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Chapter II. Champion Aspirations for Human Dignity

 Section C. The Way Ahead - 3.  How We Will Advance Freedom:  Principled in Goals and Pragmatic in Means

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        We have a responsibility to promote human freedom.  Yet freedom cannot be imposed; it

        must be chosen.  The form that freedom and democracy take in any land will reflect the

        history, culture, and habits unique to its people.  

 

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             The United States will stand with and support advocates of freedom in every land.  

             Though our principles are consistent, our tactics will vary.  They will reflect, in part,

             where each government is on the path from tyranny to democracy.  In some cases, we

             will take vocal and visible steps on behalf of immediate change.  In other cases, we will

             lend more quiet support to lay the foundation for future reforms.  As we consider which

             approaches to take, we will be guided by what will most effectively advance freedom's

             cause while we balance other interests that are also vital to the security and well-being of

             the American people.

             

             In the cause of ending tyranny and promoting effective democracy, we will employ the

             full array of political, economic, diplomatic, and other tools at our disposal, including:

             

             ·  Speaking out against abuses of human rights;

             

             ·  Supporting publicly democratic reformers in repressive nations, including by holding

                   high-level meetings with them at the White House, Department of State, and U.S.

                   Embassies;

             

             ·  Using foreign assistance to support the development of free and fair elections, rule of

                   law, civil society, human rights, women's rights, free media, and religious freedom;  

             

             ·  Tailoring assistance and training of military forces to support civilian control of the

                   military and military respect for human rights in a democratic society;

             

             ·  Applying sanctions that designed to target those who rule oppressive regimes while

                   sparing the people;

             

             ·  Encouraging other nations not to support oppressive regimes;

             

             ·  Partnering with other democratic nations to promote freedom, democracy, and human

                   rights in specific countries and regions;  

             

             ·  Strengthening and building new initiatives such as the Broader Middle East and North

                   Africa Initiative's Foundation for the Future, the Community of Democracies, and the

                   United Nations Democracy Fund;

             

             ·  Forming creative partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and other civil

                   society voices to support and reinforce their work;

             

             ·  Working with existing international institutions such as the United Nations and

                   regional organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

                   Europe, the African Union (AU), and the Organization of American States (OAS) to

                   help implement their democratic commitments, and helping establish democracy

                   charters in regions that lack them;

             

 

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        ·  Supporting condemnation in multilateral institutions of egregious violations of human

             rights and freedoms;

         

        ·  Encouraging foreign direct investment in and foreign assistance to countries where

             there is a commitment to the rule of law, fighting corruption, and democratic

             accountability; and

         

        ·  Concluding free trade agreements (FTAs) that encourage countries to enhance the

             rule of law, fight corruption, and further democratic accountability.

         

        These tools must be used vigorously to protect the freedoms that face particular peril

        around the world:  religious freedom, women's rights, and freedom for men, women, and

        children caught in the cruel network of human trafficking.

             

        ·  Against a terrorist enemy that is defined by religious intolerance, we defend the First

             Freedom:  the right of people to believe and worship according to the dictates of their

             own conscience, free from the coercion of the state, the coercion of the majority, or

             the coercion of a minority that wants to dictate what others must believe.

             

        ·  No nation can be free if half its population is oppressed and denied fundamental

             rights.  We affirm the inherent dignity and worth of women, and support vigorously

             their full participation in all aspects of society.

             

        ·  Trafficking in persons is a form of modern-day slavery, and we strive for its total

             abolition.  Future generations will not excuse those who turn a blind eye to it.

         

        Our commitment to the promotion of freedom is a commitment to walk alongside

        governments and their people as they make the difficult transition to effective

        democracies.  We will not abandon them before the transition is secure because immature

        democracies can be prone to conflict and vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists.  We will

        not let the challenges of democratic transitions frighten us into clinging to the illusory

        stability of the authoritarian.

         

        America's closest alliances and friendships are with countries with whom we share

        common values and principles.  The more countries demonstrate that they treat their own

        citizens with respect and are committed to democratic principles, the closer and stronger

        their relationship with America is likely to be.

         

        The United States will lead and calls on other nations to join us in a common

        international effort.  All free nations have a responsibility to stand together for freedom

        because all free nations share an interest in freedom's advance.

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