讀書有好處的作文

時間：2025-10-09 14:33:19 讀書我要投稿

讀書有好處的作文

　　Thank you so much. Thank you. Please be seated. Well, good afternoon,everybody. To Mayor Bloomberg, thank you -- not only for the kind introduction, but toBloomberg Philanthropies as our co-host, and for the great work that you’re doing across Africato help create jobs, and promote public health, encourage entrepreneurship, especiallywomen. So thank you very much, Michael, for your leadership. I want to thank our other co-host-- my great friend and tireless Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker. (Applause.)

讀書有好處的作文

　　I want to welcome all of our partners who are joining us from across Africa -- heads of state andgovernment, and let me welcome the delegations from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, withwhom we are working so urgently to control the Ebola outbreak and whose citizens are in ourthoughts and prayers today. I also want to welcome Madame Chairperson Dlamini-Zuma of theAfrican Union Commission; President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka; aswell as the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Kim. Please give them all a round of applause. (Applause.)

　　And I want to acknowledge members of Congress who are here and who are such greatchampions of Africa’s engagement with -- America’s engagement with Africa. In a city thatdoes not always agree on much these days, there is broad bipartisan agreement that a secure,prosperous and self-reliant Africa is in the national interest of the United States.

　　And most of all, I want to thank all of you -- the business leaders, the entrepreneurs both fromthe United States and from across Africa who are creating jobs and opportunity for our peopleevery day. And I want to acknowledge leaders from across my administration who, likePenny, are your partners, including our U.S. Trade Representative, Mike Froman; USAIDAdministrator Raj Shah; and our new head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, DanaHyde; President of the Export-Import Bank, Fred Hochberg; Director of the U.S. Trade andDevelopment Agency, Lee Zak; and our President and CEO of OPIC, Elizabeth Littlefield.

　　So we are here, of course, as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit -- the largest gatheringany American President has ever hosted with African heads of state and government. And thissummit reflects a perspective that has guided my approach to Africa as President. Even asAfrica continues to face enormous challenges, even as too many Africans still endure povertyand conflict, hunger and disease, even as we work together to meet those challenges, wecannot lose sight of the new Africa that’s emerging.

　　We all know what makes Africa such an extraordinary opportunity. Some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. A growing middle class. Expanding sectors like manufacturingand retail. One of the fastest-growing telecommunications markets in the world. Moregovernments are reforming, attracting a record level of foreign investment. It is the youngestand fastest-growing continent, with young people that are full of dreams and ambition.

　　Last year in South Africa, in Soweto, I held a town hall with young men and women from acrossthe continent, including some who joined us by video from Uganda. And one young Ugandanwoman spoke for many Africans when she said to me, “We are looking to the world for equalbusiness partners and commitments, and not necessarily aid. We want to do [business] at homeand be the ones to own our own markets.” That’s a sentiment we hear over and over again.When I was traveling throughout Africa last year, what I heard was the desire of Africans notjust for aid, but for trade and development that actually helps nations grow and empowersAfricans for the long term.

　　As President, I’ve made it clear that the United States is determined to be a partner inAfrica’s success -- a good partner, an equal partner, and a partner for the long term. (Applause.) We don’t look to Africa simply for its natural resources; we recognize Africa for itsgreatest resource, which is its people and its talents and their potential. (Applause.) We don’tsimply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth; we want to build genuinepartnerships that create jobs and opportunity for all our peoples and that unleash the nextera of African growth. That’s the kind of partnership America offers.

　　And since I took office, we’ve stepped up our efforts across the board. More investments inAfrica; more trade missions, like the one Penny led this year; and more support for U.S.exports. And I’m proud -- I’m proud that American exports to Africa have grown to recordlevels, supporting jobs in Africa and the United States, including a quarter of a million goodAmerican jobs.

　　But here’s the thing: Our entire trade with all of Africa is still only about equal to our trade withBrazil -- one country. Of all the goods we export to the world, only about one percent goes toSub-Saharan Africa. So we’ve got a lot of work to do. We have to do better -- much better. Iwant Africans buying more American products. I want Americans buying more African products.I know you do, too. And that’s what you’re doing today. (Applause.)

