Bill Clinton

“ The tide keeps turning toward democracy, human rights, and free market economies. Yet there remain tyrants who use brutality, ethnic cleansing, guns, and prisons to silence voices of reason and tolerance within their countries. As a Nation born of the ideals of freedom, justice, and human dignity, America has a solemn obligation to continue speaking out on behalf of these still-captive nations and their people and lend them our support. ”

“ When President Eisenhower signed the first Captive Nations Week Proclamation in 1959, the fate of freedom around the world was still far from certain. While the United States and our Allies had defeated Adolf Hitler and the Axis Powers in World War II, a partitioned Berlin stood as a bleak symbol of a divided Europe, and millions throughout Asia, Africa, and South America continued to suffer under communist and authoritarian regimes.
Today, as we embark on a new century, democracy is on the rise across the globe. More than half the world's people live under governments of their own choosing. ”

“ Whether speaking out in the halls of the United Nations for those silenced by oppressive regimes, standing guard through frigid nights on the DMZ in Korea, or sharing the fruits of liberty through the Peace Corps, generations of Americans have made sure that our country is an ally and source of hope for all people yearning for freedom and dignity. ”