Federal Register: November 12, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 217)
DOCID: fr12no09-139 FR Doc E9-27366
Presidential Documents
Veterans Employment and Training Service
NOTICE: Part IV
DOCID: fr12no09-139
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
[[Page 58531]]
Proclamation 8452 of November 9, 2009
World Freedom Day, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Twenty years ago today, the Wall came down in Berlin
and both a country and a continent came together. After
thousands of East Berliners flooded through checkpoints
into West Berlin, border restrictions dissolved across
Eastern Bloc countries. The Iron Curtain that divided
Europe for decades finally fell, ushering in a new era
of freedom and cooperation. On this anniversary, we are
reminded that no challenge is too great for a world united in common purpose.
After the Berlin Wall fell, oppressive regimes across
the globe gave way. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison
camps closed and democracy's doors were unlocked for
millions who had known only tyranny. Markets opened
too, spreading information and technology that
empowered once-insolvent nations to achieve prosperity.
Twenty years later, our world is more interconnected
than at any time in human history, giving rise to new opportunities for shared progress.
Today, the barriers that challenge our world are not
walls of cement and iron, but ones of fear,
irresponsibility, and indifference. History reminds us
that such walls can be torn down, but where they still
exist we must work with all nations to strengthen civil
societies, support democratic institutions and the rule
of law, and promote free and fair electoral processes.
Upholding these principles into the 21st century will
require America's enduring commitment and steady leadership.
From our first days as a Nation, Americans have felt a
sense of urgency and determination to promote liberty
and release the potential within each individual to
contribute to the common good. On World Freedom Day, we
celebrate the thriving democracies of Central and
Eastern Europe, and we honor their citizens' right to
choose their own destinies and contribute to their nations' future success.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim November 9, 2009, as
World Freedom Day. I call upon the people of the United
States to observe this day in fellowship with other
nations and people of the world with appropriate
ceremonies and activities, reaffirming our dedication to freedom and democracy.
[[Page 58532]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. E9-27366
Filed 11-10-09; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P