奥巴马演讲:奥巴马主持召开非洲青年领袖大会
President Obama holds a town hall meeting with Young African Leaders from over 50 countries about the future of Africa in an interconnected world and the role of the United States as a partner with African nations.
【Transcript】
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody, please have a seat. Have a seat.
Well, good afternoon, everybody.
AUDIENCE: Good afternoon.
THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the White House, and welcome to the United States of America. And that includes even our friends from Ghana, who beat us in the World Cup. (Laughter.) Where are you? Over there? That’s all right. It was close. We’ll see you in 2014. (Laughter.)
It’s my great privilege to welcome all of you to this Young African Leaders Forum. You’ve joined us from nearly 50 countries. You reflect the extraordinary history and diversity of the continent. You’ve already distinguished yourselves as leaders —- in civil society and development and business and faith communities —- and you’ve got an extraordinary future before you.
In fact, you represent the Africa that so often is overlooked — the great progress that many Africans have achieved and the unlimited potential that you’ve got going forward into the 21st century.
Now, I called this forum for a simple reason. As I said when I was in Accra last year, I don’t see Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world. Whether it’s creating jobs in a global economy, or delivering education and health care, combating climate change, standing up to violent extremists who offer nothing but destruction, or promoting successful models of democracy and development —- for all this we have to have a strong, self-reliant and prosperous Africa. So the world needs your talents and your creativity. We need young Africans who are standing up and making things happen not only in their own countries but around the world.
And the United States wants to be your partner. So I’m pleased that you’ve already heard from Secretary of State Clinton, and that we’re joined today by leaders from across my administration who are working to deepen that partnership every day.
I can’t imagine a more fitting time for this gathering. This year, people in 17 nations across Sub-Saharan Africa are proudly celebrating 50 years of independence. And by any measure, 1960 was an extraordinary year. From Senegal to Gabon, from Madagascar to Nigeria, Africans rejoiced in the streets —- as foreign flags were lowered and their own were hoisted up. So in 12 remarkable months, nearly one-third of the continent achieved independence —- a burst of self-determination that came to be celebrated as “The Year of Africa” — at long last, these Africans were free to chart their own course and to shape their own destiny.
Now, 1960, of course, was significant for another reason. Here in the United States of America it was the year that a candidate for president first proposed an idea for young people in our own country to devote a year or two abroad in service to the world. And that candidate was John F. Kennedy, and that idea would become the Peace Corps — one of our great partnerships with the world, including with Africa.
【相关中文报道】
奥巴马总统将于8月3日至5日召集为期三天的非洲青年领袖大会，届时将有100多名来自非洲各界的代表与会，代表们将共同探讨如何看待今后50年非洲的未来前途问题，并促进寻找解决地区挑战的新途径。这是有史以来首次举行这样的会议。
白宫新闻秘书罗伯特·吉布斯（Robert Gibbs）在7月21日的一份声明中指出：“与会代表将与美国代表及政府官员就有关青年权益、良治和经济机会等关键性的议题共同交流看法。”
这次名为“总统倡导的非洲青年领袖论坛”（The President’s Forum with Young African Leaders）的活动将于8月3日至5日分别在白宫与国务院举行，会议场所还包括华盛顿地区其他一些地点，与会代表包括美国商界领袖和非政府组织人员。代表们具体来自非洲45个国家，代表着非洲政治、经济、文化和社会各个领域。
奥巴马总统去年在加纳首都阿克拉发表讲话时对非洲人民表示，有必要推进创业精神和教育事业，并利用技术帮助非洲更全面地融入全球经济。非洲的贸易额在世界贸易总额中所占的比例不到2%，非洲巨大的自然资源财富尚未被充分开发利用，还没能为其人民创造更大的繁荣。
奥巴马政府将投入大量资源以解决一些这样的问题。“为未来提供食品”（Feed the Future）的粮食保障行动计划将帮助12个非洲对象国实现农业现代化，该计划投资额为35亿美元。美国正与非洲合作伙伴进行合作，通过《非洲增长与机会法》(AGOA)充分扩大经济发展和贸易。目前《非洲增长与机会法》论坛也在同时召开年会。
奥巴马总统说：“这些措施不仅仅着眼于决算表上的增长数字，而且还关系到受过教育的青年是否能找到养家糊口的工作，农民是否能将其产品运送到市场，有创意精神的企业家是否能开业。这关系到劳动的尊严，关系到21世纪非洲人必须拥有的机会。”
美国已通过《非洲增长与机会法》帮助促进非洲贸易能力的发展。美国对享受该法待遇的38个国家的进出口总额在2008年为1045.2亿美元，比前一年增长了28%。据美国商务部的消息，2009年总贸易额正在统计之中，不过有迹象显示去年的情形可喜。
奥巴马总统在阿克拉表示，非洲的未来取决于非洲人。白宫表示，美国政府负责召开非洲青年领袖论坛，鼓励美国与非洲青年领袖交流联络，为了双方共同的安全与繁荣而谋求持久的伙伴合作关系。白宫还说：“这一对话以及随后在非洲展开的活动将有助于美国政府更好地评估如何支持未来非洲自身的理想。”
吉布斯的声明指出，100多名代表将在8月3日下午汇集白宫，参加奥巴马总统主持的现场会，以讨论今后50年如何在他们各自的社会中实现变革的构想。当天早些时候，希拉里·克林顿国务卿和其他高级官员将在国务院总部接见与会代表并发表讲话。
代表们还将与副国务卿朱迪思·麦克黑尔（Judith McHale）和玛丽亚·奥特罗（Maria Otero）举行会谈，讨论非洲前途问题以及如何将计划设想付诸于行动。
奥巴马总统在访问加纳时对非洲人民表示：“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、独立的媒体、充满活力的民营行业和公民社会。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。”
今年，非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南地区的17个国家都将庆祝独立50周年。上世纪90年代初期以来，民主已迈出重大步伐。白宫表示，南非、博茨瓦纳、纳米比亚、毛里求斯和加纳等国近来均已举行民主选举，显示出非洲人对民主和民主价值观的重视。
（本段文字来源：参考消息）
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