长红有限工司:【双语阅读】美国总统奥巴马在加纳议会的演讲[]

 美国总统奥巴马在加纳议会的演讲全文
Jul 16, 2009

美国总统奥巴马7月11日访问加纳，并在首都阿克拉向加纳议会发表演讲。以下是演讲全文，由美国国务院国际信息局（IIP）翻译。

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 白宫

新闻秘书办公室

2009年7月11日

总统在加纳议会发表演讲

阿克拉国际会议中心(Accra International Conference Center)

加纳阿拉克

格林尼治标准时间下午12时40分总统：（小号鸣奏）很好听。谢谢你们。谢谢你们。我觉得美国国会也需要这样一把号。（笑声）声音很不错。好似路易斯·阿姆斯特朗（Louis Armstrong）的声音。（笑声）

各位下午好。来到阿克拉并对代表加纳人民的诸位议员发表讲话令我深感荣幸。（掌声）我对受到的欢迎深表感谢，米歇尔、马莉娅和萨莎·奥巴马也深怀谢意。加纳的历史悠久，我们两国之间的联系紧密，我对这是我作为美国总统第一个访问的撒哈拉沙漠以南国家感到荣幸。（掌声）

我要感谢议长女士和众议院全体议员今天对我们的接待。我要感谢米尔斯（Mills）总统的卓越领导。前总统——杰瑞·罗林斯（Jerry Rawlings）和库福尔（Kufuor）——副总统和首席大法官——感谢你们所有人的盛情款待，感谢你们在加纳建立了这样优秀的机制。

我是在一次远途出访的结尾对你们发表演讲。我首先抵达俄罗斯出席了两个大国的峰会，随后前往意大利参加世界主要经济体会议。我来到加纳是基于一个简单的原因：21世纪的走势不仅取决于在罗马、莫斯科或华盛顿发生的情况，而且取决于在阿卡拉发生的事。（掌声）

这是一个人民之间的联系大大超越国界的时代的实情。你们的繁荣能够扩大美国的繁荣。你们的健康和安全能够增进全世界的健康和安全。你们的民主的力量有助于促进各地人民的人权。

因此，我不认为非洲的国家和人民身处另外一个世界；我将非洲视为我们紧密相连的世界的一个基本组成部分——（掌声）——视为为子孙后代建设所希望的未来而努力的美国的伙伴。这种伙伴关系必须建立在共同承担责任和相互尊重的基础上。这就是今天我要和你们谈论的主题。

我们必须以非洲的前途取决于非洲人民这个简明的前提为出发点。

我在这样说的同时，完全了解令世界这个地区有时难以释怀的苦难史。毕竟，我有着非洲血统，我的家庭——（掌声）——我家庭的自身历程体现着更广义的非洲历程的苦难和成功。

你们有些人知道我的祖父在肯尼亚给英国人当过厨子，尽管他在自己的村子里是一位德高望重的长者，却在有生之年的大部分时间中一直被雇主唤作“伙计”。他身处肯尼亚解放斗争的边缘，但仍在镇压时期遭到短时间的囚禁。在他的生活中，殖民主义不仅仅是人为划定的疆界或不公平的贸易规则——而且也是他的自身经历，日复一日，年复一年。

我父亲从小在一个小村子里放羊，与他后来留学所到的美国高等院校之间有着似乎遥不可及的距离。他在非洲出现非凡前景的时期长大成人。他父亲那一代人的奋斗促成了新国家的诞生，首先就是加纳。（掌声）非洲人民以新的方式教育和伸张自己，历史在前进。

然而，尽管已经取得了进展——非洲很多地区取得了相当大的进展，但我们知道上述前景还远远没有付诸实现。在我出生时，肯尼亚等国的人均经济规模大于韩国。现在他们被远远地甩在后面。疾病和冲突使非洲大陆的部分地区惨遭蹂躏。

在很多地方，我父亲那一代人的希望变成了悲观怀疑，甚至绝望。将这些问题归咎于他人很容易。是的，很不合理的殖民版图滋生了冲突。西方往往将非洲视为保护对象和获取资源的一个来源，而不是伙伴。但西方没有造成过去十年来津巴布韦的经济解体，也没有引发招募儿童当兵的战争。在我父亲的一生中，独立的肯尼亚国长期存在的宗族主义、权势相通和裙带关系在很长时间内使他的事业发展遭受挫折，而我们知道，这种腐败现象仍是无数人每天都要面对的生活现实。

