Remarks by President George W. Bush at the Launch of the Freedom Collection

Thank you all. Please be seated. Any arrival is better than no arrival. Thank you all for coming.

As the Bush Center launches what we call the Freedom Collection, I want to welcome the dissidents and freedom advocates who are here with us today, as well as those watching on the webcast.

I want to welcome Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University, our partner in advancing causes that we believe will be transformative. I also welcome Mark Langdale, Jim Glassman, and others who lead the Bush Institute.

I particularly want to give a shout-out to Amanda Schnetzer, as well as Lindsay Lloyd, for their vision and for helping implement the Freedom Collection. Kristen Silverberg, who served as ambassador to the European Union during my administration, will be moderating a conversation with our dear friend, the president of Liberia. Joseph Ree, the former ambassador to East Timor, worked with Kristen to help implement what I’m about to describe.

The Bush Center believes that freedom is universal — that deep in the soul of every man and woman on the face of the Earth is the desire to live in a free society. We believe that freedom yields peace, and therefore we believe it is in our nation’s interest that we stand side by side with dissidents, political prisoners, and courageous people who demand their God-given rights.

One way the Bush Center is doing that is through the Freedom Collection. As you will see, the Freedom Collection honors courage. It reminds us of our duty to always stand on the side of human rights, human dignity, and the right of people to live in a free society. And hopefully, the Freedom Collection will serve as an inspiration for those who are on the front lines demanding their God-given rights.

I have the high honor of introducing the first female elected head of state on the continent of Africa — a great lady. She is known in Liberia as the Iron Lady for her strong leadership, and she is also known as “Ma” for her kind heart. She recently received the Nobel Prize, and here is what she said:

“The windows of closed chambers where men and women have been unspeakably abused are being opened, and the light is coming in. Democratization, if tentatively, is taking root in lands unaccustomed to freedom.”

At the Bush Center, we strongly agree.

Please welcome Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.