A vision for the future of Sierra Leone | Julius Maada Bio

翻译人员: Wanting Zhong 校对人员: Yu Xie

On Tuesday, January 16, 1996,

在1996年1月16日， 这是一个周二，

I walked into the office of the president

我作为塞拉利昂共和国的领导人

as head of state of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

走进了总统办公室。

I had not been elected.

我并不是被选举出来的。

Four years earlier,

在四年前，

I was one of 30 heavily armed military officers,

我是30名全副武装 的军官中的一员，

all in our 20s,

我们都20多岁，

who had driven from the war front

从战争前线驱车

into the capital city, Freetown.

进入首都弗里敦。

We had only one objective:

我们只有一个目标：

to overthrow a corrupt, repressive and single-party dictatorship

推翻一个已经掌权超过25年的，

充斥着腐败、压迫、 一党专制的独裁政府。

that had kept itself in power for over 25 years.

But in the end, it wasn't a violent coup.

但最终，它没有成为一场暴力政变。

After we fired a few shots and seized the radio station,

我们开了几枪，占领了电台，

hundreds of thousands of citizens jumped onto the streets

成千上万的市民涌上街头，

to welcome us as liberators.

把我们当做解放者欢迎。

If you are thinking this seems like a movie script, I'm with you.

如果你觉得这像是电影剧本， 我同意你的看法。

I was part of the ruling military government,

我曾是执政军事政府的一员，

and I served in several roles.

并担任过若干职务。

Our goal was always to return the country to democratic civilian rule.

我们的目标始终是让国家 恢复民主的文明统治。

But after four years,

但是四年过去了，

those multiparty democratic elections had still not happened.

多党民主选举依旧没有举行。

Citizens were beginning to lose faith in our promise.

公民开始对我们的承诺失去信心。

But you know what?

但你知道吗?

I like to keep my promises.

我是一个信守诺言的人。

Some of my comrades and I staged another military coup,

我和一些同志 发动了另一场军事政变，

and this time, against our own head of state and commander.

这次是针对我们自己 的国家元首和指挥官。

Again, it was a bloodless coup.

这依然是一次不流血的政变。

That is how I became the new military head of state

这就是我在1996年1月16日

成为新的军事国家元首的过程。

on January 16, 1996.

I was still only 31 years old.

那时我才31岁。

Of course, power was sweet.

当然，权力的滋味是非常甜美的。

I felt invulnerable.

我觉得自己无懈可击。

I had thousands of heavily armed men

数千荷枪实弹的士兵和飞机

and aircraft at my command.

都听令于我。

I was heavily protected,

我被严密保护，

and I lived in luxury.

并过着奢侈的生活。

But my obligations to my nation were always superior.

但是我对国家的义务 总是高于一切。

Millions of fellow citizens were either displaced

数百万同胞要么流离失所，

or fleeing the violence and pillage of war.

要么逃离暴力和战争掠夺。

So I engaged in a series of diplomatic activities

因此，我在该区域进行了

一系列外交活动，

right across the subregion

and convinced the reclusive rebel leader to initiate peace talks

第一次说服了那位隐居的叛军领袖

发起和平谈判。

for the very first time.

I also called a national consultative conference

我还召集了一个

由公民社会组织和利益攸关方 组成的全国协商会议，

of civil society organizations and stakeholders

to advise on the best way forward.

就国家未来发展方向提出指导。

In both cases, I shared with them

这两次，我都与他们分享了

what I believed in then and now:

我当时和到现在仍然坚持的信念：

that Sierra Leone is bigger than all of us,

塞拉利昂（的未来） 比我们每个人都重要，

and that Sierra Leone must be a secure, peaceful and just society

塞拉利昂必须是一个 安全、和平和公正的社会，

where every person can thrive

每个人都能安居乐业，

and contribute to national development.

为国家发展做出贡献。

And so, I initiated peace talks with the rebels.

因此，我启动了与叛军的和平谈判。

I organized the first multiparty democratic elections in nearly 30 years.

我组织了近30年来的 第一次多党民主选举。

(Applause)

(掌声)

I handed over power

我把权力移交给

to the newly elected president,

新当选的总统，

I retired from the army,

然后我从军队退役，

and I left my country for the United States of America

离开我的国家，到美利坚合众国

to study --

进行了

all in three months.

三个月的学习。

(Applause)

(掌声)

In many a long walk,

在许多漫长的旅程中，

I wondered how we could get it right again as a nation.

