    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [October 21, 2008]
    [Pages 1327-1335]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the White House Summit on International Development
    October 21, 2008

        Thank you all. Madam President, I
    could not think of anybody better to give me dancing lessons than you.
    [Laughter] We love you. I love your spirit; I love your leadership; I
    love the example you set for leaders all across the globe. And it's an
    honor to be here with you.
        And it's an honor to be here with you all. I welcome you to the
    White House Summit on International Development. It's a summit to herald
    the outstanding work being done to lift up souls in need. I appreciate
    the fact that folks in this room represent thousands that are replacing
    disease with health, dependency with self-reliance, and despair with
    hope.
        The people gathered here come from different countries--I see we
    represent different professions--but we're united by our commitment to
    charting a new era in development. Today I'm going to talk with you
    about this new philosophy, about the way it's transforming countries and
    saving lives, and about why it's essential to continue in the years
    ahead.
        Before I do so, I want to recognize not only the President, but her son Robert. I suspect your mother tells you what to do like my
    mother tells me what to do. [Laughter] As a
    matter of fact, your mother tells me what to do. [Laughter] Welcome.

    [[Page 1328]]

        Congressman Donald Payne, we're sure
    proud you're here; thank you, Mr. Chairman, for coming. Much of the
    success of the programs we've implemented are due to, one, the
    generosity of the American people, but also the fine group of people
    that are implementers: Henrietta Fore, the
    Administrator of USAID; Rob Mosbacher, president and CEO of OPIC; Ambassador John
    Danilovich, Millennium Challenge
    Corporation CEO; Ambassador Mark Dybul, U.S.
    Global AIDS Coordinator; and Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, U.S. Malaria Coordinator. Thank you all for being
    leaders.
        The second choice to introduce me was Bob Geldof, musician. Of course, he'd have got up and said, ``I
    saw him try to sing while in Africa.'' [Laughter] I've come to really
    appreciate Bob Geldof. He is a genuine person who has used his fame to
    help others in need, and it is a--it's been a joy to work with you. And
    you know, you and I might look differently, but I think we share the
    same compassion and the same hopes. And thank you for joining us today.
        I want to thank the panelists who have participated in this
    conference. I do want to welcome members of the diplomatic corps; thank
    you all for coming by today.
        You know, we meet today in the middle of a serious global financial
    crisis. Over the past few weeks, we have seen how the world's economies
    are more interconnected than ever before. The crisis is having a major
    impact on working people all over the world, including many in
    developing nations.
        During times of economic crisis, some may be tempted to turn inward,
    focusing on our problems here at home, while ignoring our interests
    around the world. This would be a serious mistake. America is committed,
    and America must stay committed, to international development for
    reasons that remain true regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets.
        We believe that development is in America's security interests. We
    face an enemy that can't stand freedom. And the only way they can
    recruit to their hateful ideology is by exploiting despair, and the best
    way to respond is to spread hope.
        We believe that we ought to remain committed to development because
    it's in our long-term economic interests. When America helps developing
    nations rise out of poverty, we create new markets for our goods and
    services and better jobs for American workers.
        And we're committed to development because it's in our moral
    interests. I strongly believe in the timeless truth, to whom much is
    given, much is required. We are a blessed nation, and I believe we have
    a duty to help those less fortunate around the world. We believe that
    power to save lives comes with the obligation to use it. And I believe
    our Nation is better when we help people fight hunger and disease and
    illiteracy.
        For all of these reasons, this administration has made international
    development one of our biggest priorities. As the President mentioned, we've worked with partner nations--
    as well as the World Bank and the IMF and the African Development Bank
    and the Inter-American Development Bank--to relieve tens of billions of
    dollars in debt from some of the world's poorest nations. By relieving
    crushing debt burdens, it gives people hope. We've also worked with
    wealthier nations to provide aid in the form of grants instead of loans.
    For the past 8 years, the United States has provided more foreign
    assistance than at any time in the past half century.
        We're using this aid to foster sustainable economic growth and
    promote good governance and advance a model of true partnership that
    gives poor nations a real stake in their own development. We're
    encouraging volunteer organizations, local charities, and the faith
    community to take on an even greater role, because we strongly believe
    that they offer compassion that no