　　So I’m pleased that in conjunction with this forum, American companies are announcingmajor new deals in Africa. Blackstone will invest in African energy projects. Coca-Cola willpartner with Africa to bring clean water to its communities. GE will help build Africaninfrastructure. Marriott will build more hotels. All told, American companies -- many with ourtrade assistance -- are announcing new deals in clean energy, aviation, banking, andconstruction worth more than $14 billion, spurring development across Africa and selling moregoods stamped with that proud label, “Made in America.”

　　And I don’t want to just sustain this momentum, I want to up it. I want to up our game. Sotoday I’m announcing a series of steps to take our trade with Africa to the next level.

　　First, we’re going to keep working to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act -- andenhance it. (Applause.) We still do the vast majority of our trade with just three countries --South Africa, Nigeria and Angola. It’s still heavily weighted towards the energy sector. We needmore Africans, including women and small- and medium-sized businesses, getting their goodsto market. And leaders in Congress -- Democrats and Republicans -- have said they want tomove forward. So I’m optimistic we can work with Congress to renew and modernize AGOAbefore it expires, renew it for the long term. We need to get that done. (Applause.)

　　Second, as part of our “Doing Business in Africa” campaign, we’re going to do even more tohelp American companies compete. We’ll put even more of our teams on the ground,advocating on behalf of your companies. We’re going to send even more trade missions. Today,we’re announcing $7 billion in new financing to promote American exports to Africa. Earliertoday, I signed an executive order to create a new President’s advisory council of businessleaders to help make sure we’re doing everything we can to help you do business in Africa. (Applause.)

　　And I would be remiss if I did not add that House Republicans can help by reauthorizing theExport-Import Bank. That is the right thing to do. (Applause.) I was trying to explain tosomebody that if I’ve got a Ford dealership and the Toyota dealership is providing financing toanybody who walks in the dealership and I’m not, I’m going to lose business. It’s prettystraightforward. We need to get that reauthorized. (Applause.) And you business leaders canhelp make clear that it is critical to U.S. business.

　　Number three, we want to partner with Africa to build the infrastructure that economies needto flourish. And that starts with electricity, which most Africans still lack. That’s why last yearwhile traveling throughout the continent, I announced a bold initiative, Power Africa, todouble access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa and help bring electricity to more than 20million African homes and businesses.

　　Now, we’ve joined with African governments, the African Development Bank, and the privatesector -- and I will tell you, the response has exceeded our projections. It has beenoverwhelming. Already, projects and negotiations are underway that, when completed, willput us nearly 80 percent of the way toward our goal. On top of the significant resources we’vealready committed, I’m announcing that the United States will increase our pledge to $300million a year for this effort.

　　And as of today -- including an additional $12 billion in new commitments being announcedthis week by our private sector partners and the World Bank and the government of Sweden --we’ve now mobilized a total of more than $26 billion to Power Africa just since we announced it-- $26 billion. (Applause.) So today we’re raising the bar. We decided we’re meeting our goaltoo easily, Zuma, so we’ve got to go up. So we’re tripling our goal, aiming to bring electricity tomore than 60 million African homes and businesses that can spark growth for decades to come. (Applause.)

　　Fourth, we’ll do more to help Africans trade with each other, because the markets with thegreatest potential are often the countries right next door. And it should not be harder toexport your goods to your neighbor than it is to export those goods to Los Angeles or toAmsterdam. (Applause.) So through our Trade Africa initiative, we’ll increase our investmentsto help our African partners build their own capacity to trade, to strengthen regional markets,make borders more efficient, modernize the customs system. We want to get African goodsmoving faster within Africa, as well as outside of Africa.

　　And finally, we’re doing more to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs andbusiness leaders -- it’s young men and women, like our extraordinary Mandela WashingtonFellows that I met with last week. And I have to say to the heads of state and government, youwould have been extraordinarily proud to meet these young people who exhibit so much talentand so much energy and so much drive.

　　With new Regional Leadership Centers and online courses, we’re going to offer training andnetworking for tens of thousands of young entrepreneurs across Africa. New grants will helpthem access the capital they need to grow. Our annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit thisyear will be held in Morocco. Next year, it will be held for the first time in Sub-Saharan Africa --because we want to make sure that all that talent is tapped and they have access to the capitaland the networks and the markets that they need to succeed. Because if they succeed, then thecountries in which they live will succeed. They’ll create jobs. They’ll create growth. They’ll createopportunity.

