Highlights of the 1991 Africa Prize

Address by Joan Holmes

Global Executive Director of The Hunger Project

On the occasion of the Africa Prize award ceremony - 19 September 1991, London

Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Babangida, Dr. Maathai, honoured guests, Hunger Project Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be with you on the occasion of the fifth annual award ceremony of the Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger.

It is a particular pleasure for me to participate here this evening with so many distinguished friends of Africa. I know that many of you have dedicated your lives to Africa and are here to express your solidarity and partnership.

This is the first time that the Africa Prize has been awarded in a location other than New York.

Given the long-standing and historic association between the people of the United Kingdom and the people and nations of Africa, it is indeed fitting that London be the venue for this year's event. It is also appropriate that the Africa prize ceremony should come to Europe -- a continent whose continued partnership with Africa is critical particularly in this last decade of the twentieth century.

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, we are here this evening to honor leadership -- bold, courageous, visionary leadership for the end of the persistence of hunger.

It is therefore a distinct privilege to have this opportunity to congratulate and acknowledge two outstanding leaders from the African continent -- the 1991 Africa Prize laureates, Mrs. Maryam Babangida and Dr. Wangari Maathai.

Both Mrs Babangida - the first lady of Nigeria - and Dr. Maathai have dedicated their lives to expanding the frontiers of people's participation in their own development.

They have been unyielding in their commitment to charting a new future and a new direction for Africa -- one in which the empowerment of people - especially women - is given the highest priority.

They are inspiring examples for all those in Africa who are striving to produce creative and imaginative solutions to the problems of hunger and poverty.

Mrs. Babangida. Dr. Maathai. May I, on behalf of The Hunger Project, extend to you our warmest congratulations on being awarded the 1991 Africa Prize for Leadership.

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, as we are all well aware, Africa faces enormous challenges in its development. Today, one-quarter of all the hungry people in the world -- nearly 200 million -- live in Africa. Almost two-thirds of Africa's people lack access to safe water. Almost one-half of Africa's population has no access to basic health services. And, every minute of every day, ten African children die needlessly from hunger and starvation.

When we also consider the problems of mounting debt, environmental degradation and rapid population growth, we can begin to conceive the magnitude of the challenges Africa faces.

These challenges are great. But the will and determination of the African people are greater. Beginning with the lagos plan of action in 1980, Africans have formally asserted that it is they who are responsible for meeting these challenges. Africans are providing the vision, developing the strategies, and building the institutions that are critical to calling forth a future of self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

They recognize that among their priority actions, they must increase investment in human resources; increase agricultural production and productivity; promote economic growth, while emphasizing measures that reduce poverty and assure a sustainable environment; empower the role of women in all sectors of society; and encourage participation at the grassroots level.

To achieve this profound economic and social transformation demands extraordinary leadership at all levels of society.

Recent world events in Europe, Africa and the Soviet Union have dramatically demonstrated that the leadership that is needed to resolve today's problems is leadership that empowers individuals to author their own destiny and direct their own development.

The Africa Prize intends to engender this kind of leadership -- leadership of exceptional vision, courage and commitment -- leadership willing to take bold and decisive action.

In awarding this prize, The Hunger Project intends to acknowledge leaders who recognize that the key to Africa's future lies in the empowerment of Africa's people.

In awarding this prize, The Hunger Project pays tribute to leaders who invest in the health, education, productivity and creativity of the people of Africa.

Above all, the prize intends to honor and empower leadership that is committed to enabling people to satisfy their most basic human right -- the right to freedom from hunger.

Mr. Chairman, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, in their struggle for economic and social liberation, Africa's leaders and people recognize that it is they who will chart the direction, create the vision and engender a new sense of purpose.

At the same time, as was re-affirmed last week by the United Nations General Assembly, those of us in the international community must recognize that Africa deserves our support and our partnership.

In an increasingly interdependent world, the fortunes of Africa affect us all -- the challenges facing Africa are also our challenges; we have a stake in Africa's future.

As a community of nations and peoples, we can and must create an authentic partnership with Africa.

We can and must bring Africa to the forefront of world attention.

We can and must create an opportunity for the world to relate to Africa not solely as a continent of problems, difficulties and crises, but also as a continent of extraordinary capacity, promise and opportunity.

Therefore this evening, as we celebrate African leadership, let us reaffirm our commitment to stand in partnership with the people of Africa in creating a future that will benefit not only the African continent but the entire world community.

Mr. Chairman ladies and gentlemen, it is in this spirit of solidarity and partnership with Africa that the hunger project is privileged to award the Africa prize for leadership for the sustainable end of hunger.

I thank you.