Leymah Gbowee

At 17, the first time I saw a dead body, I froze. By 31 it was a natural occurrence for me, and no group of people should live like that.

I'm a serious optimist. I come from a country where you have little to be hopeful for, and so you have to always be an optimist.

The one thing I have never been afraid of is standing before important people and speaking my mind. I represent women who may never have the opportunity to go to the UN or meet with a president. I'm never afraid to speak truth to power.

Leadership is standing with your people. People say you have to live to fight another day, but sometimes you have to show you are a true leader.

I'm now on a journey to fulfill the wish, in my tiny capacity, of little African girls.

I have come to one conclusion: All that I am, all that I aspire to be, all that I was before, is by the grace of God. There are so many women in Africa, and outside Africa, who are more intelligent than I am.

If you are serving justice to one person, those who have been affected should also be served some form of justice.

There is something in this world that every individual can do. God has created all of us with something unique to contribute.

I always tell people, anger is like liquid. It's fluid, it's like water. You put it in a container and it takes the shape of that container. So many people you see in prison, unleashing war on their people, they are angry, and they take their anger and put it into a violent container.