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Lassana V Donzo

@lassanav.donzo

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Hakuna Matata.
🇱🇷🇹🇷🇺🇸
Let Justice and the Truth Reign!
#Humanity #Compassion #Consciousness #Ideas #Freedom

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In the shade of Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. taken in Harvard Kennedy School by @lassanav.donzo

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a year ago

Any Harvard student who walks into the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Library and the Belfer Center’s conference hall is greeted by the striking portraits of Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, where she gazes outward with a warm, friendly and confident smile. For us, this moment brings a quiet yet powerful sense of recognition and pride—seeing her honored here as HKS’s most distinguished alumna, Liberia’s and Africa’s first democratically elected female president, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and daughter (and “Old Ma”) of Liberia.

We weren’t surprised to see her here; We knew her story long before arriving at Harvard. But encountering her portraits in this space still stirred something deep within us. It ignited moment of affirmation—a reminder that we also walk in her footsteps on the path of leadership.

Growing up, our parents often spoke to us about names like Madam Sirleaf and former Finance Minister (African FM of the Year 2014) & current Senator of Bopolu County, Hon. Amara Konneh, a son of our own community. He is living proof that with a humility-rooted education, hard work, vision, integrity, and a commitment to service, it is possible to rise and make a meaningful difference in society. He, too, is a proud Harvard graduate, and his example taught us that true leadership begins not with recognition or competition, but with responsibility and humility.

We are also mindful that President Sirleaf’s legacy is complex. She was not perfect. Her journey was marked by tough decisions, criticism, and difficult challenges. But that complexity is what makes her legacy unique. It is no secret that leadership is not about flawlessness. It’s about confronting adaptive challenges with courage and empathy. It’s about rising, learning, and continuing to serve in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

Her portraits are magnets of inspiration. They invite those of us who carry the dreams of our nations and the burdens of expectation. They reminds us that Liberia has walked these halls and now, so do we. Every time we enter the HKS Library, President Sirleaf’s image inspires us and continues to inspire countless students and visitors alike. LVD taken in Harvard Kennedy School by @lassanav.donzo

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Hearing from inspiring female leaders across Africa is always a learning opportunity for us. In a continent where political leadership has often been mismanaged by men, women who challenge the status quo and drive change always stand out.

H.E. President Sahle-Work Zewde @sahlework.zewde sahlework.zewde , the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia’s first female president and a seasoned U.N. diplomat, is one of them. She wasn’t perfect during her tenure—in fact, no leader is. She led with dignity, integrity and did her best. Meeting her just a week after she peacefully stepped down was refreshing, especially in a political climate where many men refuse to let go of power.

In her opening keynote address at the Africa Alive Conference at Harvard Law School, she reminded us that leadership is about courage, accountability, and knowing when to pass the torch (to others). She added that exercising effective leadership demands a firm belief in the philosophy of possibility. This also requires not letting one’s vulnerabilities or insecurities define their aspirations.

It is an open secret that Africa needs bold, visionary, and principled leaders now more than ever—and realizing that more female leaders are already stepping up to the challenge is inspiring.

“If you educate a man, you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation.” —Dr. James Emmanuel Kweghir-Aggrey taken in Harvard Law School by @lassanav.donzo

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2 years ago

Leadership Is Learned, Not Inherited.

“Leaders are made, not born.” Political leadership in contemporary times isn’t about titles, privilege, or inheritance—it’s about learning, adapting, and stepping up when it matters. One of the best ways to develop as outstanding exercisers of leadership is by learning from those who’ve walked this path before us—especially those from the continent (Africa) we are committed to transforming.

At Harvard Kennedy School, leadership isn’t about holding/chasing authority/positions. Professors don’t teach students to be “leaders” —they teach us how to “exercise effective leadership” which involves making tough decisions, adapting to challenges, and mobilizing people for real change within the framework of a well-defined goal, humility, dignity and integrity. It is the essence of adaptive leadership, the guiding philosophy of leadership studies at HKS.

We had the privilege of meeting two remarkable African leaders at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics (@harvardiop ):
H.E. Jakaya Kikwete @jakayakikwete – Former President of Tanzania and predecessor of the late President John Magufuli.

Hon. Luísa Dias Diogo – Former and first female Prime Minister & Finance Minister of Mozambique, a powerhouse in African leadership, and a former senior professional at the World Bank and UN.

Their insights went beyond textbooks and theories. They spoke about the real struggles of leadership—the sacrifices, the pressures, and the responsibility that comes with leading a nation.

But what stood out most was the wonderful way both described their close camaraderie with H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, our own Iron Lady. And in many ways, Hon. Luísa Dias Diogo shares that same legacy—she, too, is called an Iron Lady for her resilience and impact.

These conversations reinforced something we have always believed: leadership is about learning, adapting, and taking action. Africa needs leaders who are bold, ethical, visionary, and ready to tackle the challenges of our time, not leaders who live on theoretical and conceptual utopias of leadership. We don’t wait for the future—we shape it.
#DontBeALeaderExerciseLeadership# taken in Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School by @lassanav.donzo

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2 years ago

Meeting Dr. Cornel West @brothercornelwest , an ideological brother, intellectual mentor, and academic role model, is an experience beyond words. I may not have met Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, or Edward Wilmot Blyden, but embracing Brother Cornel West at a program commemorating Malcolm X at the @hutchinscenter felt like meeting all of them at once.

