a music artist. a disability rights advocate and a peaceful promoter. [applause] 10 years ago, i was involved in a motor accident. it almost clean my life. -- claimed my life. it was difficult thinking about my life after that experience. coming from a continent where people with disabilities face various challenges to access and inclusion. by the challenges, i have grown. i have become a contributing member of my country and society. i have become a voice for the voiceless. i am for filling my dream as a mandela washington fellow. [applause]

exciting enough, for the first time in 13 years, i get to experience freedom. access and freedom to me mean -- don't mean the same thing to you. access to similarly insignificant things, like accessing the shopping mall, accessing the toilet, accessing public transportation that are inclusive of people like me. i get to experience it here in america after 13 years. [applause] grace: i represent a huge community of persons with disabilities who do not have bases, who do not have voices -- faces, who do not have voices.

after so many years, what inclusion and access should be for them, and i am going back to africa to make sure that dream becomes a reality for africans with disabilities. [applause] grace: it has become a platform for inspiration for young emerging africans, leaders like you. we come from different countries, from different centers. yes, united with a common goal for a new africa. [applause] grace: that is why, in my song i say yes we can. sure we can. change africa.

we represent a network of young african leaders, emerging like soldiers. fearlessly positioned to declare it will happen. so let the philosophers and great minds of this world get ready. to learn from the wisdom of africa. [applause] grace: and you, you represent that africa. the last six weeks have been inspiring and useful, right? the last six weeks have been inspiring and useful. for the work that we have ahead.

so, we commit ourselves to going back and becoming the solution that our continent needs. do you believe that? , over the past two weeks president barack obama has let 10 more leaders discuss the change that we know africa needs. today, he is right here in our midst. [applause] grace: standing up as young african leaders to become that change that our continent deserves. one man has shown with his life and character that change and greatness is possible if only you try. are you ready to try?

he inspires hope, not just for the youth of america but for the next generation of world leaders and that is why he created the young african leadership initiative that we all represent today. his vision for us is not just to change africa, but to form a foundation of leaders that are ready to take over the borders. so join me this morning as we welcome the president. of the united states of america! barack obama! [applause]

pres. obama: thank you. hello everybody. [applause] [cheering] pres. obama: thank you everybody sit down, thank you so

much. this is a good crowd here. first of all, can everybody please give grace another great round of applause? [applause] pres. obama: not only does she do incredibly inspiring work in nigeria but i have to say following grace is a little bit like following michelle. she is so good, you kind of feel bad when you are walking out because you are thinking i'm not going to be that good. she is just one example of the incredible talent in this room. to all of you, i know you have been here in the united states for a few weeks but let me say on behalf of the american people welcome to the united

states and we are thrilled to have you here. [applause] pres. obama: your visit comes at a perfect time. yes, soon it is my birthday but that is not the main reason it's the perfect time. the main reason is because, as many as you know, i returned from africa. it was my fourth trip to sub-saharan africa, more than any other u.s. president and i was proud to be the first u.s. president to visit kenya. the first to visit ethiopia, the first to address the african union, which was a great honor. [applause] pres. obama: the reason i've devoted so much energy to our work with the continent is as i said last week. even as africa continues to confront many challenges, africa is on the move.

it is one of the fastest growing regions in the world africa's middle class is projected to grow to more than one billion consumers, with hundreds of millions of mobile phones and surging access to the internet, africans are beginning to leapfrog old cap elegies -- old technologies. they have begun to restore technology and increase health fighting hiv. millions have been lifted from extreme poverty. this is extraordinary progress, and young people like you are driving so much of this progress. africa is the youngest continent. i saw the power of youth on my trip. in kenya richard helped build yes youth camp, one of the most prominent civil society groups with one million members. the global average partnership summit in nairobi, they spoke

about how they so the brilliant footsteps academy in nigeria which uses education to fight religious extremism and provide more opportunities for young muslim youth. i met judith, and entrepreneur who cofounded a nonprofit that trains young women living in the slums of nairobi and computer programming and rapid design and helps place them in tech jobs. i saw the talent of young people all across the continent and as president i want to make sure that even as we are working with government we are working to empower junk africans like all of you. that's quite i launched the young african leaders initiative to help increase access. [applause] to help you access the resources and training and networks you

