[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 140 (Wednesday, July 22, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 43299-43300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18095]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 140 / Wednesday, July 22, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 43299]]

                Proclamation 9300 of July 17, 2015

                
Captive Nations Week, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America was founded on the beliefs that the true source 
                of legitimacy is the consent of the people; that every 
                individual is born equal with inalienable rights; and 
                that it is the responsibility of governments to uphold 
                these rights. For more than two centuries, the United 
                States has worked to give meaning to these fundamental 
                tenets of freedom and democracy, and as we have striven 
                to realize the promise of our Nation and cement our 
                reputation as a beacon of opportunity throughout the 
                world, we have also fought to expand democracy's 
                reach--because we believe that self-determination is 
                not just a Western value but a universal value, and 
                that all people in all nations have the right to choose 
                their own destiny.

                When an Iron Curtain descended on women and men around 
                the globe, America stood with those who held fast to 
                democratic ideals. We fought to defend the inherent 
                dignity of all people and our shared commitment to the 
                values we cherish, and together we demonstrated to the 
                world that tyranny and oppression are no match for the 
                force of freedom. Decades later, upholding peace and 
                security continues to be the responsibility of every 
                nation. During Captive Nations Week, we stand in 
                solidarity with those who still yearn for a stake in 
                their future, and we renew our commitment to advancing 
                freedom's cause.

                Today, countries once ravaged by war are among the 
                world's most advanced economies, dictatorships have 
                given way to genuine democracies, and hundreds of 
                millions of people have been lifted from poverty. Yet 
                history reminds us that free nations cannot be 
                complacent in pursuit of the vision we share. Around 
                the globe, disputes over territory threaten to spiral 
                into confrontation. The failure to uphold universal 
                human rights denies justice to individuals and denies 
                countries of reaching their full potential. The same 
                technologies that empower citizens are also giving 
                oppressive regimes new tools to stifle dissent. And 
                economic inequality and extreme poverty are laying the 
                foundation for instability.

                The United States will continue to use every element of 
                American power to bolster democracies throughout the 
                world and support economic reforms that boost domestic 
                demand, deliver broad prosperity, and invest in people. 
                We are expanding our cooperation with emerging powers 
                and economies and working to cultivate civil societies 
                that hold leaders accountable--because governments 
                exist to lift their people up, not to hold them down. 
                And I continue to call for open and honest elections, 
                and independent judiciaries that work to strengthen the 
                rule of law.

                True democracy, real prosperity, and lasting security 
                are neither given nor imposed from the outside; they 
                must be earned and built from within and renewed by 
                every generation. Today, we rededicate ourselves to 
                this important task and to the promise that wherever 
                people are willing to do the hard work of building a 
                democracy--wherever the longing for freedom stirs in 
                human hearts--they will find a partner in the United 
                States of America.

[[Page 43300]]

                The Congress, by joint resolution approved July 17, 
                1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the 
                President to issue a proclamation designating the third 
                week of July of each year as ``Captive Nations Week.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 19 
                through July 25, 2015, as Captive Nations Week. I call 
                upon the people of the United States to reaffirm our 
                deep ties to all governments and people committed to 
                freedom, dignity, and opportunity for all.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-18095
Filed 7-21-15; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F5