Laureate Ellen Champions USAID’s Cause Devex Reveals Letter to Nobel Committee

MONROVIA – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has used her standing as a Nobel laureate to make a pointed choice. Devex reports that she has nominated the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Nobel Peace Prize. The agency was dismantled by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly and publicly said he deserves the same prize. The nomination therefore lands as more than gratitude. Sirleaf grounds it in Liberia’s own recovery from war and the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic. Former World Food Programme chief David Beasley also backs the bid. A nomination is a long way from winning. Still, it places a Liberian laureate squarely inside Washington’s aid debate. THE ANALYST reports.

As Liberia and the international community celebrate the 88th birth anniversary of former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf today, Thursday, October 29, 2026, details have emerged revealing a major international gesture by the former Liberian Chief Executive on the global stage.

According to a report published by the international development news platform Devex, in a newsletter presented by the Pfizer Foundation, Sirleaf has formally nominated the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Nobel Peace Prize—the world’s most prestigious award for peace and human service, which she received in 2011.

The nomination adds international momentum to her 88th birthday celebrations, illustrating how Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state continues to leverage her global moral authority long after leaving presidential office.

A 63-Year Legacy of Crisis Support

In her nomination letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo, obtained by Devex, Sirleaf made a case for the American development agency, citing its 63-year global track record in combating disease, preventing famine, supporting democratic governance and aiding post-conflict recovery across developing nations.

Drawing directly on her 12 years of presidential leadership in Liberia, the former president highlighted USAID’s role in helping her administration rebuild basic public infrastructure following 14 years of civil conflict.

She specifically cited the agency’s technical, financial and logistical support during the devastating 2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic, when USAID partnered closely with Liberian health authorities to halt the virus and stabilize the nation.

“I can think of no more worthy recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Sirleaf wrote in her letter to the Nobel Committee, pointing to USAID’s structural contributions toward restoring peace, health security and stability in fragile and post-conflict states.

Global Endorsement and the Trump Irony

Sirleaf’s nomination has gained significant backing from key international figures in humanitarian response, including David Beasley, former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Beasley credited USAID’s long-standing partnership with the WFP with saving millions of lives and preventing widespread famines in acute crisis zones across the globe.

However, the nomination carries a profound and extraordinary political irony on the global stage. It puts forward an agency whose operations worldwide were systematically dismantled by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which branded it a criminal organization.

Ironically, Trump himself has repeatedly and openly craved the exact same accolade, publicly declaring that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for what he terms his personal pursuit of global peace and his negotiation of international agreements.

Adding to the stark contrast in diplomatic vision, Trump’s persistent lobbying for the prize has so far ended in a quiet snub by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which has passed him over in favor of other laureates.

That the committee would now consider recognizing the very aid agency Trump dissolved, while overlooking his own public overtures for the award, serves as a compelling narrative twist in modern geopolitical history.

An Enduring Global Voice at 88

For Liberians and international well-wishers honoring “Ma Ellen” on her 88th milestone, this Nobel nomination reinforces her position as an influential voice in global diplomacy and humanitarian advocacy.

Having shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize with fellow Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemen’s Tawakkol Karman for their non-violent struggle for women’s safety and for women’s right to full participation in peacebuilding, Sirleaf has, through her decision to nominate USAID, demonstrated her continued commitment to international cooperation.

As she marks her 88th birthday surrounded by family, friends and well-wishers in Monrovia, her nomination of USAID stands as a testament to her legacy—a leader who continues to bridge national public service with global impact.