我想知道作为一个国家， 我们如何才能再次走上正轨。

More than 20 years later,

20多年后的

in April 2018,

2018年4月，

with a few more wrinkles and grey hair,

伴随着新增的皱纹与白发，

I was again head of state.

我再次成为国家元首。

But guess what?

但你猜怎么着？

This time I have been democratically elected.

这次我是民主选举出来的。

(Applause)

(掌声)

At the polling stations last year,

去年在投票站，

my three-year-old daughter, Amina, was in my arm.

我三岁的女儿阿米娜 在我的臂弯里。

She insisted on holding on to my ballot paper with me.

她执意要和我一起 拿着我的选票。

She was intent and focused.

她是那么的认真与专注。

At that moment,

在那一刻，

with my ballot papers in both our hands,

我们双手拿着这张选票，

I fully understood the one priority for me

我完全明白了 如果我当选塞拉利昂共和国总统，

if I was elected president of the Republic of Sierra Leone;

我的首要任务是什么。

that is: How could I make the lives of Amina

那就是：我怎样才能让阿米娜

and millions of other young girls and boys

和我们国家成千上万的男孩女孩

better in our country?

生活得更好？

See, I believe that leadership is about creating possibilities that everyone,

我相信，领导力就是 创造各种可能性，

especially the young people,

让每个人，尤其是年轻人，

can believe in,

都能相信、

own,

拥有、

work to actualize,

争取使之成为现实，

and which they can actively fight to protect.

并且他们能通过积极奋斗 保卫这些机会。

The pathway to power and leadership

通往权力和领导地位的道路

can be littered with impediments,

充满了阻碍，

but more often, with funny questions that may seemingly defy answers:

但更常见的是 看似无法回答的问题：

How does one take on the unique challenges of a country like Sierra Leone?

如何应对像塞拉利昂一类国家 所面临的独特挑战？

We had mined mineral resources for over a hundred years,

我们开采矿产资源已有一百多年了，

but we still are poor.

但我们仍然贫穷。

We had collected foreign aid for 58 years, but we are still poor.

我们已经接受外国援助58年了， 但我们仍然贫穷。

The secret to economic development is in nature's best resource:

经济发展的秘诀在于 一个国家所拥有的最佳资源：

skilled, healthy and productive human beings.

即熟练、健康、高效的人类生产力。

The secret to changing our country lay in enhancing and supporting

改变我们国家的关键 在于提升和支持

the limitless potential of the next generation

下一代的无限潜力，

and challenging them to change our country.

并鼓励他们来改变我们的国家。

Human capital development was the key to national development

人力资本发展是塞拉利昂

国家发展的关键。

in Sierra Leone.

As a candidate,

作为一名候选人，

I met with and listened to many young men and women

我会见了全国各地的 以及旅居海外的

right across the country

许多青年男女，

and in the diaspora

并听取了他们的意见，

that were feeling disconnected from political leadership

他们感觉政治领导与他们无关，

and cared little about the future of our country.

并对我们国家的未来漠不关心。

How could we engage them

我们怎样才能让他们参与，

and make them believe that the answers to transforming our nation

并让他们相信，他们手中掌握着

was right in their hands?

可以改变国家的答案？

Immediately after becoming president,

于是当选总统后，

I appointed some of Sierra Leone's brightest young people as leaders,

我立即任命塞拉利昂一些 最聪颖的年轻人担任领袖，

with responsibility to realize our shared vision

担负起实现我们改变塞拉利昂

of transforming Sierra Leone.

的共同愿景的责任。

I am grateful many of them said yes.

我很感激他们中的许多人 接下了委任。

Let me give you a few examples.

让我给你们举几个例子。

Corruption had been endemic in governance, institutions

塞拉利昂的腐败 在地方政府、机构、

and in public life in Sierra Leone,

以及公共生活中长期滋生，

undermining public trust

破坏了公众的信任

and the country's international reputation.

和国家的国际声誉。

I appointed a young attorney as Commissioner

我任命一位年轻的律师

for the Anti-Corruption Commission.

为反腐败委员会委员。

In less than a year,

在不到一年的时间里，

he had a hundred percent conviction rate

他的定罪率达到了100%，

and recovered over 1.5 million dollars of stolen money.

并追回了150多万美元的赃款。

That is seed money for building the country's first-ever

这笔钱最后被用于建设塞拉利昂

national medical diagnostic center in Sierra Leone.