need to become the next generation of leaders in all areas in civil society and business and government. and the response has been overwhelming. so far, more than 140,000 young people across africa have joined our network. junk africans with your ideas can connect with each other and collaborate and work together to put their plans of action -- young africans with new ideas can connect with each other and collaborate. i am proud of all of you and proud that we have made some much progress after a few years. [applause] pres. obama: last year i said we would launch a new set of tools for our network. we have more than 30 online lessons available on everything from public speaking to how to write a business plan. mentoring, new ways to network across africa and the world, new training sessions, meetings with

experts on how to launch a startup, and we are launching three new online mandela fellow washington fellowship institute courses, so that all members of the network can access the great ideas you have been sharing. last year i said we would create regional leadership centers across africa to provide skills, it works of opportunity to even more young african leaders. in kenya, i got a chance to visit the regional leadership center in nairobi and we opened a new center and two more will be open by the end of the year in pretoria and by car -- bakar. [applause] pres. obama: last year i said we would do even more to support young entrepreneurs with grants to help you start a business and start. new training for thousands of inspiring hospira doors in small towns and rural areas. the global on for an are shipped

summit in nairobi, i announce we secured more than $1 billion in new commitments from banks and philanthropists. the support from emerging entrepreneurs around the world including in africa with half the money going to support women and young people. [applause] pres. obama: last year i welcomed a first class of mandela fellow's, this year the response was overwhelming again with nearly 30,000 applications. today i am honored to welcome the second ella's class -- fell ows class. we are on track to expanded to 100,000 fellows next year. [applause] pres. obama: i know you have been busy. over the past few weeks schools and businesses across america

you have been taking courses, developing skills you need to make ideas a reality. so that you are able to continue the great work you are already doing and take it to the next level. where's brian? there he is right there. [applause] pres. obama: so, brian uses music to advocate against things like gender-based violence and educate use on hiv/aids. so while in the u.s. he has learned about our health care system, met the founder of an american hiv organization and plans to start a record label for music about social change. we are proud to be your partner. [applause] pres. obama: or we have gadiva.

there she is. so, helps lead a media campaign to stop the spread of ebola. with the management skills she gained at wagner college she wants to work on improving the lives of women and girls back home in guinea. we are proud to have you. [applause] pres. obama: or we have jameel are -- jamila of uganda. [applause] are you posing? she's posing. she is not a fashion model, she started a door-to-door laundry company to employ more youth and teach them entrepreneurial skills and she hopes to share what she learned at dartmouth university to meet her goal of

gaining 1000 youth to work in or run their own business. we are proud to be your partner. so that is just a sampling of the incredible progress being done by fellows all across africa. this program will help all of you make a real difference back home. but my partner from senegal so fatu wrote me a letter and she says if the real value is for young people to learn from others, maybe we should be sending young americans to africa also. and she made the point not to just help poor communities but to learn from other societies with humility. which i thought is absolutely true.

i have good news. from now on, we will give americans and opportunity next summer. up to 80 american young leaders will join. [applause] pres. obama: 80 young american leaders will join and go to africa to learn from you in your countries. [applause] pres. obama: you are going to have to look after them when they're there. some good places, but not have too much fun, you are doing work while there. so these connections and partnerships and friendships forged an understanding that brings our peoples closer together. after six weeks, many of you are official texas longhorns or notre dame fighting irish.

you have shared african cooking with your american friends. but you have also had a burger and a hot dog at the fourth of july celebration. i am told many of you went bowling for the first time. it didn't go that well. there were a few strikes. by the way, there was at least one marriage that came out of last year's class. [applause] pres. obama: so who knows what we will have in here. so as your time in america comes to a close, i want you to remove her that this is just the beginning and we just started this. the truth is it that our greatest challenges, whether it is inclusive development or confronting terrorism dealing with conflict, climate change,

increasing women's rights children's rights, these are bigger than any one nation or one continent. our hope is that 10, 15, 20 years from now when you have gone on to be majors in government or leaders in business were pioneers of social change, that you will still be connecting with each other. that you will still be learning from each other. and that together, you will be reaching back and helping the next generation. that you will not only be making a difference in your own countries, but you will be the foundation of a new generation of global leadership. a generation that will be working together across borders to make the world safer and more prosperous and peaceful and just. that is my hope for you. we brought you here because we benefit from your leadership. we are counting on you to work together to make sure you are reaching back to those who will

