46 Quotes by 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 now on a journey to fulfill the wish, in my tiny capacity, of little African girls.

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.

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.

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

We go into rural communities, and all we do - like has been done in this room [at TED] - is create the space. When these girls sit ... you unlock great leaders.

Don't stop, echoes the older Liberian lady's voice. Don't ever stop. My answer to her: I never will.

Regardless of whom you pray to, during war our experiences as a community and as mothers are the same.

When the guilty verdict was handed down, I walked outside and saw a rainbow encircling the sun. Everyone in Monrovia could see it. It was a hot day, 80 or 90 degrees. I don't remember seeing any raindrops fall. I thought, this is a sign.