Nobel Peace Prize 2011 for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The President of Liberia is seen as a symbol of a new Africa. In 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first woman in the history of Africa to come to power through a democratic election. She faces significant challenges: rebuilding the country, combating corruption, and finding new jobs for child soldiers – and Sirleaf succeeds: she restores hope to a crisis-stricken region. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's life story is marked by her struggle against poverty and social injustice. The granddaughter of a German grandfather, she grew up in impoverished conditions. The trained economist had to leave her West African homeland multiple times due to her criticism of the existing political conditions while serving as finance minister. Her life story makes her a symbol of hope and a role model for a new Africa.