    [[Page 1329]]

    government can offer. Most of all, we're insisting on accountability in
    return for our assistance, so we can ensure that our generosity leads to
    measurable results. You know, for too long, foreign aid was designed to
    make us feel good. Now we're ensuring that our resources do good.
        This new approach to development is embodied by a revolutionary
    initiative called the Millennium Challenge Account. See, this program
    says that the United States will help, but we expect countries that we
    help to fight corruption and to govern justly. There's nothing more
    pitiful than to have people's hopes robbed by corrupt government
    officials. We say to those we want to help, support open markets to
    trade and investment, and above all, invest in your people's health and
    education. You see, by tying our aid to these policies, we are
    encouraging developing nations to make tough economic and political and
    social reforms. We encourage leaders to respect their citizens, uphold
    human dignity, and work to earn the trust of their people. This approach
    is based on a clear conviction: People in the developing world have the
    capacity to improve their own lives, and they will rise to meet high
    standards.
        I refuse to accept the development model that says, oh, these people
    are doomed forever, let's just throw money at the problem. We believe
    that if you set high standards, good people will rise to meet those
    standards, regardless of where they live in the world. So the Millennium
    Challenge Account is a robust program that has invested $6.7 billion in
    35 countries around the world. From Albania to Moldova to Indonesia to
    Mongolia to Paraguay to Peru, these partnerships are helping developing
    nations take charge of their future and, more importantly, unleash the
    talents of their people.
        For example, this February, President Kikwete of Tanzania and I signed a 5-year, nearly $700 million
    compact to improve the country's transportation, energy, and water
    supply. It's pretty basic needs, isn't it: transportation, energy, and
    water supply? The partnership will build roads that connect rural
    Tanzanians to markets and schools and health clinics. It's hard to have
    a modern society if you can't get your product from rural to urban
    centers in your country. It's hard to get doctors to help people in the
    rural part of the country if you don't have roads to connect health care
    clinics to those in need. It's going to extend electricity to homes and
    businesses in some of the most remote areas of the country. It will
    increase access to clean drinking water, which will help reduce
    preventable diseases, especially in young children. Through these
    projects, the Millennium Challenge compact is helping Tanzania build a
    foundation for success in the 21st century, showing the promise of a new
    era in development.
        In the new era of development, America and our partners are helping
    to meet basic human needs like food and clean water. There's nothing
    more basic than food and clean water. Since 2002, the United States has
    provided more than $16 billion in food assistance, helping to ensure
    that tens of millions of people around the world do not go hungry. In
    response to the current global food crisis, we've committed $5.5 billion
    to address global hunger over the next 2 years. And that's important.
    These are stopgap measures. The American people care when they hear
    people are going hungry around the world. And I want to thank the
    American people for their generosity.
        But as we work to resolve the crisis in the long run, we have got to
    find better solutions for global hunger in the long term. In the short
    run, we're helping; in the long term, we're developing a strategy and
    working with partners to help them grow their own food. There's no other
    way to put it. The best long-term policy for the United States is to
    help nations develop their own agricultural industry, so we don't have
    to deal with global food crisis year in and year out.

