Advocating that freedom is universal, democracy is the best way to ensure freedom, and American global leadership is crucial to peace and prosperity.
“We know that free governments are the only way to ensure that the strong are just and the weak are valued. And we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed. It is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy.”
— President George W. Bush
The values that underpin democracy and human rights are not just American values — they are universal ones.
Freedom worldwide has declined for almost two decades, and powers in Beijing and Moscow have exploited this crisis. This trend has occurred in countries with fragile democratic systems and in more mature democracies like those in Europe and the United States.
American leadership, working closely with allies, is critical to supporting democracy and people struggling for liberty around the world. Doing so reinforces the importance of accountability and enhances the conditions for a more peaceful, prosperous, and free world.
Encouraging democratization and respect for human rights globally is essential to advancing American values, as well as our security and economic interests around the world.
The Bush Institute seeks to:
Restore democracy and human rights as cornerstones of American foreign policy
Expand bipartisan support for democracy activists under threat globally
Support human rights and democracy globally through the efforts of our bipartisan working group
Put a human face on those struggling for freedom through stories and profiles
At the Bush Center, we’re concerned about the challenges to the health of democracies around the world. Populism is on the rise. Media and other independent institutions are under pressure. Human rights violations are ignored. Isolationism and authoritarianism are growing. And now democracies are faced with containing a pandemic while at the same time cherishing their longstanding freedoms.
Edited by William McKenzie, Senior Editorial Advisor at the Bush Institute, the Democracy Talks series presented here represents the latest in the Bush Institute’s volume of work on meeting the challenges to democracy.