be coming behind you. we could not be more proud of you. . let me take some questions. thank you very much. all right, so i think you have been told how this works. i will just repeat it. i am just going to call on many people as possible. when i call on you, introduce yourself, tell me what country you're from, make your question relatively short so that we can get in as many questions as possible. i will go boy, girl, boy, girl, make sure it is fair. ok. let me see who i will start off with. this is such a good-looking group. i will start with this young

lady right here. right in the middle. there you go. with the african earings. [laughter] very appropriate. >> i am from kenya. my question is, i am curious how you keep the balance in terms of your background as an african-american, and the kinds of struggles you have had to get here. and michelle obama, she is amazing. as a father and a husband how do you keep a balance? president obama: first of all, i would not be who i was without michelle. she is my partner. [applause] that is true professionally but

that is true in terms of my character and who i am. one of the things i'm very proud of is the fact that i married someone who is strong and counted and opinionated and my equal. part of the reason that is so important to me is because she is the role model now for my daughters. melia and/or have expectations of being strong and talented and being treated as an equal by their partners as they get older. much older. [laughter] the balance is not always

perfect. i have written about this. one of the things that my generation but now even more your generation has to manage is if you have two people working in the house outside the home how do you manage that in a way that we are both good parents both able to succeed in our work, and what michelle and i found is that we had to recognize that, at any given point in our careers one person might sacrifice a little bit. maybe this was a time she really had to focus on something so i had to cover for her more. there were times i has -- i was not able to do something and she had to handle things more.

i am not suggesting it has been completely. i am the first one to acknowledge she has probably made more sacrifices given the nature of a political career that i have. but what i've learned from her is that if she does not feel respected and fulfilled then i will end up being less successful, ultimately. that is something i think men in africa in particular, but men everywhere -- [laughter] i have spoken about this a lot. the best measure of how a country does economically in terms of development is, how does it treat its women? [applause] and as i said in a speech, a

couple of the speeches i gave while i was in kenya and ethiopia if you are mistreating your women, then you are just holding yourself down. you may have a false sense of importance, but ultimately, you do not benefit if women are being discriminated against. that means your family will have less income. if they are not educated, it means your children are less like a to be well-educated. typically, the mother is the first educator of a child. if they see you disrespecting your wife, then what lesson is not just your girls but what lesson are your sons learning from you? this is something that i really think everybody, especially the young generation of african men, have to learn and internalize.

i want to see more men creating pressure among themselves. if you see a friend of yours, a classmate, one of your buddies abusing a woman, you have to say something. you have to ostracize them and say that is not acceptable. ultimately, this is not just an issue of laws, though here in the united states, we're still fighting for equal pay for equal work and that women have the same opportunities as men. it is also a matter of culture and what our expectations are. your generation is going to have to change expectations. you do not lift yourself up and holding somebody else down. that is especially true within your own family and the people your closest to. [applause]

all right. that young man right there with the striped shirt. yes, you. >> thank you, mr. president. i'm from rwanda. president obama: you have a little cheering section here. [laughter] >> mr. president, there is a big problem. research showed africa would be the most -- continental climate change. africa is the confident responsible for introducing the greenhouse gases and global warming. africa was the last continent to get funding. my question is to ask you to empower africa. thank you.

president obama: first of all, this generation has to understand that climate change is going to be one of the critical issues you face. oftentimes, you will hear people say, well, environmental issues, climate change, we do not have time to worry about that right now because we have much more urgent issues. we have to educate our children feed people. we have to develop here maybe later, we can worry about environmental issues. i understand why a lot of african countries and poor countries in asia and latin america or other places would say that. historically, that is basic to what the united states and developed countries do. the united states used to be terribly polluted. if you went to los angeles, it was like beijing is now. it was very hard to breathe if you ran outside.

you had lakes and rivers so polluted that one of them caught fire. i am serious. that is some pollution there. the same is true in london one london was first developing. during the industrial revolution because of all the coal being burned. here is the problem. whether it is fair or not the issue of climate change is not like traditional environmental issues in the sense that is just isolated in one area. global climate change will affect everybody. because the changes could be so severe frankly, the countries most likely to be adversely affected are the poor countries because they have less margin for error. if you have changing weather

patterns in, let's say, the indian subcontinent you could have millions of people whose crops completely fail. the same is true in africa. if rain pattern and droughts start changing farmers are completely vulnerable. if you are in coastal communities in the oceans began to rise, millions of people could be displaced. this is something everybody is going to have to take seriously. what we will be doing is, here in the united states, we are initiating some of the most aggressive action to start reducing the omission of carbon that produces climate change. there will be a paris conference later this year in which we are organizing china and other countries that are big carbon