　　So the bottom line is the United States is making a major and long-term investment in Africa’sprogress. And taken together, the new commitments I’ve described today -- across ourgovernment and by our many partners -- total some $33 billion. And that will supportdevelopment across Africa and jobs here in the United States. Up to tens of thousands ofAmerican jobs are supported every time we expand trade with Africa.

　　As critical as all these investments are, the key to unlocking the next era of African growth isnot going to be here in the United States, it’s going to be in Africa. And so, during this week’ssummit, we’ll be discussing a whole range of areas where we’re going to have to work together-- areas that are important in their own right, but which are also essential to Africa’s growth.

　　Capital is one thing. Development programs and projects are one thing. But rule of law,regulatory reform, good governance -- those things matter even more, because people shouldbe able to start a business and ship their goods without having to pay a bribe or hiresomebody’s cousin.

　　Agricultural development is critical because it’s the best way to boost incomes for themajority of Africans who are farmers, especially as they deal with the impacts of climatechange.

　　Rebuilding a strong health infrastructure, especially for mothers and children, is criticalbecause no country can prosper unless its citizens are healthy and strong, and children arestarting off with the advantages they need to grow to their full potential.

　　And we’re going to have to talk about security and peace, because the future belongs to thosewho build, not those who destroy. And it’s very hard to attract business investment, and it’svery hard to build infrastructure, and it’s very hard to sustain entrepreneurship in the midst ofconflict.

　　So I just want to close with one example of what trade can help us build together. Kusum Kaviawas born in Kenya; her family was originally from India. Eventually, she emigrated to theUnited States and along with her husband started a small business in California. It started offas a small engineering firm. Then it started manufacturing small power generators. With thehelp of the Export-Import Bank -- including seminars and a line of credit and risk insurance --they started exporting power generators to West Africa. In Benin, they helped build a newelectric power plant.

　　And it’s ended up being a win-win for everybody. It’s been a win for their company, CombustionAssociates, because exports to Africa have boosted their sales, which means they’ve been ableto hire more workers here in the United States. They partner with GE; GE is doing well. Most oftheir revenues are from exports to Africa. It’s been a win for their suppliers in Texas and Ohioand New York. It’s been a win for Benin and its people, because more electricity for families andbusinesses, jobs for Africans at the power plant because the company hires locally and trainsthose workers. And they hope to keep expanding as part of our Power Africa initiative.

　　So this is an example of just one small business. Imagine if we can replicate that successacross our countries.

　　Kusum says, “When our customers see the label, ‘Made in America,’ when they see our flag, itputs us above all the competition.” And her vision for their company is the same vision thatbrings us all here today. She says, “We really want to have a long-term partnership with Africa.”So Kusum is here. I had a chance to meet her backstage. Where is she? Right there. Stand up,Kusum. So she’s doing great work. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

　　But she’s an example of what’s possible -- a long-term partnership with Africa. And that’s whatAmerica offers. That’s what we’re building. That’s the difference we can make when Africansand Americans work together. So let’s follow Kusum’s lead. Let’s do even more businesstogether. Let’s tear down barriers that slow us down and get in the way of trade. Let’s build upthe infrastructure -- the roads, the bridges, the ports, the electricity -- that connect ourcountries. Let’s create more and sell more and buy more from each other. I’m confident thatwe can. And when we do, we won’t just propel the next era of African growth, we’ll create morejobs and opportunity for everybody -- for people here in the United States and for peoplearound the world.

　　So thank you very much, everybody, for what so far has been an outstanding session. And I’vegot the opportunity to speak to this young man. (Applause.)

　　Q: So thank you very much, Mr. President for this opportunity. I’ll start by wishing you abelated Happy Birthday.

　　THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

　　Q: Thank you very much. (Laughter.)

　　THE PRESIDENT: Have you introduced yourself to everybody?

　　Q: I wanted to really jump into the issues. (Laughter.)

　　THE PRESIDENT: Yes, go ahead and introduce yourself.

