Eisenhower Way

70 years ago, President Eisenhower was given a special birthday gift. A group of friends decided to give something to a guy who had everything. He had achieved a lot at this time. He had returned to his homeland as the victorious General who had led the D-day landings and strategized the allied victory that catalysed the end of the 2nd World War. He had led the conversations that set up NATO. He had become president with a landslide victory.

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His friends donated money into a fund set up to launch life-defining journeys in carefully selected individuals. 70 years later, there are almost 6000 fellows round the world,? known to be? diverse, dynamic doers? making a difference in communities evrtywhere. They are Presidents, CEOs, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, all using their gifting to build a better world.

EIsenhower believed in the power of conversations. He believed that all it took for great things to happen, was for leaders to speak to each other and build the bridges that birth progress. This method works. This year, almost 400 fellows from 60 countries converged in San Francisco to endorse this truth. At the end of 3 days of engagement, interactions and informative discussions, new bridges of friendship and collaboration have been built. Our world continues to evolve in complexity. Now more than ever, the Eisenhower way is needed.

The panel discussion topics were a feast for? hungry minds, with topics ranging from artificial intelligence and? the future of policing,? to ensuring food security. Fantastic minds: Sec Robert Gates,? Christine Todd Whitman and many others shared unique perspectives on varied issues. At the special awards ceremony to cap the celebration, Ghana’s name was glittering gold when Sulemana Braimah was chosen for the first EF Hovey Impact award for the fellow whose EF inspired work had? registered significant societal impact.

From a field of 30 projects from all over the world, his work in founding the Fourth Estate was chosen as most? reflective of the EIsenhower way. A proud Ghanaian contingent was on hand to support him. In an inspirational acceptance speech, he shared how proud his parents would be of the kid who had started his schooling at Nyame Bekyere Primary, in a village near Kumasi.? Here he was, receiving an award in the hall where the United Nations was founded.

And his co-awardee for the night was none other than Melinda French Gates, decorated with the EIsenhower medal of service for what her philanthropy continues to do for the world. Her parents were in the front row and she shared her own insights? on working with people rather than for them.

These are difficult times. The world today is very different from that of 2019. In 4 short years we have gone through a global pandemic, the first European war in decades, and now the Middle East convulses in Israel and Gaza, never to? be the same again.? Now more than ever, the leaders must serve. Now more than ever the bridges of consultation, collaboration and communal progress must be established in boardrooms, town halls, city squares and world fora. The future can only be better because people dare to walk a path that is not easily trodden.

A new? world of complex challenges demands new mines? of strategic solutions. Now more than ever, the true mettle of our humanity must shine through. We are not built for business as usual. We are more extraordinary beings than that. We are not built to give up. Too many people have sacrificed too much to give us some good things we have now. We should add on. It’s the least we could do. We should push forward, because the stories of the great have one thing in common:

Only the brave can weather the storm long enough for day to break.