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chancellor collins
i have the honor to present to you
for the jury of doctor of humane letters on a response a
excellency
ellen johnson certainly
valley and champion for women
esteemed world leader
and celebrated nobel peace laureate
your excellency alan johnson surly university of massachusetts worcester
welcome to you on this
are thirty-ninth commencement day
ahead of all else
you have always called yourself a liberia
that is an especially meaningful statement
covering from one who has been cheating such a prominent position on the world
stage
a proud mother and grandmother
throughout your career
you've placed a special emphasis on helping women and children
in doing so
your demonstrated powerfully
how lifting the week among us
can lift an entire nation
growing up
you face harsh realities
when your father's political ambitions were shattered
by illness
a commitment to education
an extraordinary determination fueled your own a luxurious political career
beginning with the famed commencement address to deliver you delivered at the
college of west africa in nineteen seventy two
bravely
you have stood up
spoken the truth
and challenged others to do the same
that moment
foreshadowed greatness yet to come
but enormous challenges dark and your bright future
three years of harsh oppression imprisonment and exile
you continued to speak out
finally
when you return to your beloved home
it was once again to take up the struggle against corruption
after becoming the first woman elected
to lead and african nation
boldly
you launched initiatives to bring liberia greater stability
prosperity
and international reputation
winning reelection last year
you now continue transforming urination
in the face of adversity
you longman admired for your ability to balance great strength
with profound compassion
in two thousand eleven
you shared the nobel peace prize
for leading the non-violent struggle for the safety of women
and for women's rights
to full participation
in peacebuilding efforts
we are specially privileged by your presence here today
because of the deep relationship between our campus at your country
it is a privilege for those in our community
to partner with talent
talented and resorts will colleagues in liberia
as to gather
we care for all
or any
that all may know of our respect and appreciation
feur remarkable contributions to the nation of liberia
international peace
and the well-being of human dignity of all
the university of massachusetts worcester
confers upon you the degree of doctor of humane letters on our scholars
challenge on sincerely
by gephardt invested in a bite of what it right these are the university of
massachusetts
i confer upon you the degree of doctor of humane and letters onerous causa
in accordance with usual custom you're entitled to all the rights and
privileges which pertain to this degree here and elsewhere
in tokyo where rob rewarded with the former in and ask you with the hood a
doctorate humane letters congratulations
we are so pleased that
her excellency
ellen johnson surlis
search today is our main commencement speaker
it's my privilege now welcome
alain juppe since early to collect
president
jensen michael collins
chairman james around the members of the university of massachusetts budapest t
self-contained
staff and students
alumni rents
members of the graduating class of twenty twelve
parents
family and friends
the like gated community here precedence
distinguished guests
ladies and gentlemen
friends
dial me first of all to express my thanks and appreciation to you
chancellor comments in the trustees of the university of massachusetts
for the invitation to deliver at this year's medical school commencement
address
you on a meat
by this invitation
but it is the people of liberia
whom this institution continues to support
what look at them
india det
that you also
for the distinguished
on a rated three of prompted the letters onerous costs and
which is the situation has the story of one
you wanna meet
by this
i mean excellent company
along with america's dr
at a prominent boston entrepreneur
who has contributed so much
to what medical research
particularly
the size six bro sis
every faction that last night's
commencement in them
recalling
extraordinary service inhuman con
textile concept everyone
doctor benjamin
rising from until beginnings
reach back
in her success
to say will give men communities
industry mops
they still don't know demonstrated extraordinary commitment and dedication
to discovery abut life-saving treatment
when deflection
that has caused his family
so much pain
my dear friends
no matter how many honorary degrees agassi
each one
also special meaning for me
were always reminds me of the very close loans
between my country
and this medical school
because so many of your students
and property
have taking time away from the airport life's
to travel to liberia and provide life-saving medical care
to ensure helping population
i'm delighted
that you now have
support from u_s_ eight granted to the u_s_
u_-mass medical school university indiana university
and out own university of liberia
we should help to rebuild
a health care education system
and they status healthcare training programs
might thanks
to all of you off
awhile being involved with healthcare training in liberia
and mom and
detect events
outflow booked
that they can't really see reactor