但是，我们也知道这并非全部情况。在加纳，你们向我们展示了被只看到悲剧或援助需求的世界所忽视的非洲的另一面。加纳人民通过艰苦努力巩固了民主的根基，一次次完成和平的权力移交，即使是在经过势均力敌、竞争激烈的选举以后。（掌声）我能否顺便说一句，少数派为此应当得到同多数派一样的赞誉。（掌声）随着治理的改善和公民社会的形成，加纳的经济已显示出令人赞叹的增长率。（掌声）

这种进步可能不像20世纪的自由斗争那样澎湃激荡，但毋庸置疑：它最终将具有更重大的意义。因为摆脱他国的控制固然重要，但建设自己的国家更为重要。

因此，我相信，对加纳和非洲而言，此时此刻与我父亲长大成人、新国家诞生的那个时期同样充满希望。这是一个充满巨大希望的新时刻。只是这一次我们知道，决定非洲前途的将不是恩克鲁玛（Nkrumah）和肯尼亚塔（Kenyatta）这样的巨人，而是你们——加纳议会的男女议员——（掌声）——和你们所代表的人民。才华横溢、朝气蓬勃、充满希望的年轻人将把握过去多少代人所不曾想见的前途。

为实现这一前景，我们必须首先认清一个已经在加纳得到体现的真理：发展取决于良政。（掌声）这是太多的地区太久以来一直缺乏的一个因素。这种改变将能够释放出非洲的潜能。而这一责任只能由非洲人民承担。

对美国和西方而言，我们的承诺不能仅仅由我们提供的美元来衡量。我已经保证大幅增加我国的对外援助，这符合非洲的利益和美国的利益。但成功的真正标志，不在于我们是否是一个帮人勉强度日的永久的援助源泉，而在于我们是否是一个为实现改天换地的变化而进行能力建设的伙伴。 （掌声）

这种共同的责任必须成为我们伙伴关系的基础。今天，我将重点论述对非洲和整个发展中世界的前途至关重要的四个领域：民主、机遇、健康以及和平解决争端。

首先，我们必须支持强有力并可持续的民主政府。（掌声）

如同我在开罗所说，每个国家都以自己的方式、按自己的传统赋予民主生命力。但历史作出了明确的结论：尊重本国人民意愿的政府，基于民意而非采取胁迫手段施政的政府，比不这样做的政府更兴旺、更稳定、更成功。

这不仅涉及举行选举的问题，而且也涉及两次选举之间的状况。（掌声）压制可以表现为多种形式，有太多的国家，甚至连有选举制度的国家，都遭到使人民陷入贫困的各种困扰。没有任何一个国家——如果领导人巧取豪夺，自顾发财、如果警察可以被贩毒分子收买，会创造财富（掌声）。没有企业愿意到政府搜刮20%的地方去投资——（掌声）——或在海关首脑搞腐败的地方去投资。谁也不愿生活在法治让位于暴虐和行贿的地方。（掌声）那不是民主，那是暴政，??便那些地方偶尔也会搞一、两次选举。现在应该是这种施政模式终结的时候了。（掌声）

在21世纪，有能力、可靠、透明的体制是取得成功的关键——强有力的议会、正直的警察部队、独立的法官——（掌声），独立的媒体、充满活力的民营行业和公民社会。（掌声）这些成分赋予民主生命力，因为这些才是关系到人们每天的生活。

加纳人民一再选择宪政而摈弃独裁统治，由此表现出的民主精神，使贵国人民的能量得以迸发。（掌声）我们从体面承认失败的领导人身上看到了这种精神——昨晚我下飞机时，米尔斯总统的对手们站在他的身旁一起迎接我的这一事实，充分说明了加纳是一个什么样的国家——（掌声）；胜利者拒绝响应要求以不公正的方式运用权力对付反对派的呼声。我们从冒着生命危险报道真相的阿纳斯（Anas Aremeyaw Anas）这样的勇敢的新闻记者身上看到了这种精神。我们也从协助起诉加纳第一个人口贩子的奎耶（Patence Quaye）这样的警官身上看到了这种精神。（掌声） 我们从勇于反对政治裙带、要求参与政治进程的年轻人身上看到了这种精神。

在整个非洲，我们看到人们掌握自己命运、自下而上实行变革的无数例子。我们在肯尼亚看到了，在那里，公民社会和工商界联手，共同帮助制止选后暴力。我们在南非看到了，在那里，超过四分之三的选民参加了最近的投票选举，这是南非结束种族隔离以来的第四次选举。我们在津巴布韦看到了，在那里，选举支持网（Election Support Network）不顾残酷镇压，坚决维护选举是人的神圣权利的原则。