emitters to participate and set targets for reduction of carbon pollution. africa, per capita, does not produce that much carbon. some african countries have said, why should we have to do anything? the answer is that you have to project where you will be 20 years from now, 30 years from now. if you get locked in now in the way you produce energy that is bruising a lot of carbon, given the use of africa and its thriving population, you could end up being a major carbon emitter if you do not make changes now. learn from these mistakes and find new and sustainable ways to generate energy that do not produce carbon. when i was in nairobi, i highlighted the work we're doing which has generated billions of

dollars, with the goal of electrification throughout sub-saharan africa. part of what we're trying to encourage countries to do is, do not automatic take old models. think about new models of energy production and try to leapfrog. with solar energy, we are looking at solar panels you could send into rural areas, put on the roof of a hot, and for the same price per day that people are purchasing kerosene, they could have small solar panels and a pack that generates light and provides what they need. in fact, it will pay for itself in the year and then they will save money after that. so in the same wave you have seen banking, and financial

transactions off of smart phones, cell phones, leapfrogging some of the old ways of doing business in advanced countries, the same has to be true for energy. we want to encourage new models. we are going to be providing the united states and other wealthy countries will provide dollars for adaptation and mitigation. how do we create the energy needed for africa's growth and development in a way that does not make the problem worse, but instead makes the problem better. [applause] ok. this young lady right here. you've got the microphone coming. >> hello. president obama: speak up just a little bit. >> hello.

i am 23 years old. my question is simple. you as a president and a u.s. citizen, will you, after leaving the white house, keep up his program? we still need it. president obama: it is a simple question. i have got a simple answer. yes. [laughter] here is what we will try to do. we want to institutionalize the program so that the next president and future presidents and the u.s. government continues to sustain the program. so that will be important. [applause] since i still have this job for the next 18 months, i have not been completely focus on what i will do afterwards. [laughter] the first thing i will probably do is catch up on my sleep.

i will do that for a couple of months. [laughter] but i can guarantee one of the things i am interested in doing when i leave office is to continue to create these platforms for young leadership across the globe, to network work together, to learn with each other. [applause] and by the way, it is not just in africa. we have set up a young leaders program in asia. we are doing the same thing and latin america. because the goal is, eventually, i want, not only for there to be a network of thousands of young african leaders who know each other across borders and our sharing best practices and sharing ideas, but i also want you to know, young leaders in indonesia, or young leaders in chile or young leaders around

the globe. ultimately, you will be global leaders, not just leaders in your own country. it begins in your own countries, where you can make your mark. but one of the powerful things about technology and the internet now is you can learn and forge relationships and learn best practices from every place. if you are an advocate for women's rights and you are doing great work in nigeria, it may be somebody in burma on the internet can see how you organize your campaign and how you are able to finance it, and what you were able to accomplish, and suddenly, what you have done in one country becomes a model for action all across the world.

this will be a top priority of mine. i will definitely continue to be involved in that. [applause] i have to call on a man now. let's see. i will call on this guy right there. no, no. yes, you right there. just because i like that had. that is a sharp looking hat. [laughter] >> i come from madagascar. president obama: there you go. >> we are involved in environmental entrepreneurship. united states toward change? president obama: we have got $1

billion for entrepreneurship. half of it, we're going to direct toward women on -- it women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs. they have been underrepresented in terms of access to capital. as i mentioned earlier the opportunities for entrepreneurship related to clean energy, related to conservation, which, oftentimes in a place like madagascar, involves tourism and ecotourism. there is huge potential if done properly. the key is, in some cases, just the access to financing. part of what you have hopefully learned is part of it is also having a well thought out land to not everybody can afford to go to a fancy business school and graduate and have all the

credentials. but that does not mean you do not have a good idea. one thing we're trying to do particularly through online learning is to create some of the basic concepts for how a business or a nonprofit can get started and be properly managed, how you can do the accounting in a way that is efficient. we want to make sure we are a continuing partner for you as you start your business and learn. this is where the regional networks are also useful because not only will we have online learning that these regional hubs, initially for regions of africa, allow you to continue to network and access through the u.s. embassy or the chambers of commerce or private sector participants partnering with us so you can have hands-on mentoring and learning as you

are developing business plans and trying to move forward. the one thing for those of you who are entrepreneurs or aspiring on norse, to remember, all around the world, even in the united states, not every idea succeeds. if you want to be a notch and or and started business, you have to believe with all your heart that you will succeed but then if one of the businesses fails, you have got to deal to get up and dust yourself off and figure out what you learned and then start another business. eventually from continually refining your ideas and asked loring what works, and understanding what your market is and what consumers are looking for, eventually, you have the chance to succeed. ok.