and on our side
tactic embodied in this president of the university of liberian
might people
and my country
appreciate
all that you do
class of twenty twelve
it's important to have been chosen to address it today
you will go on to greatly impact the lives of families and help policy
the world over
most of the us citizens of the world's largest economy
and it's more powerful country
as such
you would have a potential to impact
globally
use it wisely
but with so much power
consecrated responsibility
along with your family friends and other loved ones
i stand hearty congratulations to you graduates
what you have achieved
it's no small feat
but this is the discipline that self-regulate
along the way
the commitments tested
and also get to play you are today
acosta should ultimately
you have gone through one of the most rigorous training regime slave morton
profession
and everyone to be a recognized this and appreciative press appearance in
discipline
we celebrated
i wish i could say that
the most demanding them
days of the explosive section of the nineteen
and that it is
it gets ec air from yell it out
but to say that as you well know
would be untrue
for with each accomplishment com expectations and the substance
there will be days
atwood tessia commitment to this calling
i'm high but competent
at the scene persevering step brought to this file
we'll see you
in the same way that you began your joining pet project of this place
liberia to
began only distinction electron
if they took over six years ago when we came into office
the economy was in ryan's
and i'll tell sector mcfaul others
was must bear the destruction that engulfed the country
during the civil upheaval
the health infrastructure
of hospitals
health centers
and clinics
what destroyed or badly damaged
and the delivery of basic health services wants almost nonexistent
only forty-one percent of our people lived within one our walking distance of
the health facility
most of them have been theories
in the country of three point five million at that time
it was only three hundred and fifty-four health facilities
the entire field work force
was three thousand nine hundred and sixty-six
health professionals
having fled the country
only six of top fifteen a ministry to political subdivisions
had at least one medical doctor
the rest
had not
in more ways than one
we inherited echo wounded country
with this functional institutions
far beyond the physical destruction and depravation
we'd heard at our house
that had been divided against itself
liberia
students are d
appealing
the spirit
aspirations in hopes of hot country had been tested
item also bought conflict
the scale and scope of the challenges with daunting
and in the midst of a tall sometimes we felt distracted
and what tempted to loose sight of what matters
at the restoration
would take time
at the healing
would take years if not to keeps
the loss of life
ek tempted to product
the big picture
very few of you encounter problems on such a massive scale as that
you are after all
doctors
vs
and scientists
not politicians
however
at one point a knuckle all across the set this city
expressiveness
isn't argument forest fight
you other counterpoint
to the pain of the world
acted to date
yup precedence
will bring come *** initial arrested distraught family member
the dealing patient
the ensures house
and the frantic parent
it will be hard sometimes
but always come back
to the big picture
the big picture up yet chosen profession
oppressive beach
a flight
beyond the d_c_ system about humans that yukio
mitigate and eighty eight
your profession appeals eulogy
intact
a sea of big picture
in the face of paying
xin indignant a suffering and sorrow
they certainly *** healing in the world
andy field hope
and that is what you represent
that is the pauline
you chose
you're very precedence
softens the c_v_r_ except the pain of disease
that it is like
and still is the pain
the world will meet you
specifically for your profession
but generally
for what do you stand for
issue a big picture
applaud arms to share it with you on this
dulu unrecorded
gudi
no matter
how small
this is important for two reasons
you never know the returns
from a beneficiary
appeal recanted good
on a more basic level
good reaffirms alec humanity
and strengthens the bombs
that hold us together
incompetent economist refinance affirmation up all humanity
out she had experiences
it strengthens the sense of community s active participants
inhuman conditions
us medical professionals
you always be held in high esteem
people will respect you
and look up to you
and work emulating a good example
sisterhood
it got
especially when the beneficiary
cannot reciprocate
at last evening's commencement in them
impressive reflection i spoke about the hot foundation
because of his association with the medical school
the acronym is for help education and relief through training
u_n_ investments contribute at many many doctors that have gone to liberia in
recent years
and have made a difference by providing relief
and health care services apap adult lean beef where hospital
the john f_ kennedy
medical center
you m_m_ s has been expecially involving the pediatric program
by providing a pediatrician almost every month to chip
for the last three years
at almost no expense
to liberia
like others
he stopped us have continued to render humanitarian service with out monetary
reward