第一个国家医疗诊断中心。

(Applause)

（掌声）

The Millennium Challenge Corporation recently gave us a green scorecard

千年挑战公司 【注：美国独立的对外援助机构】

for the Control of Corruption indicator,

最近就防贪腐指标 给了我们绿色记分卡，

and multilateral development partners that had left Sierra Leone

而先前离开塞拉利昂 的多边发展伙伴

are now beginning to return.

现在正逐步返回。

We are determined to break a culture of corruption

我们有决心消除腐败

and the culture of impunity

以及对待腐败

that is associated with corruption.

有罪不罚的传统。

Before I became president,

在我成为总统之前，

I met a skinny, dreadlocked MIT/Harvard-trained inventor

我在伦敦遇到了一位 身材瘦削、留着脏辫的发明家，

他曾在麻省理工和哈佛进修过。

in London.

Over coffee, I challenged him to think and plan along with me

喝咖啡时，我向他发起挑战， 让他同我思考并计划

how innovation could help to drive national development

创新如何才能驱动国家

in the areas of governance, revenue mobilization, health care,

在治理、税收、医疗、 教育、公共服务

education, delivering public services

以及支持私营部门成长

and supporting private sector growth.

等领域有所发展。

How could Sierra Leone participate in the digital economy

塞拉利昂该如何参与到数字经济

and become an innovation hub?

并成为创新中心？

Guess what?

你猜怎么着？

He left his cozy job at IBM,

他辞去了 IBM 舒适的工作，

and he now leads a team of young men and women

现在他在我的办公室，

在我们新近成立的科学、 技术和创新理事会

within the newly established Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation

带领一支由年轻男女组成的团队。

in my own office.

(Applause)

(掌声)

That young man is right in here.

那个年轻人今天就坐在这里。

I challenged another young Sierra Leonean woman

我同时也任命了另一位 年轻的塞拉利昂女性，

to set up and lead the new Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.

成立并带领新的 规划和经济发展部。

She consulted widely with Sierra Leoneans and produced, in record time,

她广泛征求塞拉利昂人民的意见， 并在创纪录的时间内

the medium-term national development plan,

制定了题为“发展教育”的

titled, "Education For Development."

中期国家发展计划。

We now have our national development needs

我们的国家发展战略需要分成

in easily understandable clusters,

易于理解的模块，

and we can now plan our budgets,

我们现在可以规划预算，

align development partner contributions

协调发展伙伴的贡献，

and measure our own progress.

衡量我们自己的进展。

But the story of my government's flagship program

但我的政府旗舰计划的进程

is even more daring,

甚至更为大胆，

if I can call it that.

请允许我这么来形容它。

Today, three out of five adults in Sierra Leone cannot read or write.

如今，塞拉利昂五分之三 的成年人不会阅读和写字。

Thousands of children were not able to go to school

成千上万的孩子无法上学

or had dropped out of school

或已经辍学，

because their parents could just not afford the $20 school fees per year.

因为他们的父母无法支付 哪怕每年只有20美元的学费。

Women and girls, who constitute 51 percent of our population,

在我国总人口中，51%是妇女和儿童，

were not given equal opportunity to be educated.

但是他们却没有得到 平等的受教育机会。

So the obvious answer is to put in place free, quality education

因此，显而易见的答案是： 为每一个塞拉利昂儿童

for every Sierra Leonean child,

提供免费、优质的教育，

regardless of gender, ability or ethnicity.

不论其性别、能力或种族。

(Applause)

(掌声)

Great idea you've clapped for.

你们对此鼓掌称赞。

Right?

对吧？

But the only problem is we had no money to start the program.

但唯一的问题是： 我们没有钱启动这个项目。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

Absolutely nothing.

一分钱都没有。

Development partners wanted to see data before associating with my vision.

发展伙伴希望在参与计划 之前先查看数据。

Of course, political opponents laughed at me.

当然，政治对手嘲笑我。

But I campaigned that a nation

但我在竞选时表示，

that invests in human capital development

一个国家通过免费优质的教育、

through free, quality education,

负担得起的高质量医疗服务

affordable and high-quality health care services

和粮食保障

对人力资本发展投资，

and food security

will accelerate its national development program.

将加速其国家发展计划。

I argued that for Sierra Leone to produce a highly skilled,

我认为，要使塞拉利昂生产出

innovative and productive workforce

适应21世纪全球经济的

fit for the 21st century global economy,

高技术、创新、高效的劳动力，

we needed to invest heavily in human capital development in Sierra Leone.

我们需要对塞拉利昂的 人力资本发展进行大量投资。

But we had no money,

但我们没有钱，

because the previous government had virtually emptied the coffers.