a young woman's turn now. she is just dancing over there. [laughter] we will have to call on her. that does not mean, by the way that everybody should dance. just wanted to point that out. go ahead. >> thank you. my name is madeleine. i would like to find out if you will support africa. thank you. [applause] president obama: security council was formed after world war ii and the world and the balance of power looked very different in 1945 1940 six 1947, than it does in 2000, and

2017. the united states is supported in concept of modifications to the structure of the united nations security council. i will be honest with you. how that happens and how you balance all the equities is complicated. as a matter of principle, i would think that there should at least the one representative from the african continent on the security council, along with representatives from the other regions of the world and some of the other powers that have emerged. i will tell you, for example, latin america does not have a country that is representative. it does get collocated because you have to figure out how -- let me put it this way.

everybody probably thinks they should be. even in africa, if you started saying ok, let's have an africa. is it south africa nigeria? see? [laughter] uganda. see? everybody's thinking, why not me? the same is true in japan. one of the largest economies in the world. brazil thinks it should be on. india, the world passes largest democracy. we are going to have to design a process whereby all these various legitimate arguments are sorted through but what i very much believe is that for the

united nations security council to be affected, it has to be more representative of all the various trendlines that have occurred over the last several decades. one thing i will say about the united nations. everybody wants a seat at the table but sometimes people do not want the responsibilities of having a seat at the table. that is happening even now. one thing i have learned both in my personal and political lives is that if you want more authority, you also have to be more responsible. you cannot wear the crown if you cannot bear the cross. often times, in the united

nations, which i am very committed to, and the agency there do a lot of really critical and important work but when it comes to, who will actually step up and contribute to peacekeeping? who will actually write a check when it comes to making sure we are dealing with the ebola crisis? who is going to show leadership in tackling climate change? are you willing to speak out on issues, even when it contradicts your own interests? or when it is politically hard? or when it is uncomfortable? if you are not willing to do those things, you know, this is not just something where ok, i have got a membership key to the club and now i am just going to show us how important i am.

that, you know, you see that sometimes. and sometimes it happens in our own agencies. on human rights. when i was in kenya, i said it is not enough for the united states to always be who has to point out that it is unsuitable for leaders to ignore the constitution and try to cling on to power. the neighbors have to speak up as well, even if it is uncomfortable. so my attitude is, if you want -- [applause] -- if you want to participate then you have to recognize you have broader responsibilities. that is something the united states, for all our occasional mistakes or flaws or our policies not perfect all the

time the one thing we do try to be is responsible. if there is an earthquake or a tornado somewhere, or a hurricane somewhere, we are there. we are stepping up to it when ebola happened, we stepped up. even when other people were kind of looking around and trying to figure out, well, i don't know, what should we do. that is part of leadership. that is true for you individually as well. you have to be willing to take some risks and do some hard things in order to be a leader. a leader is not just a name, a title, and privileges in part -- and perks./ let's see. i think it is a gentleman's turn. all right here this guy looks

sharp right here. that is a serious looking coat. look at that. that is a good looking coat. [applause] don't worry to your i will call on somebody who is just wearing a suit at some point. [laughter] >> thank you, mr. president. we are very grateful for the american leadership in the fight against violent extremism and the military response. my question is, what kind of engagement and support can we expect from you in communities especially where we have -- where we are grappling with those issues. president obama: this is very important. look.

the sources of violence around the world are multiple. it is important for us to record highs that, sadly, the human race has found excuses to kill each other for all sorts of reasons. in the continent of africa, it has often times been along ethnic and tribal lines. it has nothing to do with religion. has to do with, if you speak a slightly different language than me or look just a little bit different. in northern island, it was religious. in other places, it just has to do with trying to gain power or a majority group trying to impose its will on a minority group. so there are all kinds of reasons for violence. but the phenomenon we are now seeing is a very specific

promotion of violent extremism that often times is twisting and distorting and, i think, ultimately define -0- ddefying the edicts of one of the world passes greatest religions, islam. it is being exported and turbocharged through social media. groups like al-shabaab and iso- -- isil. the question is how do we fight back against those ideologies? in a way that allows us to still be true to the values of peace and tolerance the united states is committed to this fight against terrorism. we are working with countries

and partnered with countries all around the world to grasp whether it is al qaeda, boko haram, but we have also said in order to defeat these extremist ideologies, it cannot just be military, police, and security. it has to be reaching into communities that feel marginalized and making sure they feel they are hurt. making sure the young people in those communities have opportunities. that is why it is so important to partner with civil society organizations. in countries throughout africa and around the world that can reach young people before isil reaches them or al-shabaab reaches them.