　　Q: All right. I’m Takunda Chingonzo. I’m a young entrepreneur. I’m 21. I’m from Zimbabwe.And I’m working in the wireless technology space. We’re essentially liberating the Internet forZimbabweans. (Applause.)

　　THE PRESIDENT: And let me just -- this is an example of our young African leaders; in fact,the youngest young African leader. But one thing I will say, though, if you’re going to promoteyour business, you’ve got to make sure to let people know who you are. (Laughter.)

　　Q: Definitely, definitely.

　　THE PRESIDENT: Just a little tip.

　　Q: Definitely.

　　THE PRESIDENT: You can’t be shy, man. (Laughter.) Please, go ahead.

　　Q: That’s correct, Mr. President. So I was really going to start by delving into a personalexperience. I was going to get to my business and how I got to where we are.

　　So as I was saying, we’re working in the technology space. I’m working on my third startup --it’s called Saisai. We’re creating Zimbabwe’s first free Internet-access network, henceliberating the Internet. So in our working, we came to a point in time where we needed toimport a bit of technology from the United States, and so we were engaging in conversationwith these U.S.-based businesses. And the response that we got time and time again was thatunfortunately we cannot do business with you because you are from Zimbabwe. And I wasshocked -- this doesn’t make sense.

　　And so this is the exact same experience that other entrepreneurs that are in Zimbabwe havegone through, even through the meetings that I’ve had here. You know, you sit down withpotential investors, you talk about the project, the outlook, the opportunity, the growth andall that -- and they’re excited, you can see. All systems are firing, right? And then I say I’mfrom Zimbabwe and they look at me and they say, young man, this is a good project, verygood, very good, but unfortunately we cannot engage in business with you.

　　And I understand that the sanctions that we have -- that are imposed on entities inZimbabwe, these are targeted sanctions, right? But then we have come to a point in time wherewe as young Africans are failing to properly engage in business with U.S.-based entitiesbecause there hasn’t been that clarity. These entities believe that Zimbabwe is undersanctions. So what really can we do to do try and clarify this to make sure that we as theyoung entrepreneurs can effectively develop Africa and engage in business?

　　THE PRESIDENT: Well, obviously, the situation in Zimbabwe is somewhat unique. Thechallenge for us in the United States has been how do we balance our desire to help the peopleof Zimbabwe with what has, frankly, been a repeated violation of basic democratic practicesand human rights inside of Zimbabwe.

　　And we think it is very important to send clear signals about how we expect elections to beconducted, governments to be conducted -- because if we don’t, then all too often, withimpunity, the people of those countries can suffer. But you’re absolutely right that it also hasto be balanced with making sure that whatever structures that we put in place with respect tosanctions don’t end up punishing the very people inside those countries.

　　My immediate suggestion -- and this is a broader point to all the African businesses who arehere, as well as the U.S. businesses -- is to make sure that we’re using the Department ofCommerce and the other U.S. agencies where we can gather groups of entrepreneurs and findout exactly what can be done, what can’t be done, what resources are available. It may be thatyou and a group of entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe are able to meet with us and propose certainprojects that allow us to say this is something that will advance as opposed to retard theprogress for the Zimbabwean people.

　　So what I’d suggest would be that we set up a meeting and we find out what kinds of thingsthat the young entrepreneurs of Zimbabwe want to do, and see if there are ways that we canwork with you consistent with the strong message that we send about good governance inZimbabwe.

　　Q: I see. Because really -- the point of emphasis really is that as young Africans we want toconverse with other business entities here in the U.S., and if these sanctions are reallytargeted, then in honest truth, they aren’t supposed to hamper the business that we’re tryingto engage in, the development that we’re talking about.

　　THE PRESIDENT: Well, let’s see if we can refine them further based on some of the thingsyou’re talking about.

　　Q: That’s all right. Now, there have been a good number of investments that have beenannounced here -- multibillion-dollar investments in Africa -- and we’re really excited. Andthere’s been a lot of talk about how the public and private partnerships are the vehicle throughwhich this investment will come into Africa, but I really want to bring it to a point of clarity. Ibelieve that the private sector is stratified in itself. We have the existing indigenousbusinesses in these countries that you’re hoping to invest in, and this is where usually thefunding comes through -- the partnerships and all that. That is well and fine.