毋庸置疑：历史站在勇敢的非洲人的一边，而不是站在那些搞政变或通过修宪延长权力的人一边。（掌声） 非洲不需要铁腕人物，非洲需要强有力的体制。（掌声）

美国不会谋求把任何政体强加给任何国家。民主的实质是每个国家的命运都应由自己来决定。但美国要做的是：增加对负责任的个人和负责任的机构的援助，注重支持良政——注重制约滥权和确保反对派声音的议会——（掌声）；注重法治，以确保司法平等；注重公民参与，以便年轻人加入进来；注重法务会计和服务自动化等解决腐败问题的具体措施——（掌声）——加强热线，保护揭发人以推进透明度和问责制。

我们提供这样的支持。我已指示我的政府，在我们的人权报告中更多关注腐败问题。普天下的人们都应有权创??或受教育而无须行贿。（掌声）我们有责任支持行为负责者，而孤立那些行为不负责者。这也正是美国所要做的。

由此将我们带到第二个合作领域：支持发展，为更多人提供机会。

通过实行更好的治理，我毫不怀疑非洲有着更普遍繁荣的前景。请亲眼看一看非洲人在我的国家──美国──取得的非凡成就。他们在大有作为。所以，他们有才能，他们有创业精神。问题是，我们如何确保他们能在这里、在自己本国获得成功？非洲大陆自然资源丰富。从生产手机的企业家到小型农场主，非洲人显示出创造自身机会的能力与决心。但旧有的习惯也必须破除。依赖于商品──或单一的出口──倾向于使财富集中在少数人手中，会使人非常容易受到经济衰退的影响。

因此，以加纳为例。石油带来巨大机会，你们一直以负责任的方式规划新的财政收入。但正如许多加纳人知道的那样，石油无法一下子变成新的可可粉。无论是韩国至还是新加坡，历史表明：当一些国家投资于自己的人民及其基础设施──(掌声)，当它们促进多种出口工业、培养技术熟练的劳动大军、并为创造就业机会的中小型企业开辟发展空间时，这些国家就兴旺发达。

在非洲人争取这一希望的过程中，美国将更负责地伸出援手。通过减少支付给西方顾问和管理的费用，我们希望把更多的资源交付到所需要的人手中；与此同时，提供培训，使人们更加自力更生。(掌声)这就是35亿美元的粮食安全计划为什么把重点放在为农民提供新方法和新技术的原因──不仅仅是把美国的生产商或商品送往非洲。援助本身不是目的。外国援助的目的必须是创造出不再需要这一援助的环境。我希望看到加纳人民不但在粮食方面自给自足，我希望看到你们把粮食向其他国家出口并获得收入。你们能够做到这点。(掌声)

美国也能为促进贸易与投资作更多努力。富裕国家必须以有意义的方式向来自非洲的商品和服务打开大门。这将是我这届美国政府的承诺。在实行优质治理的地方，我们可以通过为道路和电力投资的政府与民间的伙伴关系、通过进行能力建设使人民学习经营、通过让金融服务不仅面向城市而且也发展到贫穷和农村地区，来实现更广泛的繁荣。这也符合我们自身的利益──因为如果人民摆脱贫困íó在非洲创造了财富，猜一猜会怎么样──这将为我们自己的商品开辟新市场。因此它对双方都有利。

一个既带来无法回避的危险又带来非凡希望的领域是能源。非洲释放的温室气体比起世界任何其他地区都少，但它是受到气候变化威胁最严重的地区。一个正在变暖的地球会传播疾病、缩减水资源、摧毁庄稼，从而造成产生更多饥荒和更多冲突的环境。我们大家──尤其是发达世界──有责任通过缓解问题和改变我们使用能源的方式，延缓这一趋势。但我们也能通过与非洲人民合作来把这场危机转变成机会。

携起手来，我们可以为我们的星球和我们的繁荣而合作，并帮助一些国家获得更多电力，同时跳过──超越较污染的发展阶段。请想想看：非洲各地有丰富的风力和太阳能、地热能和生物燃料。从裂谷至北非沙漠，从西海岸至南非的庄稼地，非洲无穷无尽的大自然的恩赐能够发出自己所需的电力，同时还可向其他地区出口可赢利的洁净能源。

这些举措要比商业报表上的增长数字来得更有意义。它们关系到有文化的年轻人是否得以就业养家，农民是否能够使其产品走向市场，有创意的企业家是否能够开业。它们关系到劳动的尊严；它们关系到21世纪非洲人民必须具有的机会。