and an ocular them from the notion that the solution to their alienation or the source of future opportunity for them is to go kill people. that's why when i was in kenya, for example, and i did a town hall meeting their, i emphasized what i said to president kenyatta. be a partner with civil society groups because too often there is a tendency -- [applause] pres. obama: because what the extremist groups want to do, the notion is that you scare society , further polarizing them. the government reacts by further discriminating against a particular group. that group and feels it has no political outlet peacefully to deal with their grievances.

that suppression can oftentimes accelerate even more extremism. that's why reaching out to civil society groups, clergy, and listening and asking, what is it we need to do in order to make sure young people feel they can succeed? what is it we need to do to make sure that they are fully a part of this country as full citizens and have full rights? how do we do that? bringing them in to plan and design messages and campaigns that embrace the diversity of these countries. those are the things that are so important to do. we still have to gain intelligence and engage in effective military and police campaigns to eradicate those who

are so brainwashed that all you can do is incapacitate them. the question is constantly, how do we make sure the recruitment of young people into these terrorist organizations, how do we cut off that flow? that requires more than just military. this young lady right here. in the green and red. right here. no, right here. you. yes, go ahead. >> thank you mr. president. my name is jen, i'm from kenya. i'm speaking on behalf of my brother and sister from africa.

persons with albinism in africa are being killed and their body parts harvested for ritual purposes. my request is for the head of state in african countries to bring these to an end for the benefit for us in this room and our brothers and sisters back in africa. thank you. [applause] pres. obama: thank you. can i just say the notion that any african would discriminate against somebody because of the color of their skin, after what

black people around the world gone through is crazy. it is infuriating. [applause] pres. obama: i have no patience for it. when i was in africa i said there are important traditions and folkways that need to be respected. that's part of how each culture and country is. but there are also foolish traditions. and always of doing business. -- old ways of doing business. there is a currents and it needs to's -- there are ignorant things and they need to stop.

the idea that a society would visit violence on people because of pigmentation. that is not a tradition. that is not a tradition worth preserving. that is, full array -- tomfoolery. craziness. cruel. the same as practices like genital mutilation. it has to stop. you don't do violence to young girls just because your great-grandfather or -- there's no reason for it other than to suppress women. that's the rationale. that's what it's based on. bride adduction.

bad tradition. beating women, not a good tradition. i don't care that that used to be how things were done. [applause] pres. obama: society has evolved. based on new understandings and new science and new appreciation of who we are. we can preserve great traditions music food, dance language, art. but if there is a tradition anywhere in africa or here in the united states or anywhere that involves treating people differently because you are scared of them or because you are ignorant about them or

because you want to feel superior to them. that's a bad tradition. you have to challenge it. you cannot accept excuses for it. you heard the power of racists talking. traditionally, people with disabilities are treated differently because people are ignorant. when, here in the united states we passed the americans against his abilities act that "opportunities and suddenly there are ramps so people can access and computers, it turns out there's all this talent and brilliance and people can do these things. things have to change and societies have to change.

that is why young people are so important in changing attitudes. the same is true for sexual orientation. i spoke about this. [applause] pres. obama: i spoke about this in africa and everybody was like, oh, we don't want to hear that. the truth of the matter is if you are treating people differently just because of who they love and who they are there's a connection between that mindset and the mindset that led to racism. and the mindset that leads to ethnic conflict. means you're not able to see somebody else as a human being. so you can, on the one hand, complain when somebody does that to you and then you are doing

it to somebody else. you can't do it. there has to be some consistency to how you think about these issues. that will be up to young people because all people get stuck in their ways. they do. that's true here in the united states. the truth of the matter is, when i started running for president, everybody said a black guy named barack obama is not going to win the presidency of the united states. but when i was banking on was the fact that with all the problems that still exist in the united states around racial attitudes, things have changed and young people and new generations said -- had suddenly understood, in dr. king's words

being judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. that doesn't mean everything is suddenly perfect. it just means that young people, you can lead the way and set a good example. it requires courage because the old thinking people will push back at you. if you don't have the conviction and courage to be able to stand up for what you think is right then cruelty will perpetuate itself. you guys are on the spot. if there's one thing i want younger leaders to come out with is the notion that you are strong like taking care of the people who are vulnerable. by looking after the minorities. looking after the disabled looking after the vulnerable. you're not strong. by putting people down you are strong by lifting people up. that's the measure of a leader.

