Thursday
Jul242008
Bush promotes the "transformative power of freedom" for 21st century
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 12:57PM
President Bush stressed the need for future presidents and congresses to promote a closer-knit global agenda for the United States. At his address to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), he outlined the future challenges of spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world.
"The challenge for future presidents and future congresses will be to ensure that America's generosity remains tied to the promotion of transparency and accountability and prosperity," said Bush.
The mission of USAID is to end tyranny and corruption by building "democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture," according to the document, "Democracy and Governance: Advancing Freedom Around the World." USAID helped gather the 2008 census in Sudan, write a constitution in Afghanistan, and draft legislation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The President said the United States needs to use "foreign assistance to promote democracy and good government." The future also depends on free trade agreements, Bush said, and the United States has agreements with 11 countries. Bush suggested purchasing 25 percent of U.S. food aid from developing nations to improve their local economies
Bush compared current enemies of the U.S. to Germany and Japan during World War II. He said those countries were once against the U.S., but now they are strong democracies and strong allies. In countries like Sudan, Iran, and Syria, the U.S. "spoke out against tyrannical regimes."
Since Bush took office in 2001, the administration has doubled the federal budget for human rights programs, increased funds for the National Endowment for Democracy by 150 percent, and changed the nature of foreign assistance by creating the Millennium Challenge Account.
"The challenge for future presidents and future congresses will be to ensure that America's generosity remains tied to the promotion of transparency and accountability and prosperity," said Bush.
The mission of USAID is to end tyranny and corruption by building "democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture," according to the document, "Democracy and Governance: Advancing Freedom Around the World." USAID helped gather the 2008 census in Sudan, write a constitution in Afghanistan, and draft legislation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The President said the United States needs to use "foreign assistance to promote democracy and good government." The future also depends on free trade agreements, Bush said, and the United States has agreements with 11 countries. Bush suggested purchasing 25 percent of U.S. food aid from developing nations to improve their local economies
Bush compared current enemies of the U.S. to Germany and Japan during World War II. He said those countries were once against the U.S., but now they are strong democracies and strong allies. In countries like Sudan, Iran, and Syria, the U.S. "spoke out against tyrannical regimes."
Since Bush took office in 2001, the administration has doubled the federal budget for human rights programs, increased funds for the National Endowment for Democracy by 150 percent, and changed the nature of foreign assistance by creating the Millennium Challenge Account.
Stop Investing In Developing Nations' Coal Power Plants Or Face Drastic Consequences, Say Environmental Experts
A panel of environmental experts argued Thursday that industrialized nations need to stop investing in coal powered power plants in developing nations or risk grave global environmental consequences.
Bruce Rick, Senior Counsel for International Finance and Development at the Environmental Defense Fund, maintained that the issue is not the sovereign right of developing nations to decide what energy investments they want, but the role that developed countries should play in encouraging non - developed countries to adopt renewable energy policies.
"If we cant reverse the increasing carbonization of the world's energy sources...the entire rich industrialized world could reduce their CO₂ emissions to 0 by 2030, and if the current investment trends continue, the world would still over shoot what is considered dangerous global warming" said Rick during a discussion on "The International Public Financing of Coal in a Carbon Constrained World" with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EEIS)
The panel also discussed the health risks posed by the increasing investment in coal powered plants. While acknowledging the health benefits that electricity can bring to non-developed nations, John M Balbus M.D MPH said that between 6000 and 10,700 deaths annually could be specifically attributed to the 88 power plants funded by developed nations over the past 15 years, causing a "hidden ongoing toll of death and disease."
Director of Environmental Department at the World Bank, Warren Evans, acknowledged the pivotal role that many US investors play in the climate change debate, but said it was important to keep these issues within their social and economic perspectives.
"[For many nations it is] simply a choice between growth and clean up later or no growth at all" Evans said. The Director added that it is important for the U.S. to assume a strong leadership role in the quest for low carbon emissions across the world.