正如政体对机会十分重要一样，它对我要谈及的第三个领域也同样重要，即加强公共卫生健康。

近年来，非洲一些地区已取得巨大成就。有比过去多得多的艾滋病患者或艾滋病病毒携带者在过着积极的生活，并得到他们所需的药物治疗。我刚参观了一所了不起的妇产科诊所和医院。然而，仍有许多人死于不应致命的疾病。当儿童因蚊子叮咬而死亡，当母亲因生产而死亡时，我们知道，必须有更大进步。

然而，由于一些鼓励措施——通常来自捐助国——许多非洲国家的医生和护士走向海外，或为专攻单一疾病的项目工作。这导致在基本医疗和基本预防方面出现差距。与此同时，每个非洲人也必须作出负责任的选择，防止疾病扩散，并且促进自己社区和国家的公共卫生健康。

在非洲各地，我们看到人们解决这些问题的典范。在尼日利亚，基督徒和穆斯林所进行的跨信仰努力为抗击疟疾树立了合作的典范。在加纳和整个非洲，我们看到各种用以弥补医护不足的创新办法——例如，通过电子健康行动计划，使大城市的医生能够协助小乡??的医生。

美国将通过一项全球综合健康战略来支持这些努力，因为在21世纪，不仅良知，而且共同的利益，要求我们采取行动；因为，当一名儿童在阿克拉死于原本可预防的疾病时，我们所有各地人都变得渺小；当疾病在世界任何角落得以任意流行时，我们知道它能够飘洋过海，传播到各大洲。

因此，本届政府已承诺630亿美元，以迎接这些挑战——630亿美元。（掌声）我们将继续发展布什总统作出的重大努力，推进防治艾滋病。我们将致力于结束由疟疾和结核病所导致的死亡，我们将为消灭小儿麻痹症而努力。（掌声）我们将抗击——我们将防治被忽略的热带疾病。我们不会孤立地与疾病作斗争——我们将投资于公共卫生系统，增强体质，注重母婴健康。（掌声）

为了更健康的未来，我们还必须遏制来自人类而非疾病本身所带来的破坏——因此我最后要谈到的领域是冲突。

让我明确表示：非洲不是拙劣漫画式的战争无休止的大陆。然而，如果我们坦诚面对现实，对于无数非洲人来说，冲突已成为生活的一部分，如同太阳一样永恒。有围绕土地的战争，有围绕资源的战争。那些没有良知的人仍能够过于轻而易举地操纵整个社区卷入信仰和部落冲突。

这些冲突是非洲脖子上的沉重枷锁。我们都有很多种身份认同——有部落和种族的，有宗教和国籍的。然而，在21世纪，那种靠与不同部落的人或者与信仰不同先知的人作对而界定自己的势力是没有立足之地的。（掌声）非洲的多元化应是力量的源泉，而不是分裂的原因。我们都是上帝的子民。我们拥有共同的理想——生活在和平与安全之中；能接受教育，享有机会；热爱我们的家人和我们的社区以及我们的信仰。这是我们人类的共性。

因此，我们必须挑战世界上非人性的行为。以意识形态的名义攻击无辜是绝非正当——绝无道理的。（掌声）强迫儿童参战是社会的自杀。使妇女遭受残酷和蓄意强暴，是彻头彻尾的犯罪和懦夫行为标志。我们必须确保达尔富尔每个儿童的宝贵生命，确保刚果每位妇女的尊严。任何信仰或文化都不能宽恕对妇幼施加的暴行。我们所有人必须为进步所必需的和平与安全而奋斗。

非洲人正在奋起迎接这一未来。又一次，在加纳这里，我们看到你们帮助指出了前进的方向。加纳人应当为自己对从刚果、到利比亚、到黎巴嫩的维持和平努力所作的贡献——（掌声）——以及你们为抵制毒品贸易的祸害所作的努力而感到自豪。（掌声）我们欢迎非洲联盟（African Union）和西非国家经济共同体（ECOWAS）等组织为更好地解决冲突、保卫和平和帮助有需人口而正在采取的步骤。我们鼓励关于建立一个强大的区域安全结构的设想，使之能够在必要时发挥有效的跨国力量。

美国有责任作为合作伙伴与你们共同推进这一愿景，不只用语言，而且提供支持，加强非洲的能力。当达尔富尔发生种族大屠杀或索马里出现恐怖主义分子时，这不仅仅是非洲的问题，而是也是对全球安全的挑战，需要全球性的应对措施。