how much time do we have? i we have time for one more question -- i only have time for one more question. first of all women come out you can put your hands down because i just answered women. it has to be a guy. i promised i'd ask a guy in a suit. i would ask this guy right here. all right. look, he's all bundled up, he looks very sharp. >> thank you mr. president. i am from nigeria. thank you. i want to say we appreciate all the great things the united states is doing with nigeria and many african countries

especially as this conference concerns infrastructure and development. if we do not make investments in education more than any other aspect of the economy we are not building a sustainable system. [applause] >> i am saying that with respect to the drain that africa is experiencing, just to the fact that the grass on the side and the united states attracts so many intellectuals to develop and run these programs. for example recently when you went to kenya you launched a program around power and energy and i am of the opinion that program will be sustainable and successful, but all of those functioning to the universities, we can fuel the attitude of diversities and all these

countries can go around replicating the results so that might be able to control the drain moving from africa to the west. i want to ask. what is the united states doing to control these intellectual drains to the western world and what are you doing to increase more than others, the investment in education so that our partnership and development can be truly sustainable thank you. pres. obama: excellent question. thank you. i am going to reverse the question a little bit. the question is not what is the united states doing to reverse the brain drain. the question is what are your countries doing to reverse the brain drain.

now, many of you have friends who study overseas and study in the west. then they decide to stay and set of going back home. -- instead of going back home. we are partnering with every country here, i guarantee you there are programs to invest in education in your country. there are programs to work with the universities in your countries. i think you make an excellent point that on big projects like power africa, we should make sure that there is a capacity building component and in fact, one of the things that has been done with our development assistance we are providing is to emphasize capacity building. our feed the future program, the goal is not to keep sending food

forever, the goal is teaching farmers to double or triple or quadruple their yields, which then gives them more income, which then allows them to buy a tractor or start a cooperative food processing plant that accesses the market and the money gets reinvested and now you are building jobs and commerce inside the country, as a porous to just being -- as opposed to being a aid recipient. ultimately, why is it that you have so many talented, well educated young africans leaving instead of staying? why is it that you have so many talented well-educated people from the middle east or parts of asia or latin america who would

rather live here than there? the issue is not just that these are -- we are a wealthier country, i think it is fair to say that part of it has to do with a young person's assessment of " can i succeed and apply my talents if, for example, the economy is still built on corruption so that i have to pay a bribe or be well-connected in order to start my business?" or is there still, are there still ethnic rivalries in the country? which means that if i am from the wrong tribe, i am less likely to advance. or is there still so much sexism in the country that if i am a

woman, then i am expected just to be at home and be quiet when i am a trained doctor. or is there a lack of rule of law, or basic human rights and freedoms that make me feel as if i am restricted in what i can do? i made this point to say that some of the brain drain of economics but some of it has to do with people's assessment of if i stay in my country, am i going to have the ability to succeed? that is why when i talked to the leaders of africa or anywhere around the world, i say if you put together the basics of rule of law and due process and democracy, and you're able to

keep peace so that there is not conflict or constant danger. and the government is not corrupt. then even a poor country will attract a lot of people who want to live there because they feel like they're part of building something and are contributing something. because the one thing i have discovered is, right now, i live in a big house that it is a lease. i have to give it up in 18 months. a big house is nice for the first month. this is a really big house. then, after about two months you realize you can't live in all those rooms. my life is not appreciably better once i got the basics. i think a lot of young africans would be much more interested in

staying even if they don't have as big of a house or the shopping malls aren't as big. if they felt as if the basics are taken care of, i can keep my family safe, i can practice my profession, i will not be disseminated against best discriminate against and public investments are being made, people would have a sense of meaning in their lives. young people might live in london or new york because it might make more money but i think that as much as what we do well reverse the brain drain and that is why what you do is so important. if you set a good example going back home and rebuilding your country, and if you as young leaders are creating an environment in which young

people can succeed and you are setting a new set of expectations about how exciting it is to be part of something new. that can help turn the tide. good luck. thank you, everybody. [applause] ♪