　　But then, underneath that, we have these young, upcoming entrepreneurs -- the innovators,those that come up with products and services that disrupt the industry. And this is theinnovation that we want in Africa, to build products by Africans for Africans. But in mostcases, in what we have seen over the past years, is that, indeed, this investment comes throughbut it never cascades down to these young entrepreneurs, the emerging businesses. And sothe existing businesses then form a sort of ceiling which we cannot break through.

　　When it comes to investment, when you’re talking about solving unemployment, I believe thatit’s more realistic to assume and understand that the probability of 10 startups employing10 people in a given time period, it’s more realistic than one indigenous company employing100 people.

　　So what really has been -- or rather, has there been any consideration in these deals thathave been structured in the investments that you announced to cater for the youngentrepreneur who is trying to innovate to solve the problems in society?

　　THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I think for the business leaders who are here, both Africanand U.S., it’s hard being a startup everywhere.

　　Q: That’s true.

　　THE PRESIDENT: Part of what you’re describing is typical of business around the world: Folkswho are already in, they don’t necessarily want to share. They don’t want to be disrupted. Ifthere’s a good opportunity, they’d rather do it themselves. If they see a small up-and-cominghotshot who might disrupt their business, they may initially try to block you or they may tryto buy you out. And getting financing for a startup is always going to be difficult. You hearthat from entrepreneurs here in the U.S. as well.

　　Having said that, what is absolutely true is that as we think about the billions of dollars thatwe’re mobilizing, we want to make sure that small businesses, medium-size businesses,women-owned businesses -- that they have opportunity. And so my instructions to all of ouragencies and hopefully the work that we’re doing with all of our partners is how can weidentify, target financing for the startup; how can we identify and link up U.S. companieswith small and medium-size businesses and not just the large businesses? And I think you areabsolutely right that by us trying to spread investment, not narrowly through one or twocompanies but more broadly, that the opportunities for success in those countries are higher,and it also creates a healthy competition.

　　And that’s true also in terms of how we’re designing – for example, our Feed the Futureprogram, which is working with almost 2 million small farmers inside of Africa. When I was inSenegal, I met with a woman, maybe in her 30s; she had a small plot of land initially.Through the Feed the Future program, she had been able to mechanize, double herproductivity. By doubling her productivity and, through a smartphone, getting better pricesto the market, she was able to increase her profits. Then she bought a tractor. Then shedoubled her productivity again. And suddenly what had started off as just a program toincrease her income had become capital for a growing business where she was now hiring peoplein her area and doing some of the process of the grain that she grew herself, so that she couldmove up the value chain.

　　There are entrepreneurs like that all across Africa. Sometimes the capital they need is not verylarge. Sometimes it’s a fairly modest amount. And so what I want to do is to make sure thatwe are constantly looking out for opportunities to disburse this capital not just narrowly, butbroadly. And one of the things that I hope happens with U.S. companies is that they’reconstantly looking for opportunities to partner with young entrepreneurs, startups, and notjust always going to the same well-established businesses.

　　Now, there are going to be some large-capital projects where you’ve got a good, solid,established company. Hopefully they, themselves, have policies with respect to their suppliersthat allow them to start encouraging and growing small businesses as well.

　　Q: Exactly. And on that note, I’m glad that you acknowledged that and I hope that even inthese deals, in the investments that you’re talking about, that one of the conditions be thatthose large organizations that are getting investment have policies that cascade down to peopleat the grassroots.

　　You spoke about this lady who was using a smartphone to -- it is one key issue that is reallypropelling business and development in Africa, the ability to leverage technology. And really itis all about the Internet of things. And that is why I’m personally working in liberating theInternet to get more people connected.

　　Now, this is a huge opportunity in Africa as well. Now, there is this troubling issue that hasbeen brought to our attention with entities and organizations that have come up and have saidwe want to control the Internet, we want to see who gets what traffic and from whom. Andpolicies and activities like that become challenges for startups that are trying to leverage theInternet, for this lady farmer that you talked about who is trying to leverage and getinformation from the Internet.

　　So I want to understand what is your stance on net neutrality and its effects on the globaldevelopment in Africa?