这就是为什么我们随时准备通过外交和技术协助及后勤支持展开合作，我们并将支持惩罚战争罪犯的努力。让我明确表示：我国非洲司令部（Africa Command）不是为在非洲大陆建立基地，而是为应对这些共同的挑战，以加强美国、非洲和世界的安全。（掌声）

我在莫斯科谈到有必要建立一个尊重世界人权、反对践踏人权的国际制度。这必须包括承诺支持以和平方式解决冲突的人，制裁和制止不这样做的人，并帮助那些受难者。但是最终，需要有像博茨瓦纳和加纳这样的生机勃勃的民主国家，才能消除冲突的根源，扩展和平与繁荣。

如我刚才所说的那样，非洲的未来取决于非洲人。

非洲人民已经做好把握未来的准备。在我国，非洲裔美国人——其中包括那么多新移民——在社会各行各业大有作为。尽管有着艰辛的历史，但我们取得了成就。我们从我们的非洲传统中汲取了力量。我知道，借助于强有力的体制和意志，非洲人能够在内罗毕、拉各斯、基加利、金沙萨、哈拉雷和这里阿克拉，实现自己的理想。（掌声）

你们知道，52年前，加纳受到举世瞩目。一个名叫马丁·路德·金（Martin Luther King）的年轻牧师来这里，来到阿克拉，目睹“米”字旗（Union Jack）降落，加纳旗升起。这是在向华盛顿进军前，在我国民权运动胜利前的事情。有人问金博士他在目睹一个国家诞生时有何感受。他说：“它让我再次相信正义终将胜利。”

现在必须再次赢得这一胜利，而它必须靠你们赢得。（掌声）我特别针对对非洲各地和加纳这里的年轻人说这些话。在加纳等地，年轻人占人口的一半以上。

这一点你们必须了解：世界将由你们创造。你们有权力向你们的领导人问责，要求建立服务于人民的体制。你们可以在自己的社区服务，利用你们的能量和文化，去创造新的财富，建立与世界的新联系。你们能够战胜疾病，结束冲突，自下而上地实行变革。你们做得到。是的，你们做得到（掌声）——因为此时此刻，历史在前进。

但是，这一切只有在你们所有人为你们的未来承担责任时才能做到。它不会轻而易举，而是需要时间和努力。会有痛苦和挫折。但我可以向你们保证这样一点：美国作为伙伴、作为盟友将在这个过程中始终与你们站在一起。（掌声）但是，机遇不会来自他方；它必须来自你们全体作出的决定，来自你们的作为，来自你们怀抱的希望。

加纳，自由是你的历史传统。现在，你有责任在自由的基础上增砖添瓦，发展壮大。如果你这样做，那么多少年后，我们会回首阿克拉这样的地方，并且说，这就是实现诺言的时刻；这就是造就繁荣的时刻、战胜痛苦的时刻、开启进步新时代的时刻。这，可以是我们目睹正义再次胜利的时刻。是的，我们做得到。多谢各位。愿上帝保佑你们。谢谢。（掌声）

（完）格林尼治时间1时10分

（演讲全文结束）  President addresses the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

July 11, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE GHANAIAN PARLIAMENT

Accra International Conference Center

Accra, Ghana

12:40 P.M. GMT

THE PRESIDENT: (Trumpet plays.) I like this. Thank you. Thank you. I think Congress needs one of those horns. (Laughter.) That sounds pretty good. Sounds like Louis Armstrong back there. (Laughter.)

Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. (Applause.) I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I want to thank Madam Speaker and all the members of the House of Representatives for hosting us today. I want to thank President Mills for his outstanding leadership. To the former Presidents -- Jerry Rawlings, former President Kufuor -- Vice President, Chief Justice -- thanks to all of you for your extraordinary hospitality and the wonderful institutions that you've built here in Ghana.

I'm speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I've come here to Ghana for a simple reason: The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra, as well. (Applause.)

This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's prosperity. Your health and security can contribute to the world's health and security. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.

So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world -- (applause) -- as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect. And that is what I want to speak with you about today.

We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans.

I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. After all, I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's -- (applause) -- my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.

Some you know my grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade -- it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year.

My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at a moment of extraordinary promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. (Applause.) Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways, and history was on the move.

But despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in many parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born. They have badly been outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent.

In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. Now, it's easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many.

Now, we know that's also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. (Applause.) And by the way, can I say that for that the minority deserves as much credit as the majority. (Applause.) And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth. (Applause.)