>> more from president obama this afternoon will be unveiling the new epa admissions regulation live from the east room of the white house at 2:15 p.m. eastern time. >> the republican presidential candidates are in manchester new hampshire for the first presidential forum today at 7:00 p.m. eastern. and c-span's road to the white house is providing live coverage of the form on c-span, c-span radio, and c-span.org. the new hampshire union leader along with media organizations from the early caucus of primary states are sponsoring this forum. , following the live forum you can provide input by joining our call-in program or adding comments on facebook and

twitter. road to the white house 2016 on c-span, c-span radio, and c-span.org. >> on capitol hill, the house is out for the august recess. the senate is in today at 2:00 eastern time for what is expected to be there last week for the recess. working today on a bill to defund planned parenthood. we spoke with a reporter earlier this morning about that issue. >> peter sullivan of the hill to talk about today's votes so, when will it take place and what is this first vote? guest: it will take place this afternoon, probably later in the afternoon. it is a procedural vote to actually get on to start the debate on the bill to defund planned parenthood and cut off the several million dollars as you mentioned. the vote is likely to fail

because it needs a 60 vote threshold. probably hardly any democrats if any will vote for it. there probably are not enough votes so it will be a procedural vote to move to the bill and it will not go forward. host: some republicans are saying that the leadership should continue to fight on this. guest: right so, this could be a fight that goes on for a while. it could go on into the fall in september. we will see whether this comes back after congress returns. they have to figure out how to fund the government by october 1 and there are many republicans who say we should be defunding planned parenthood in the spending bill in the appropriations bill and they are not going to vote for anything that includes funding for planned parenthood, which in their he could lead to a government shutdown if both

sides cannot agree. it is definitely something that has been fired up by these controversial videos and could definitely come back in the fall. host: what is the republican leadership saying about this about the prospect of a shutdown over the controversial videos and funding for planned parenthood? do they think it is worth shutting down the government? guest: they say they do not want to shut down the government and when senator mitch mcconnell the majority leader, won the majority in november he said we are not going to be shutting down the government. he has not changed from that. leadership does not want to shut down the government, they also say that they do want to defund planned parenthood so those could be an tensioned. -- intentional. we are going to see how strongly they pushed the defund planned parenthood. in the house, the leadership has been more cautious and have not

held any votes to defund it yet which has annoyed at some of their rank and file members to some degree. it seems more rank and file then this may be heading to the shutdown. i don't think leadership wants to shut down host: what is the white house saying? guest: they want to defend it and say they will veto any spending bill that the funds planned parenthood which raises the stakes. the white house is saying they will not back down and will make sure there is funding for planned parenthood. i'm sure they will be ready with their argument that republicans are yet again shutting down the government over cutting off access to women's health. so, they are getting their side ready for the fight. host: all right, peter sullivan with the hill, thank you for your time. >> the democratic presidential

candidate senator bernie sanders spoke to hispanic business group recently about the economy and issues specific to latino businesses. it was hosted by the u.s. hispanic chamber of commerce. >> good afternoon and welcome to the third presidential candidate q&a session. my name is javier palomares and i am the ceo of the united states hispanic chamber of commerce. i have the almond -- honor of representing two firms in this country. that did you read it several million dollars to the economy every year. we also advocate on the bet on -- on behalf of several companies through a network of over 200 companies and business associations nationwide while we represent the issues of businessmen and women who happen to be of hispanic descent, we

never forget that we are first and foremost american businesses. every tax that we pay and every product we manufacture and every service we provide goes to benefit our american economy. this event follows headlining stories concerning the involvement of presidential candidates with america's hispanic community. and the association that represents millions of hispanic business owners, we have an accountability to ensure votes it -- voices are heard by each and every candidate. not only as business leaders but as taxpayers, donors, and voters.this q&a session is the third in a series . we have already spoken to senator ted cruz and governor martin o'malley. this forum is meant to set the record straight on a wide array of issues that concern hispanic americans.

today we'll would be talking about a wide array of issues including the economy small business international trade immigration, climate change, and equal pay. issues that affect all americans. with that, i would like to welcome to the stage senator ernie sanders. [applause] [applause]