    [[Page 1330]]

        And so we supply poor and rural farmers with fertilizer and water
    management systems. We distribute better seeds that will boost yields
    and invest in research that will make crops like rice and wheat more
    resistant to drought and pests. You know, one of the really important
    challenges that this administration has taken on, and future
    administrations must take on, is to say to other markets around the
    world, it is okay to import markets to--crops grown with biotechnology.
    A lot of countries are resistant upon introducing these new
    technologically advanced crops, because they fear they're not going to
    be able to sell their crops elsewhere. And yet these crops will help
    people realize a vibrant agricultural industry.
        I believe that as the United States moves forward, we ought to
    purchase up to a quarter of our food from local farmers. In other words,
    of all the food aid we get we ought to take a quarter of that,
    Donald, and purchase the food directly from
    local farmers. If it's in our interest to help build a local
    agricultural industry, then instead of just giving food, we ought to
    purchase food from the farmers themselves, to help build a vibrant
    agricultural sector in parts of the world where food is desperately
    needed. I support the World Bank's strategy to increase investment in
    agriculture.
        What I'm telling you is there's a better way than just a kind of
    patchwork approach. It's an approach that basically says we can use our
    technological advancement and our expertise to help build vibrant
    agricultural industries in nations where there ought to be crops today.
        The United States works with partner nations to deal with the lack
    of clean water. Last year, we dedicated nearly a billion dollars to
    improve sanitation and water supplies in developing nations. We're also
    wise enough to enlist the private sector to help as well.
        I want to share with you an interesting program--for two reasons,
    one, it's interesting, and two, my wife thought
    of it--[laughter]--or has actually been involved with it. She didn't
    think of it, but she thought of it for this speech. She has been
    involved with a public-private partnership called the PlayPumps
    Alliance. It brings together international foundations and corporations
    and the U.S. Government. Now, catch this: PlayPumps are children's
    merry-go-rounds attached to a water pump and a storage tank. When the
    wheel turns, clean drinking water is produced. And as my good wife says,
    ``PlayPumps are fueled by a limitless energy source--[laughter]--
    children at play.''
        The United States is working with our partners to install 4,000
    pumps in schools and communities across sub-Sahara Africa, which will
    provide clean drinking water to as many as 10 million people. It's not
    that hard to help people get clean drinking water. It takes focus,
    imagination, and effort. And I call upon all nations around the world to
    join us.
        In the new era of development, America and our partners recognize
    that education is the gateway to prosperity and essential to any
    society's long-term success. It's pretty obvious, isn't it? If people
    are educated, they can read the instructions on a medicine bottle. They
    can keep receipts for a small business. They can learn about the rights
    and privileges they have under their country's constitutions. Yet too
    many people can't read. America and our partners are determined to
    extend the promise of good education to more people in the developing
    world.
        In the Middle East, USAID has partnered with local officials to
    start kindergartens in Jordan, taught hundreds of thousands of children
    about information technology in Morocco, built 70 schools for girls in
    Egypt.
        Through our Africa Education Initiative, as the President mentioned, the United States has trained more
    than 700,000 teachers. I think you said a million teachers? Yes, I'll go
    for a million then. [Laughter] Somewhere between 700 and a million.

    [[Page 1331]]

