the push institute is part of the george w. bush presidential center now in the final stages of construction on the campus of southern methodist university in dallas weren't it's a great building designed by robert stern to lead platinum specifications to the highest environmental standards. we hope to see what the dedication less than a year from now. we amounted ten programs and six areas of engagement, economic growth, education reform, global health, the women's initiative, the military service initiative and human freedom and the human freedom is to extend liberty to oppress the nations around the world. advancing freedom is the goal in fact in each of our areas of engagement. in africa for example we are leading a fight against women's cancer with a dozen partners including the u.s. state department. no woman can be truly free to make choices that will improve the lives of members of the family who she suffers from presentable and curable cervical cancer. no young person in america is free to pursue the dream that the education system failed him. so we are out to improve america's principles and middle schools and is the u.s. economy fails to read grow robustly americans will lack the freedom and opportunity they desert and desire, so we are aiming at a target of 4% economic growth. in the area of human freedom itself, the centerpiece of the work is called the freedom collection, the living archive that documents the global struggle for democracy and human freedom. the freedom collection features video interviews and compelling writings and artifacts that tell the stories of dissidents and that freedom advocates i'd like to acknowledge the architects of the collection, ambassador kristen silverberg who led the project from its inception, and thus avert gross read, lindsey lloyd who's now the director of the freedom collection and mark, the president of the bush foundation. i also like to thank april and kristen for organizing this event. march 28 in dallas the president and mrs. bush launched www.freddomcollection.org the online portal deals to the collection. today we have interviewed approximately 60 leading freedom advocates from are not of the world including the nobel laureates, senior statesman and women, cyber dissidents, religious leaders and many others. we will do hundreds of these interviews coming and these are the non-violent troops of liberty. portions of the interview are available on the website. freedom collection features sections on particular countries to help provide background and context for the interview. there are also short films on the featured scenes, prisoners of conscience, women as human rights defenders, messages from dissidents and others. several of the remarkable individuals already feature on the www.fredoomcollection.org our issue today. please stand as i call your name. rodrigo of venezuela, bald of china. marcel of venezuela. hernandez of cuba. crystal of venezuela. of the end of egypt. thank you. [applause] our hope is the freedom collection will remind the descendants of this, you are part of a large network of freedom loving people with deep historical roots. you are not alone. we also want to cite to inspire americans and others living in freedom to support today's dissidents. to help build our network and reached audiences, digital and social media will replace in the central role. today we are pleased to recognize facebook as a social media partner on the freedom collection. through facebook we are extending the reach of the freedom collection and the bush center efforts to promote liberty by documenting and sharing the global struggle for human freedom. having a strong presence of facebook [inaudible] foster greater debate and understanding. we are pleased to caplin vice president of u.s. policy for facebook is in the audience with us. speaking of technology, all i am happy to say that the great freedom and the get will be joining us over the teleconference leader in the program. the season in burma permitting and i should add the rainy season in washington permitting. malae like to play for you one of the short films that are included in the freedom collection. [background noise] >> we have a slight technical problem. this is due to the rainy season in burma. [laughter] ♪ in our time income of freedom has great historical momentum, but it is not and in personal force. it always advances to the choices and courage of individuals. the freedom revolution begins in a few minds and a few hearts among the men and women who risked everything for the sake of a universal ideal. they reject the council of senior, apathy and despair. they save sacrifices for the future they may not live to see and they are capable of unsuspected greatness. during meetings in the oval office i was eager to hear their stories, and now the bush institute is collecting the stories and interviews conducted around the world. we've asked men and women who've inspired others for them what ignited the fuse of their outrage and resistance, why did they accept a difficult calling for a dissident's wife? it explains the decades of activism. >> it was already in my blood. whenever i see something happening in front of me whether it happened to me or someone else i cannot take it. so when i was studying chemistry in my final year at a university , i come to be in a group of students who are simply demanding for the true relief of a student, a fellow student was shot and killed by the police without any reason really. this is an injustice, and i cannot take eight. so that was the first time i decided that i would do something about it. dissidents are often motivated by the passion for truth and refusal to participate in the lives and the tyrannical governments. he was a writer from activist in syria. >> i also said to them the consequences have been borne by and by all of you. so silence has consequences, not rocking the votes of consequences, and the consequences of not rocking the boat it may not be that dramatic death that you see when people take to the streets, it may not be addressed or hope >> he was a boxing coach in cuba. >> [speaking in native tongue] democratic activists often speak of self-respect, a feeling they could no longer a participate in a failing system the was undermining their dignity and the dignity of their country. the great freedom fighter made this point clearly. the path of most leads to a desolate places where hope comes hard many find comfort in a power greater than any government. the pastor of china recalls his dark night of the soul as a student activist. when they start shooting, when the