　　THE PRESIDENT: Well, this is an important issue for all the heads of state and governmentnot just in Africa but around the world. The reason the Internet is so powerful is because it’sopen. My daughters, 16 and 13, they can access information from anyplace in the world. Theycan learn about a particular discipline instantaneously, in ways that when I was their age --first of all, I wasn’t as motivated as they are. I was lazier than them. (Laughter.) They domuch better in school than I did. But the world is at their fingertips.

　　And what facilitates that, and what has facilitated the incredible value that’s been built bycompanies like Google and Facebook and so many others, all the applications that you find onyour smartphone, is that there are not restrictions, there are not barriers to entry for newcompanies who have a good idea to use this platform that is open to create value. And it isvery important I think that we maintain that.

　　Now, I know that there’s a tension in some countries -- their attitude is we don’t necessarilywant all this information flowing because it can end up also being used as a tool for politicalorganizing, it can be used as a tool to criticize the government, and so maybe we’d prefer asystem that is more closed. I think that is a self-defeating attitude. Over the long term,because of technology, information, knowledge, transparency is inevitable. And that’s truehere in the United States; it’s true everywhere.

　　And so what we should be doing is trying to maintain an open Internet, trying to keep a processwhereby any talented person who has an idea can suddenly use the Internet to disperseinformation. There are going to be occasional tensions involved in terms of us monitoring theuse of the Internet for terrorist networks or criminal enterprises or human trafficking. But wecan do that in ways that are compatible with maintaining an open Internet.

　　And this raises the broader question that I mentioned earlier, which is Africa needs capital; insome cases, Africa needs technical assistance; Africa certainly needs access to markets. Butperhaps the biggest thing that Africa is going to need to unleash even more the potentialthat’s already there and the growth that’s already taking place is laws and regulations andstructures that empower individuals and are not simply designed to control or empowerthose at the very top.

　　And the Internet is one example. You’ve got to have a system and sets of laws that encourageentrepreneurship, but that’s also true when it comes to a whole host of issues. It’s true when itcomes to how hard is it to get a business permit when a new startup like yours wants toestablish itself.

　　When it comes to Power Africa, there are billions of dollars floating around the world that areinterested in investing in power generation in Africa. And the countries that are going to attractthat investment are the ones where the investor knows that if a power plant is built, that thereare rules in place that are transparent that ensure that they’re going to get a decent return,and that some of the revenue isn’t siphoned off in certain ways so that the investor haspolitical risks or risks with respect to corruption.

　　The more that governments set up the right rules, understanding that in the 21st century thepower that drives growth and development and the marketplace involves knowledge and thatcan’t be controlled, the more successful countries are going to be.

　　Q: I see. So just to clarify on the issue of net neutrality, you are advocating for an open andfair Internet --

　　THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

　　Q: -- which would -- then it has structure to ensure that the platform itself isn’t abused.

　　THE PRESIDENT: Well, there are two issues -- net neutrality -- in the United States, one ofthe issues around net neutrality is whether you are creating different rates or charges fordifferent content providers. That’s the big controversy here. You have big, wealthy mediacompanies who might be willing to pay more but then also charge more for more spectrum,more bandwidth on the Internet so they can stream movies faster or what have you.

　　And I personally -- the position of my administration, as well as I think a lot of companieshere is you don’t want to start getting a differentiation in how accessible the Internet is tovarious users. You want to leave it open so that the next Google or the next Facebook cansucceed.

　　There’s another problem, though -- there are other countries -- and I think this is what youwere alluding to -- that feel comfortable with the idea of controlling and censoring Internetcontent in their home countries, and setting up rules and laws about what can or cannot be onthe Internet. And I think that that not only is going to inhibit entrepreneurs who are creatingvalue on the Internet; I think it’s also going to inhibit the growth of the country generally,because closed societies that are not open to new ideas, eventually they fall behind.Eventually, they miss out on the future because they’re so locked into trying to maintain thepast.