    [Laughter] Distributed more than 10 million textbooks--somewhere between
    10 million and 15 million--and provided hundreds of thousands of
    scholarships to help girls go to school.
        Last year, I announced a new initiative that will devote $425
    million to improve education in Ethiopia and Ghana and Honduras and
    Liberia and Mali and Yemen. Why? Why do we do that? Because the truth of
    the matter is, we want children to fulfill their God-given potential;
    that's why we do that. And so we're helping to train the doctors and the
    lawyers and the engineers and entrepreneurs and the women presidents who
    will be vital to the future of the developing world.
        In the new era of development, America and our partners are helping
    to lift the burden of deadly disease. In Africa, the treatable and
    preventable disease of malaria kills one child every 30 seconds. So in
    2005, I launched a 5-year, $1.2 billion initiative that cut the number
    of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations by half.
        Through the initiative, we joined with African governments--notice,
    ``we joined with African governments''--to design malaria control
    strategies that will work with their nations. We expect results for the
    money we spend. And yet we're confident when we work with governments
    that they can develop the strategy necessary to achieve the objectives.
    And so we supply the money, and our partner nations work to distribute
    insecticide-treated bed nets, conduct indoor spraying campaigns, and
    provide cutting-edge drugs.
        The interesting thing about this initiative is, it's easy to measure
    whether or not we're being successful. In the new development agenda,
    results matter a lot. And therefore, when the United States works with
    countries, we expect there to be a well-defined strategy and the ability
    to measure whether or not our money is working. I don't think that's too
    much to ask, nor do the people who are trying to help think that's too
    much to ask.
        So far, our efforts have reached 25 million people. In places like
    Zambia and Ethiopia and Rwanda and Zanzibar, the numbers of people sick
    or dying from malaria have dropped dramatically. We have not only made
    progress around the edges, we've made dramatic progress in saving lives.
    I find that the work to defeat malaria is exciting work and it is
    inspiring work. And frankly, it's not all that hard to design a strategy
    to get bed nets to people. And I want to thank my fellow citizens for
    caring deeply about this initiative. And I want to thank our partners
    for working hard to make sure that a mom won't have to worry about her
    child dying because of a mosquito bite.
        The President talked about our
    fight against HIV/AIDS. And it's a noble battle, and it's a necessary
    battle. In 2003, as she had mentioned, we launched PEPFAR. The program
    is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in
    human history. Ambassador Dybul and I believe
    that the program is effective because it is defined by a few key
    principles. You know, if you're going to have a new era of development,
    it's important to have clear definitions. It's one thing just to throw
    money at the problem, it's another thing to insist upon strategies that
    actually work. So the emergency plan demands specific measurable targets
    for progress. His job is to not only put the implementers in place and
    to find those souls who are on the frontlines of saving lives and
    empower them, his job is to report back to the President and say, ``Here
    is the progress we're making, Mr. President.'' That way it gives me a
    chance to say, ``Well, if you're not making enough progress, Mark, do
    something differently, please.''
        It employs a prevention strategy that works: ABC, which means
    abstinence, be faithful, and use condoms. This isn't guesswork; this is
    a program that is working. It puts local partners in the lead, because
    they know the needs of their people best.

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    It enlists new partners from the international community, the private
    sector, and the faith community.
        I can't tell you how many people that I've met in the United States
    who say, ``I'm part of PEPFAR because my church has adopted the
    program.'' You know, there's nothing better than having people who hear
    the universal call to love a brother like you'd like to be loved
    yourselves on the frontline of helping to save lives.
        And the United States Government is smart enough to enlist the
    compassion and love and hard work of people in the faith community in
    the United States to help our brothers and sisters in need. So far, the
    results are striking. When we launched the initiative in 2003, only
    50,000 people in sub-Sahara Africa were receiving antiretroviral
    treatment.
        Today, we support treatment for nearly 1.7 million people in the
    region and tens of thousands of more around the world, from Asia to the
    Caribbean to Eastern Europe. PEPFAR has supported care for nearly 7
    million people, including millions of orphans and vulnerable children.
    PEPFAR has allowed nearly 200,000 children in Africa to be born HIV-
    free. PEPFAR is working. And I want to thank the United States Congress
    for coming together to reauthorize and dramatically expand this program.
        I'm sure that many of you had the same experiences that Laura and I have had in meeting people whose lives have been
    touched by the initiatives we're talking about today. I'll never forget
    meeting Harriet Namutebi. She is--we met
    her in Africa on our trip 5 years ago. She lost her brother, her
    husband, and one of her children to AIDS. She was diagnosed, she locked
    herself in her room, she refused to eat, and she wanted to die.
        But at a clinic supported by PEPFAR, Harriet was given a new lease on life. Counselors at the
    clinic showed Harriet how to live positively with HIV. A loving soul
    took this person who was in despair and said, ``Here's a chance for
    you.''
        Thanks to the antiretroviral treatments Harriet received, she is now in good health. She cares for
    four children. She is an enthusiastic member of the clinic's drama
    group, which educates others about HIV. She is living proof of what
    people in Africa call the Lazarus effect: Communities once given up for
    dead are now being brought back to life. And it is a joy to be a part of
    PEPFAR.
        In the new era of development, we are working with partners to
    unleash the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known, and
    that is free trade. For developing nations, the value of trade is nearly
    40 times the value of foreign aid. Let me repeat that: For developing
    nations, the value of trade is 40 times the value of foreign aid. Isn't
    that an interesting statistic? What should that tell you? It says, if
    you're interested in helping the developing world, promote trade. That's
    what it ought to tell you.
        According to the World Bank, the complete elimination of barriers to
    trading goods would boost annual income in developing countries by more
    than $140 billion. I think that would go a long way, don't you, Madam
    President?
        You know, trade opens growth, ignites growth, but it also produces
    other benefits. It helps increase transparency; it helps increase the
    rule of law. During my administration, we have worked hard to reduce
    barriers to trade and investment. When I took office, we had free trade
    agreements in effect with three nations. Today, we have them with 14
    nations; most of them are developing countries. We've also--[applause].
        My predecessor, President Clinton,
    did a smart thing with the African Growth and Opportunity Act. My
    administration had the honor of extending that act. In 2005, I worked
    with Congress to pass a free trade agreement with the Dominican Republic
    and nations in Central America; it's called