As an eminent moral voice and one of the most influential public intellectuals in America, Brother West embodies the spirit of truth, justice, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the plight of the oppressed and marginalized. His humility is his greatest trademark, and his infectious smile is his signature.

What a blessed and unforgettable moment!

#CornelWest#MalcolmX#TruthAndJustice# #BlackHistoryMonth #leaderscreateleaders #moralleadership#Freedom# taken in Hutchins Center for African & African American Research by @lassanav.donzo

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2 years ago

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -MLK

We stand in ironclad solidarity with our Uyghur brethren, who continue to endure one of the worst human rights atrocities of our time. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has turned East Turkistan literally into a massive prison, forcibly disappearing millions into concentration camps, subjecting them to all forms of human rights abuses including forced labor, sterilization, and the systematic destruction of their religious and ethnic identities.

Many of my Uyghur friends in the diaspora have not heard from their families in years. Some don’t even know if their parents are still alive. Imagine the pain. Imagine the uncertainty, the helplessness, the silence. China still hunts down Uyghur students abroad through its alliances with corrupt and despotic governments.

Many nations have become silent on the CPP’s genocide in East Turkistan based on political and economic interests. Sadly, our Marxist-Stalinist-Leninist comrades who see China as an anti-imperialist force don’t see its human rights violations meted against the Uyghurs. Some even justify the CPP’s misdeeds as if anti-imperialism is synonymous with oppression, injustice and colonialism.

We refuse to be silent/complicit. We call on the international community to hold China accountable for its heinous crimes against humanity. The freedom and self-determination of East Turkistan must be recognized and respected.

Free East Turkistan. Stand with the Uyghurs.

#FreeEastTurkistan# #StandWithUyghurs# #StopUyghurGenocide# #HumanRightsMatter#doğutürkistandazulümvar taken in Harvard Square by @lassanav.donzo

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2 years ago

“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth (standing up for the truth) is a revolutionary act.” (Attributed to Orwell)

The Palestinian keffiyeh is a majestic emblem of freedom, truth, faith, courage, resilience, perseverance, anti-colonial resistance, dignity, honor, integrity, humanity, hope, light, and responsibility. Just as the Bedouin’s head covering shields him/her from the scorching desert sun, the Palestinian keffiyeh serves as a symbolic shield against oppression, injustice, settler colonialism, and imperialism. It is a unifying symbol that distinguishes sound hearts from those numbed and deadened by indifference. Embraced and worn by astute leaders like Nelson Mandela (Madiba), Shaheed El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbaz (Malcolm X), and Muhammad Ali, the keffiyeh transcends borders and cultures, representing human dignity and honor.

Standing up against oppression is not a choice—it’s a moral obligation. Our freedom is tied to the freedom of others. As the Madiba (Mandela) said, “Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

#FreePalestine#FreeCongo#FreeEastTurkistan#FreeSudan#FreeKashmir#ProudlyWearYourKeffiyeh# taken in Harvard University by @lassanav.donzo

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2 years ago

Alhamdullilah. Bismillah to a new journey-one of challenges, humility and transformation (inshallah).

I owe an unpayable debt of gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this journey directly and indirectly. I'm grateful to my professors and friends at the prestigious Ibn (K)Haldun University in Istanbul, Türkiye for their support and to the Turkish Nation (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) , my mentor, President @rterdogan, and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation for the opportunity to be educated in Türkiye for the past 11 years where I met the most inspiring people.

Studying at the Harvard University is a dream come true. An Ivy League education can lead an individual to either the path of self-growth, discovery and intellectual humility or to the dungeons of self-centeredness, self-destruction and intellectual arrogance/pomposity. As God-conscious or morally-inclined individuals, an Ivy League education per se is not a ladder for mere "social mobility" as some materialist-minded individuals consider it to be but one that is and ought to be used in the selfless service of others--humanity, nation, community/Ummah and family.

An Ivy League education (e.g Harvard University) void of morality, empathy and humility (God-consciousness and guidance for a practicing Muslim, Christian or Jew etc) is a burden to a society. Nations across the length and breadth of the earth are living testimonies to this incontestable fact.

Our aspiration to study at Harvard University is not tied to the "prestige" that it possesses but to use the the opportunity to inspire change (at the individual and societal levels), challenge the status quo both at home and on the global stage and to be among the voices of the voiceless, oppressed and marginalized peoples across the world as in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, East Turkestan, Kashmir, Syria etc inshallah. In our cosmology of a morally inter-connected world, any form of injustice done to others directly and indirectly affects us all and the ignoring of these vices is a moral degeneration in itself. We hope to follow in the noble footsteps of moral voices like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frantz Fanon, W.W.E Du Bois, Cornell West, etc inş. taken in Harvard University, Boston by @lassanav.donzo

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2 years ago

Festina lente ("make haste slowly"). by @lassanav.donzo

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3 years ago

In commemoration of Africa Day (May 25), a day of unity and reflections for all ideal and proud sons and daughters of the Mother continent, Africa, the birthplace of humanity. It is a day to embrace our unique identities and celebrate our diversity.

Happy Africa Day to all proud sons and daughters of Africa and to all her lovers, allies and sympathisers across the length and breadth of the globe. A luta continua! by @lassanav.donzo

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3 years ago

#Recollections#Şükür#Tefekkür#Keşif by @lassanav.donzo

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3 years ago

. by @lassanav.donzo

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3 years ago