Congressman Jeff Fortenberry

Fortenberry Commends Nobel Peace Prize Recipients

October 07, 2011

Fortenberry and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, one of the award recipients, share a joke at a recent meeting

LINCOLN, NE—Congressman Jeff Fortenberry today released the following statement on this morning's announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize recipients:

"I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her Nobel Peace Prize win today with two other women who have done much to advance the cause of liberty for women in Liberia and Yemen, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman.  I have had the fortune of speaking with the President both in Liberia and in the United States, and in her role as the first democratically elected female head of state in Africa, she has restored much peace, dignity, and prosperity to a formerly war-ravaged country.  This is also due to the efforts of Leymah Gbowee, who mobilized a coalition of Christian and Muslim women to work for justice.  And I appreciate the forward-thinking vision in the commendation of Tawakkul Karman, who continues to advocate for women in the human rights violating country of Yemen. Coupled with the role of women in the Arab Spring, their recognition today shows that peace must rest in equality, and these women possess a special fortitude in leading this charge."

Fortenberry is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and is the Vice Chairman of its Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. 

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