    [[Page 1333]]

    CAFTA. And although it's still in its early stages, trade between
    participating countries with the U.S. is up 30 percent since its
    enactment. Do you know what that means? That means more jobs for workers
    in those countries. It means more food for families. It means more
    investment that developing countries need to grow and prosper. That's
    what that means.
        Trade is essential to prosperity in both good economic times and
    bad. During periods of crisis, like the one we're in now, protectionism
    may seem like the best way to safeguard wealth. But when major economies
    try to wall themselves off, they deny themselves the growth that comes
    from exports and deepen poverty by depriving poor nations of vital
    markets for their goods. You see, in the midst of this crisis, I believe
    the world ought to send a clear signal that we remain committed to open
    markets by reducing barriers to trade across the globe. The recent
    impasse in the Doha round of trade talks is disappointing, but that
    doesn't have to be the final world--word. And so before I leave office,
    I'm going to press hard to make sure we have a successful Doha round.
        In this new era of development, countries that make the courageous
    choice to embrace democracy must realize the economic benefits that go
    with it. When young democracies do not deliver improvements in their
    peoples' daily lives, the people start to lose faith in free societies.
    That's a fact.
        For example, let's talk about our own neighborhood. I believe it's
    in our interest that we have a good, sound neighborhood. It's in our
    interest our neighborhood prosper and get along. And we've seen hopeful
    advances for democracy and free enterprise in North and South America.
    There's no doubt about it: There's been some amazing advances. Yet
    there's also voices that challenge free markets and democratic values--
    quite loud voices. Some of them have gained a following, because amid
    the progress in our hemisphere, we also see terrible want. What the
    campesinos and trabajadores want is--what they don't need is false
    populism; what they do need is social justice. And the development aid
    of the United States has been focused on providing social justice in our
    neighborhood.
        True social justice requires creating new opportunities for
    prosperity and upward mobility. So working in partnership with Latin
    American nations, we've helped more than 400,000 poor and disadvantaged
    children learn to read. We've increased economic opportunity by
    relieving debt and opening trade, as I mentioned. We've delivered aid
    that empowers the poor and the marginalized. Since I took office, with
    support from the Congress, the United States has provided nearly $15
    billion to the region with a special focus on helping the poor.
        True social justice requires government institutions that are fair
    and effective and free from corruption. You can't have social justice if
    your government is stealing from you. Since 2001, the United States has
    doubled our worldwide commitment to programs that foster democracy and
    good government, including programs in Latin America. We've entered into
    the Millennium Challenge Account agreements with six nations in Latin
    America and the Caribbean, and a number of other countries are pursuing
    compacts.
        We've worked with countries like El Salvador to train law
    enforcement officers who can combat criminal gangs. Mexico, we're
    partnering with the Government to stop smugglers who traffic in
    everything from guns to human beings. Colombia, we've worked closely
    with President Uribe to defeat the
    cocaine cartels and narcoterrorists. By the way, it is no coincidence
    last year that Colombia's economy saw its largest growth in nearly three
    decades, because that country has got a strong leader willing to take on
    the FARC.
        True social justice requires compassion. And some of the greatest
    work of compassion in Latin America is being done by the United States
    military. I don't know