　　Q: I see. Thank you for the clarity. I think we’re out of a bit of time. I’ll ask my final question.When we began this conversation, we were alluding to the fact that -- the need to separatethe political function and economic function. In other words, politics should not get in the wayof business. And I’ve gone to quite a good number of -- I know it’s difficult -- so I’ve gone to agood number of conferences where the end deliverable of the entire summit, or whatever it is,is that we need to lobby government to create policies that are conducive, and this and that.And that’s usually what you get -- either you’re trying to lobby somebody to do something,right? And, in turn, governments come up and say, yes, we promise to come up with this andthat, and this and that. And that’s a whole political sphere of things. My question is, apart fromthat, what can we as business leaders, as the private sector, what can we do sort ofindependently to -- what can we do to create this economic environment that fosters for thegrowth and development of Africa as a continent?

　　THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, although this isn’t always a popular position here in Washingtonthese days, the truth is, is that government really can help set the conditions and theframework for markets to function effectively -- in part because governments are able toinitiate projects like roads and bridges and airports that any individual business would find costprohibitive. It wouldn’t make sense to invest in what is a collective good; it’s not going tohelp your bottom line if everybody else is using it. So that’s part of the function ofgovernment.

　　Part of the function of government is to educate a population so that you got a well-trainedworkforce. It’s hard for companies to invest in doing that by themselves. There are certaincommon goods, like maintaining clean air and clean water, and making sure that if you havecapital markets, that they’re well-regulated so that they’re trust-worthy, and small investorsand large investors know that if they invest in a stock that they’re not being cheated.

　　So there are a whole host of functions that government has to play. But in the end, whatdrives innovation typically is not what happens in government, it’s what’s happening incompanies. And what we found in the United States is, is that companies, once they’ve got thebasic rules and they’ve got the basic platform, they are able to create value and innovationand cultures that encourage growth. And I think that African entrepreneurs are going to bethe trendsetters for determining how societies think about themselves and, ultimately, howgovernments think about these issues.

　　The truth of the matter is, is that if you have big, successful companies or you’ve gotwidespread entrepreneurship, and you have a growing middle class and practices have beenestablished in terms of fair dealing, and treating your workers properly, and extendingopportunity to smaller contractors, and promoting women and making sure women are paidlike men -- suddenly, what happens is businesses create new norms and new sensibilities. Andgovernments oftentimes will respond.

　　And so I think in Africa what I’d like to see more and more of is partnerships between Americanbusinesses, between African businesses. Some of the incredible cultures of some of our U.S.businesses that do a really good job promoting people and maintaining a meritocracy, andtreating women equally, and treating people of different races and faiths and sexual orientationsfairly and equally, and making sure that there are typical norms of how you deal with people incontracts and respect legal constraints -- all those things I think can then take root in a countrylike Zimbabwe or any other country. Hopefully, governments are encouraging that, notinhibiting that. They recognize that that’s how the world as a whole is increasingly moving inthat direction. And over time, you will see an Africa that is driven by individual entrepreneursand private organizations, and governments will be responsive to their demands.

　　So I think the one thing I want to make sure people understand, though, is it’s not aneither/or issue. Government has a critical role to play. The marketplace has a critical role toplay. Nonprofit organizations have a critical role to play. But the goal and the orientationconstantly should be how do we empower individuals to work together. And if we areempowering young people like you all across Africa, if we’ve got a 21-year-old who has alreadystarted three businesses, we’ve got to figure out how to invest in him, how to make it easierfor him to succeed. If you succeed, you’re going to then be hiring a whole bunch of people, andthey, in turn, will succeed. And that’s been the recipe for growth in the 20th century and the21st century.

　　And I’m confident that Africa is well on its way. America just wants to make sure that we’rehelpful in that process. And I know that all the U.S. companies who are here, that’s their goalas well. We are interested in Africa, because we know that if Africa thrives and succeeds, and ifyou’ve got a bunch of entrepreneurs, they’re going to need supplies from us maybe, or theymay supply us with outstanding products; they’re going to have a growing middle class thatwants to buy iPhones or applications from us. In turn, they may provide us new services and wecan be the distributor for something that’s invented in Africa, and all of us grow at the sametime.

　　That’s our goal, and I’m confident that we can make it happen. And this summit has been agreat start. So I want to thank you for doing a great job moderating. I want to thank all theleaders here not only of government, but also business for participating. There’s been greatenergy, great enthusiasm. I know a lot of business has gotten done. If any of you areinterested in investing in this young man, let him know. (Laughter.)

　　All right, thank you, guys.

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