tanks were ordered to crush many of the citizens including students to students leaders dreams were broken it was during that time i came to christian faith high accepted christ as my savior and lord because the hope of myself and the political system on the party in general even on the human beings and is deeply dispirited and disappointed and thinking how can i change hi change this society by changing the government to give >> the past several decades we've seen again and again that courage and vision can be more powerful and all of the guns and lines of an oppressive government. we've seen a sudden elimination of a conscience can be the turning point in the history of the nation. it is a privilege and duty to recognize and of courageous advocates of freedom around the world. our message to them is clear. when you stand for liberty, we will stand with you. [applause] >> in september 2005i was supposed to leave my country, i've lived in washington with my family, my wife, our daughter and our son. together, with the help of our friends here and in syria, we and the funding from the middle east partnership by the president have the foundation dedicated to support the democracy activists in syria and across the middle east. we were predictable and the leadership skills of the young men and women who from despair and oppression were trying to keep together activism networks. these networks are dedicated to raise awareness about with democracy in the fact of the sold as a defense. they aim was to hold the government accountable to the will of the people. hard work finally began to pay off when people across syria inspired by the developments in tunisia and egypt results against the corruption and the oppression of the regime. the movement was peaceful and inclusive. the customs were held high. muslims and christians, sunnis demanded opposition to the space government. in response, they showed common to power shortages support and heavy artillery to attack peaceful demonstrators in the assessment reformers. inlet orval over year 15,000 people have been killed. 80,000 are languishing in jail and more than 260,000 have become refugees. the international community has done little to help the people but it is still our hope world leaders would be compelled by their conscience and their national self-interest to act to end the tragedy and to bring syria freedom. the stories of dissidents highlighted in this election can help motivate international policy makers to do the right thing. the collection also held break the barrier of fear and noble the descends. the collection showed that freedom of the kids are not alone. others went before and their stories teach where success lies. it's not easy while the price of activism in the human body, the fact is always the death of the human spirit, and that is a far greater price to pay. protestors in syria and around the world draw inspiration from president george w. bush. during his administration, president bush met with more than 180 democracy and human rights activists and journalists and family members in the country's the programs that inspire come in for and trained thousands of young freedom advocates across the middle east and north africa many of them now in leadership positions in the changing countries. and upon leaving office, he found the presidential center dedicated to improve the human conditions around the world with a strong emphasis on the freedom and the nation's like syria. as he said in the second inaugural speech since 2005 the best hope for peace in the world is the expansion of freedom and all the world. ladies and gentlemen, please try me in welcoming the president of the united states, george w. bush. [applause] >> thank you. please be seated. >> thank you for your kind words. all of us here today join you in hoping and praying for the end of violence and the advance of freedom and syria those that joined us for your example we honor your sacrifice and to celebrate your courage and we will support your struggle for as long as it takes. i want to think all of you for attending the washington launch of the freedom collection. i actually found my freedom by leaving washington. [laughter] but it's a good on occasion to be back to see old friends to a i want to thank those that work for the bush foundation and the more glendale's president. i think jimmy the founding director and all those that work for the bush institute. i want to thank you for joining us today. we are honored you are here. thank you for your leadership of the revolution. members of congress that join us i appreciate you taking time from your busy schedules. diplomatic corps think you for being here, and members of the bush at administration a mighty bush administration. thanks for showing up. these are extraordinary times in the freedom. in the arab spring we've seen the broader challenge to the authoritarian rule since the collapse of soviet communism. great changes come to the region where many thought impossible. the idea that the people are somehow content with oppression has been discredited for ever. yet we have also seen instability, uncertainty and the retention of be brutal. the collapse of order can have power struggles to a new order is not prepared to handle. freedom is a powerful force but it doesn't advance on wheels of historical inevitability and it is history that proves this point. the american revolution and 7076 produced george washington who embodied the space habits of the new nation. the french revolution of 1789 eventually produced napoleon who set out to concur europe. the altar of the freedom revolution is determined by human choices and the creation of the durable space traditions. some what the risks inherent in space change particularly in the middle east and north africa and find the danger too greet street america they argue should be content with supporting the leaders they know in the name of stability. but in the long run this policy approach is not realistic. it is unrealistic in the so-called stability enhances our national security nor within the power of america to indefinitely preserve the old order which is inherently unstable. the present government's distrust the difference using of trust and power choking off the best source of national prosperity and success. according of power leads to cronyism, corruption, inefficiency and resentment. this is the crisis of tierney. it fears and fights the human attributes that make a nation great. creativity, enterprise come initiative and responsibility. dictators can maintain power for a time by force and by feeding resentment