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    if you ever heard of the Navy hospital ship called the Comfort, but it
    sailed to 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean last year.
    Doctors treated tens of thousands of poor patients and conducted more
    than 26,000 surgeries. Dentists and hygienists filled cavities and cared
    for infections and treated young children. These men and women are
    showing that the nations of Latin America have a strong partner in the
    United States of America. They're a part of our efforts to show that the
    institutions of freedom and capitalism and democracy are not threats to
    be feared, but the surest path to social justice there is.
        From fostering good governance and reform to alleviating hunger and
    disease to advancing education, prosperity, and justice, our new
    approach to development has shown inspiring signs of success. Yet this
    success can be reversed, and the cost of abandoning our commitments
    would be far higher than the cost of fulfilling them. So I urge both
    parties in Congress to ensure that our development efforts remain an
    enduring priority of the United States.
        I call on other members of the G-8 and the United Nations, as well
    as our fellow contributors to the Global Fund, to follow through on
    their pledges. Corporations and foundations have shared their resources
    and expertise with the developing world, and I urge them to continue
    their generosity. Faith-based groups have done amazing work to heal the
    sick and lift up the suffering, and I urge them to carry on their
    missions of mercy.
        It's amazing what individual Americans have done to help with our--
    the new era of development. I got a Christmas gift from one of my little
    nephews, which was mosquito nets. Thousands of individuals and
    schoolchildren in--all across the country are donating $10 to buy a
    mosquito net to help save a life. There are people who are raising money
    for HIV/AIDS initiative. There are people who are going on a service
    mission with their house of worship. These folks are making a huge
    contribution, and I urge them to continue their good work.
        History shows what happens when America combines our great
    compassion with our steadfast determination. We are a compassionate
    people, and we are a determined people. During a recent visit, a good
    friend of mine shared his vivid childhood memories of the Marshall plan.
    We were sitting--standing on the South Lawn. He said he'll never forget
    the kindness America showed his nation in a time of need, and now that
    man is the Prime Minister of Italy. And last week, Silvio Berlusconi
    expressed his enduring loyalty and gratitude to the people of the United
    States.
        It's not hard to imagine what fruits our compassion will yield 60
    years from today. We can see it in the faces of Afghan girls going to
    school for the first time. We can see them in the proud eyes of Latin
    American workers providing for themselves and for their families. We see
    them in the joy of new African mothers whose babies are protected from
    malaria and HIV. We see them in the outpouring of thanks throughout the
    developing world. I'm just so sorry that not every American could have
    been with Laura and me and see what we saw in our
    trip to Africa last year. Schoolchildren sang songs about America's
    generosity. One shop-owner, I think who was in Liberia, Madam
    President, painted his stall in our
    Nation's colors. Tens of thousands of people lined the roadsides during
    our visit, cheering and waving American flags in gratitude to the
    American people.
        I'm honored to be the President of such a nation filled with people
    of such generosity and goodness. I'm proud to join with all of you in
    ushering in a new era of development. This is an historic commitment
    that we all can be proud of, one that will secure a bright future for
    our partners in the developing world, one that will make America a
    better place. God bless you.

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    Note: The President spoke at 1:22 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and
    International Trade Center. In his remarks, he referred to President
    Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, who introduced the President. He also
    referred to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).