因为上届政府几乎掏空了国库。

We clamped down on corruption,

我们严厉打击腐败，

closed up the loopholes for fraud and waste,

堵塞欺诈和浪费的漏洞，

and we watched the money build up.

看着钱越积越多。

We successfully launched a free, quality education program

去年8月， 即四年零四个月后，

in August last year,

我们成功地启动了

four years, four months later.

免费、优质的教育项目。

Today, two million children are going to school.

如今，200万儿童将会 获得受教育的机会。

(Applause)

(掌声)

Twenty-one percent of the national budget

我们将21%的国家预算用于

supports free, quality education.

支持免费的素质教育。

In close collaboration and in partnership with development partners,

通过与发展伙伴的密切合作，

we have now provided teaching and learning materials,

我们现在提供了教学和学习材料，

safe spaces for girls,

女孩的安全空间，

and started implementing school feeding programs

并开始在整个国家

across the entire country.

实施学校供餐计划。

We have even paid backlogs of salaries for teachers.

我们甚至还为教师 支付了拖欠已久的薪水。

Any girl admitted to university to study science, technology,

今天，任何一个被大学录取 学习科学、技术、

engineering, mathematics and other related disciplines

工程、数学等相关学科的女孩

receives a full scholarship in Sierra Leone today.

都获得了塞拉利昂 的全额奖学金。

(Applause)

(掌声)

And here is why this matters:

这样做很重要的原因在于：

in a few years, we will have a healthier, better educated

几年后，我们将拥有一个 更健康、受教育程度更高、

and highly skilled young population

高技术的年轻人口，

that will lead and drive the country's national development.

他们将领导和推动国家的发展。

They will be well-equipped to deploy science, technology and innovation.

他们将有足够的技能， 做好科技创新部署。

Then we'll attract investment in diversified areas of our economy,

然后，我们将在经济 的多元化领域吸引投资，

from tourism to fisheries

从旅游业到渔业，

and from renewable energy to manufacturing.

从可再生能源到制造业。

That is my biggest bet.

这是我最大的赌注。

In my mind, this is what leadership is all about:

在我看来，这就是领导力 的全部意义所在:

a mission to listen with empathy

我的使命是以同理心倾听

to the craziest of ideas,

最疯狂的想法，

the hopes and aspirations of a younger generation,

年轻一代的希望和抱负，

who are just looking for a chance to be better

他们只是在寻找机会

and to make our country better.

让我们的国家变得更好。

It is about letting them know

领导力的意义在于让他们知道

that their dreams matter.

他们的梦想很重要；

It is about standing with them and asking, "Why not?"

也在于当他们问一些 看似不可能的问题时，

when they ask seemingly impossible questions.

站在他们面前，告诉他们， “大胆地试一试吧。”；

It is about exploring, making

更在于探索、创造

and owning a shared vision.

并拥有一个共同的愿景。

The most audacious and nation-changing events

当我们问“为什么不？”时，

最大胆、最能改变国家

or policies or even personal choices

的事件、政策甚至个人 的机会就会诞生，

happen when we ask, "Why not?"

then make bold choices and ensure those bold choices happen.

然后要做出大胆选择， 并确保这些可能的发生。

I wake up every day believing

我每天醒来都相信，

that our country should no longer be defined by the stigma of the past.

我们的国家不应该 再被过去的耻辱所定义。

The future offers hope and opportunity for all.

未来为所有人提供了希望和机会。

It matters to me that young men and women right across the country

对我来说很重要的是， 全国各地的年轻男女都可以想象，

can imagine for themselves that they, too, can be and are

他们自己也可以成为， 并且本来就是，

part of the story of our nation.

我们国家历史的一部分。

I want to challenge them to build a nation

我想挑战他们，建设这个国家，

where three-year-olds like my daughter, Yie Amie,

让像我女儿叶艾米 这样的三岁孩子可以在

can grow up in good governance,

良好的社会环境、

quality education,

优质的教育、

health care

医疗保健和

and good infrastructure.

良好的基础设施中成长。

I want our children to become young men and women

我希望我们的孩子们 成长为年轻的男性女性，

who can continue nourishing the trees that will grow

他们能够继续滋养那些

从我们今天播种的种子中 生长出来的树木。

from the seeds that we are planting today.

Now can someone tell me

现在谁能告诉我

why we should not dare imagine that future in Sierra Leone?

为何我们不敢想象 塞拉利昂能有那般未来?

Thank you.

谢谢大家！

(Applause)

(掌声)