towards any internal or external, real or imagined. but eventually and the scarcity and mediocrity of the failure becomes evident. and every nation a few eyes open first. it is dissidents to see the reality of oppression and we've used to live any longer with lies and humiliation. they show defiance and courage and stubbornness. but above all they have a genius for hope. like said the politics is not the art of the possible. it's the art of imagining the impossible and then making it happen. from mandela the dissidents have practiced the art of the impossible. america doesn't get to choose in the middle east or elsewhere it only gets to choose a site is on. the tactics of promoting freedom will vary from case by case. but america's message remains clear and strong. we stand for freedom, and for the institutions and habits that make freedom work for everyone. the day when a dictator fields to the space movement is a glorious day. the years of transition can be difficult. people forget that this was true in central europe where the space institutions and attitudes did not spring up overnight. from time to time there has been corruption, backsliding and nostalgia for the communist rule. there's been threats to independent media and civil society. the central economic reforms or sometimes painful and unpopular. it takes courage and the revolution. it also takes courage to secure the freedom revolution for the future generations through structural reforms coast trips of bravery deserve our strong support. this is not a challenging parts of north africa and the middle east to read after the euphoria nation's most deals questions of tremendous complexity. what majority rule will have on the rights of women and religious minorities. how can the militias be incorporated into a national army? was indeed the relationship between a central government and the authorities? problems once kept submerged by force must now be resolved with politics and consensus. political institutions and traditions are often weak. some remain unreconciled towards freedom. we know the problems that we have seen a source of hope. the people of north africa and the middle east realize that their leaders are not invincible they can be held to account. citizens of the region have developed habits of dissent and expectations of economic performance. future rulers who ignore the expectations who tried returning to the abortion debate compression and blame shifting may find and accountability of their own. it depends on the uninformed and inactive citizens and much of the great middle east this year of the passage citizen is over. i will also help return them intradermal civic structures, strong constitutions, political parties committed to pluralism, free elections, the ruble fall and property rights, hopefully, we strolled into the open world markets, healthy sick institutions, protection for the rights of minorities and women this will require patience and creativity and active american leadership. a little of the strengthening of civil society with a particular emphasis on role of women. it will require a consistent defense of religious liberty. will mean to becoming the encouragement of development and education and health of trade and foreign investment of people to people context. there are no guarantees and there will certainly be setbacks but if america doesn't support the advance of space institutions and values, who will? promoting freedom of our message must be flexible. change comes in different pieces and different places. liberty often arrives not in leepson but steps. flexibility doesn't mean ambiguity. the same principles must apply to all countries to as a country embraces freedom it finds economic and social progress but only when a government treats its people with dignity as the nation fulfill its preakness and when a government violates the rights of the citizens, it dishonors an entire nation. one way to encourage freedom is to highlight and honor those who make the defining cause of their lives. we had the privilege of meeting many dissidents in the democracy activists at the white house. they really inspired us. and we did cover best to assure them that they were not alone. that the hopes and prayers of a great nation were with them to the it's also one of the primary goals of the bush institute. we are gathering the stories and artifacts of space reformers. not just to celebrate the past, but to educate the next generation. we want young activist and venezuela to hear him talk of his struggle with despair. we want to share to learn that the impossible. the freedom collection is a continually updated project designed to share the inspiration and lessons of great reformers and dissidents. our goal is to provide those moral support and practical knowledge. thomas jefferson once wrote a contingent of liberty, the freedom collection that we. it's not the easy but the pursuit of freedom. in america we know something about this. we face challenges since our independence protecting minorities, building a national army, defining the relationship between the central government and the reasonable authorities. and at times the of nearly torn apart. it took many decades of struggle to live up to our founding promise. but we never ceased believing the power of those ideals, and we shouldn't today. for all the difficulties the evidence of freedom remains the most powerful hopeful trend of our time. in 1900 not one country in the world that the modern standards of democracy including our own. by 1950, there were 22. today according to freedom there are now more than 110 electoral democracies to but no evidence of freedom is inevitable and any gain can be lost there's a reason for the momentum of liberty across the centuries. human beings were not designed for servitude. they were created for better things and the human soul is forever restless until interests of freedom. thank you. [applause] thank you, president bush. good morning to you all. most people here know me as bob, not a very typical of chinese names to refine the founder of the association based in midland texas. in 1989, i was a part of the student democracy movement in tannin square. though the movement was crushed that freedom has continued. later i became a pastor for the independent house church and bible school. in 1996 for life in the latest gift to hong kong and in 97 we were admitted to the united states of erica america as refugees before it was handed over to china. official churches in china have 60 to 80 followers who were at great risk trying to exorcise the chinese constitutional guarantees