Distinguished Members of the Sunhak Peace Prize, 

Your Excellencies, 

Fellow Laureates, 

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Ashesi University community, and on behalf of the African youth in whom Africa’s future rests.

I would also like to congratulate the people of South Korea for the economic miracle that you have created, from the 1950s when Korea was a developing country, to the economic powerhouse we see today. In the 1980s, when I was in college, one of my Economics professors described to us the work he did here in the 60s, assisting with Korea’s economic policy. He impressed upon us that economic transformation of countries such as Korea and Singapore, was not only a story about the road to prosperity in those countries. Your success in Korea has played a role in the current and future wellbeing of Asians everywhere in the world. 

When my first child was born in the 1990s, those discussions about the economic transformation of Korea, and what it meant for the dignity of Asians, became more present in my mind. At the time, Africa was experiencing major challenges—many still present today—and I worried about what that meant, not only for my children, but for all African children around the world. I wondered how they would see themselves in a world where the continent was presented as a place of unfulfilled promise? And I began to feel a sense of urgency to be part of changing circumstances in Africa, and by extension the dignity of my children, for the better.

And so, in my mid-thirties, I left my career in the US to return to Ghana. My wife, Rebecca, who I could not have done this without, and a few friends and colleagues, agreed to go on this journey with me. In 2002, we established Ashesi University, a non-profit with a bold vision: to educate ethical entrepreneurial leaders who will drive innovation, growth and prosperity across Africa. Ashesi has now become recognised as one of the most forward-thinking higher education institutions in Africa. Our graduates, who are building and contributing to meaningful innovation and solutions, are considered as some of the best minds in the world. The University is ranked among the continent’s top ten most impactful; and our community continues to thoughtfully engage in work that advances the flourishing of the continent we call home. Our journey, too, is about the future wellbeing of a people.

As I reflect on the vision of Sunhak Peace Prize, let me share three stories from the students I have worked with, that demonstrate what we can accomplish when we selflessly work together and take the time to guide and listen to the next generation.

The first story is about a time when students from Ashesi were recruited by an international NGO to assist with conflict mediation at a refugee camp in Ghana. At the time, Ghana hosted refugees who had fled a civil war in Liberia. And it turned out that some of the inhabitants of the camp were former combatants who had carried their disagreements with them to Ghana. Our students quickly learned that mediation was difficult. They did not have training in conflict resolution, and the animosity between the parties seemed intractable. What would you do in this situation?

As they pondered what to do, the students noticed that many of the parties involved in this conflict were also engaged in micro enterprise and needed help managing those businesses and sustaining their livelihoods. So, they decided to run business management workshops. And they noticed something interesting. People who were once in conflict now sat next to each other learning how to run their businesses more effectively. During the workshops, conflict was put aside, and the attendees focused their attention on something positive. Everyone benefited, and conflict declined.

The second story is about the period from mid-2006 through the end of 2007 when students of Ashesi University engaged in an intense debate about ownership of a culture of integrity on our campus – a debate that culminated in a decision to adopt an honour system on campus. Under this system–a first in Africa at the time–students pledged to hold themselves individually and collectively responsible for ethical behaviour. Our faculty no longer invigilate exams, and students themselves hold each other accountable to mitigate cheating. All our first-year classes since 2008 are required to debate this matter and to decide by a 2/3rd majority or greater whether they want to adopt the honour code. Thanks to the culture of integrity and discipline that this system has fostered, Ashesi’s graduates are now considered among some of the most trustworthy by organisations and teams that recruit and work with them. 

The third story is of a young man who learned about Ashesi University when our students volunteered as teachers in his rural community in Northern Ghana. With encouragement from the students, he applied to our institution and was accepted to attend with a full scholarship. Before he came to Ashesi, he had never used a computer. Yet, four years later, he graduated with a major in Computer Science; and for his final year research project, he designed and built a machine learning algorithm to diagnose malaria in blood with near-perfect accuracy. His goal was to help doctors in communities like his, with very little resource, better diagnose and cure malaria. This year, that student earned a PhD in Computer Science at Dartmouth College and is now pursuing his life passion to develop technology that improves lives and livelihoods in Africa’s most vulnerable regions. 

There are key lessons I carry with me from these stories. 

One, that there is power in shared purpose. Too often, we focus our minds and efforts on the things that separate us. But when we choose to instead focus on the common pursuits that bind us, we make more progress. 

Second, I have come to learn that once people discover purpose, they are able to act more heroically and achieve breakthroughs that might have once felt unattainable, or improbable. 

And third, and perhaps most importantly, I have come to better understand the power of giving a people the tools and resources to build and create, and how it enables human dignity.

Each of the three stories I brought here today is about the importance of work that elevates the human spirit, about patience, persistence, and courage. But also, each story is about the opportunity that lies in helping young people understand the true meaning of good leadership, which is to live in the service of others. 

I turned sixty a week ago, and my colleagues at Ashesi University came together to join me in celebration. Listening to the many reflections of students, alumni, board members, and my colleagues about what Ashesi meant to them, I felt such a wonderful sense of peace, accomplishment, and gratitude to have spent the last two and a half decades on this path. I feel a close bond with all those who have come together to build a university that will enable dignity for hundreds of thousands of young Africans in years to come. If I could go back to my mid-thirties, I would make the same choice.

What Korea’s history, Ashesi’s experience, and the spirit of the Sunhak Peace Prize all teach us: is that investing in youth, education, and leadership, creates a ripple effect—benefiting not just one country or region, but our entire global community.

To Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, and all of you here today, thank you for your work to promote global peace and wellbeing. The work before us is significant, and it will take patience, persistence and courage to succeed. Every step forward reminds us of how much further we still have to go—but also of how achievable our goals truly are.”As Reverend Sun Myung Moon put it, “The way for us to live is to rely on each other’s love. We must give until all our selfishness disappears. That is where peace will come from.”Thank you once again for this award. I will hold it dear, and I accept it on behalf of the African youth whose potential shines a light for the work we do.