Meet the leaders who joined President Obama in Berlin to discuss democracy

This week in Berlin, Germany, President Obama sat down with 18 alumni of our leadership programs from across Europe for a roundtable conversation about the importance of nurturing democracy at a time when it is under threat in the region and around the world.

During the conversation, President Obama heard directly from these changemakers about how they have been advancing democratic practices before and after completing their Foundation programs. They also discussed how the Obama Foundation can further connect them across programs and countries to work together on the frontlines to strengthen democracy.

The conversation was moderated by Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama. This was an Obama Leadership Network roundtable to connect a small group of diverse program alumni who have an established track record in similar fields.

Get to know some of the Obama Leaders, Fellows, and Scholars who were a part of this conversation below!

Maïmonatou Mar

“When I went through [the Leaders Europe] program, I found like-minded people and I came back with a sense of urgency. I came back with a sense of self-belief and confidence that cannot be manufactured. That is what is in the DNA of these programs, that is what you offer us, Mr. President.”

Pavel Kounchev

“We are currently living in test[ing] times. We already have systems that are better than humans in terms of how they communicate and what answers they provide. We need to get educated on how these systems work. We need companies to build systems that are more transparent.”

Bjørn Ihler

“Diversity is fundamental to democracy, how democracy needs to encapsulate the voices of people with different experiences in order to flourish and function and grow.”

You can learn more about our leadership programs here.