She's beautiful and
young, full of talent and motivation and ambition. To which I would simply add,
as you build the Africa you believe in, you will have no
better partner, no better friend than the United
States of America. (applause) God bless Africa. God bless the United
States of America. Thank you very
much, everybody. Thank you. (applause)