to the palace insect cannot pay for the service
it would have been impossible
to imagine the strides who have made an offhand sector
without crying mess
but the people home
we can never be p
as a result
today seven to one person about population lives within five kilometers
suffer health facility
up from forty one percent
in two thousand six
today we have to five hundred and fifty health facilities
it thirty six percent increase in six years ago
and all of our fifteen contests not have at least one medical doctor
this has been achieved through partnerships with friendly governments
university is like the others
non-profit and checked organizations
we have also investing in a potential about people by training them
jcm responsibility
for health sector delivery
the progress indicators uh... interactive operations can sometimes
lead to frustration
for example big last month
economist published because freeze indicated that like the u_s_ infant
mortality that increased
that came out only asset shock to me
but indicates great right
because in those numbers
icy families tone by greek
icy dreams and hopes dashed
and life it's kind of children
when i come from
we deal with the reality
of killer diseases
that prey on children
the weakest among us
diseases such as malaria
and dysentery
that have long since disappeared from of the cost of the world's
what we came to realize
is that the numbers were not so much going us oc s all reporting mechanisms
wayne proving
after two decades of no accurate data
on the state of idaho sector
we began collecting information
we conducted a national census
and improved data collection and reporting
to exports the extent of our problem
as difficult as it is to face these numbers
it wasn't necessary first step toward improving the quality
a flight about people
yet the reality is that day
and they remain shocking
all go down from twenty six percent
sixteen percent about children diet right
and some seven hundred up a hundred thousand mothers
also died
hitting play
the next step
test comes from better education
in all of those
remedies
he is a bit nis
data practices in assessing clean water and sanitation
this also means
expressing the practices of tradition up by the tendons
all required at a training
and appropriate use
of the referral system
it is that's important to remember
at the high points of wildlife capitol records
without the low points
it is impossible to on the stand out precedent
would out an appreciation follow past
and out this stream
it's a combination of wet we succeeded
and when we see it
we pay the great disrespect to the past
by avoiding his mistakes
some people call that list
as you may have gathered by now but my country has a long way to go
invested arguably com
from even among the week
we i fessing a potential out people
formulating the roadmap
annex traversing the processes systems and institutions
now will allow us to reach allam vicious cool
of becoming a middle-income country by the year twenty third
we have been recognized
and bc
we are pleased to have been recognized n_b_c_ brace
s idea is to take considered a model apollo failed state
can be restored to the family of nations
i'm also pleased to say
that might be recent open society
well lawson shortened or discrimination
against anyone
i have a d_c_ cheap and can only makes sense against the backdrop of upgrade a
school also failures
everything we have done right
export le opposite of what we did rung in the preceding techies
on this year so far at least in the with you
fea
matters
oftentimes
success comes through the experience of fee
field matts a slacker only in the lessons we learned from them
but in the options they close all
and what they tell us about ourselves
as human beings
we spend our lives if what in the past like tempting to relive it
also personal success must also be familiar with the alien
subsets lines as the struggles that people
sometimes
in the wake up my relative success people forget how i got back
where and to date
and what had become was not always a foregone conclusion
my life expectancy peaks
and his family's
today i am precedent
yesterday
alyssa person
forced into exile
alice not always taking house episode with in but i but give up
uncertainty is crucial
to the human condition
some of the most important decisions occur in moments of great uncertainty
to be without a doubt istics skipping at the table human limitations
to maintain a healthy skepticism
it's a very cheap
even above the ideas did which is strongly believe
or whatever the circumstances
let's have the courage
to be breaking action
practice of twenty twelve
you have come farther than most people will be in my lifetime
cherish
that accomplishment
today take a break from the adjoining and celebrate
tomorrow it will be time to begin another face
another stage
in preparation for another rite of passage
esteem ready and go for the end of the world
you'll see a knowledge and skills
continued to make a difference
put that
issue called
along the road
read them but to protect the big picture
because a sense of purpose and meaning
is bound to match it
s_l_ waseda grantees
seek at all times
to preserve what is best about humanity
and reduce what is twice the price
i know that you should view
patrick absolute clandestine checklist manifest
which helps you in your profession
medical level otherwise to avoid mistakes
class of twenty twelve
go off
and see the world
congratulations