This progress may lack the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, but make no mistake: It will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of other nations, it is even more important to build one's own nation.

So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana and for Africa as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of great promise. Only this time, we've learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you -- the men and women in Ghana's parliament -- (applause) -- the people you represent. It will be the young people brimming with talent and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous generations never realized.

Now, to realize that promise, we must first recognize the fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good governance. (Applause.) That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That's the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.

As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I've pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interests and America's interests. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that helps people scrape by -- it's whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. (Applause.)

This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I'll focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy, opportunity, health, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. (Applause.)

As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not.

This is about more than just holding elections. It's also about what happens between elections. (Applause.) Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves -- (applause) -- or if police -- if police can be bought off by drug traffickers. (Applause.) No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top -- (applause) -- or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. (Applause.) That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end. (Applause.)

In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success -- strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges -- (applause); an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. (Applause.) Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people's everyday lives.

Now, time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. (Applause.) We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously -- the fact that President Mills' opponents were standing beside him last night to greet me when I came off the plane spoke volumes about Ghana -- (applause); victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition in unfair ways. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. (Applause.) We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage, and participating in the political process.

Across Africa, we've seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop post-election violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three-quarters of the country voted in the recent election -- the fourth since the end of Apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.

Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. (Applause.) Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. (Applause.)

Now, America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. But what America will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance -- on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard -- (applause); on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting and automating services -- (applause) -- strengthening hotlines, protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.

And we provide this support. I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights reports. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. (Applause.) We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.

Now, this leads directly to our second area of partnership: supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.

With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base of prosperity. Witness the extraordinary success of Africans in my country, America. They're doing very well. So they've got the talent, they've got the entrepreneurial spirit. The question is, how do we make sure that they're succeeding here in their home countries? The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities -- or a single export -- has a tendency to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few, and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.

So in Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been very responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and in their infrastructure -- (applause); when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.

As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we want to put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. (Applause.) That's why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers -- not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it's no longer needed. I want to see Ghanaians not only self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries and earning money. You can do that. (Applause.)

Now, America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. That will be a commitment of my administration. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; financial services that reach not just the cities but also the poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interests -- for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, guess what? New markets will open up for our own goods. So it's good for both.

One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources, and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and more conflict. All of us -- particularly the developed world -- have a responsibility to slow these trends -- through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.

Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity, and help countries increase access to power while skipping -- leapfrogging the dirtier phase of development. Think about it: Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and biofuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coasts to South Africa's crops -- Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad.

These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to market; an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work; it's about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.

Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it's also critical to the third area I want to talk about: strengthening public health.

In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. I just saw a wonderful clinic and hospital that is focused particularly on maternal health. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.

Yet because of incentives -- often provided by donor nations -- many African doctors and nurses go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. And this creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries.

So across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an Interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care -- for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns.

America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy, because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience but also by our common interest, because when a child dies of a preventable disease in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.

And that's why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges -- $63 billion. (Applause.) Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio. (Applause.) We will fight -- we will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation -- we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. (Applause.)

Now, as we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings -- and so the final area that I will address is conflict.

Let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at perpetual war. But if we are honest, for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.

These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. Now, we all have many identities -- of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. (Applause.) Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families and our communities and our faith. That is our common humanity.

That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justified -- never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. (Applause.) It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systemic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in the Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. And all of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.

Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, in Ghana we are seeing you help point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon -- (applause) -- and your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. (Applause.) We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, to keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational forces to bear when needed.

America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there's a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems -- they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.

And that's why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa, and the world. (Applause.)

In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. And that must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.

As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans.

The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. And in my country, African Americans -- including so many recent immigrants -- have thrived in every sector of society. We've done so despite a difficult past, and we've drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos, Kigali, Kinshasa, Harare, and right here in Accra. (Applause.)

You know, 52 years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice."

Now that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. (Applause.) And I am particularly speaking to the young people all across Africa and right here in Ghana. In places like Ghana, young people make up over half of the population.

And here is what you must know: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities, and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, and end conflicts, and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can -- (applause) -- because in this moment, history is on the move.

But these things can only be done if all of you take responsibility for your future. And it won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way -- as a partner, as a friend. (Applause.) Opportunity won't come from any other place, though. It must come from the decisions that all of you make, the things that you do, the hope that you hold in your heart.

Ghana, freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say this was the time when the promise was realized; this was the moment when prosperity was forged, when pain was overcome, and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Yes we can. Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

END      1:10 P.M. GMT

(end transcript)