Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 6.djvu/1041

 PROCLAMATION 6706-^ULY 15, 1994 108 STAT. 5609 And it was the spirit of the Americans fighting on Guam that brought a quick end to organized resistance on the island as it was secured by the American forces on August 10, 1944. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 21, 1994, as the "50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam." I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6706 of July 15, 1994 Captive Nations Week, 1994 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation This year marks the 35th commemoration of "Captive Nations Week," our national expression of support for the people of the world who continue to suffer the yoke of oppressive governments. Freedom has made great strides in recent years, thanks to the quiet heroism of countless men and women. Yet far too many members of the human family still live in the shadows, shackled and intimidated in regimes of fear, and we must keep faith with them. For over 200 years, this Nation has worked to realize the vision of freedom articulated by om* founders, and before them by thinkers throughout the ages. Our commitment to the eternally-unfolding meaning and spirit of liberty expresses not only our most cherished values, but also our best hope for long-term international stability. Freedom is a work in process. The people of the former Soviet bloc are making the arduous transition to free societies and free markets, and we will endeavor to support them as best we can. Less outwardly dramatic, but no less moving, are the democratic transitions that have taken place in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and there too, we will do what we can. But great numbers of men and women are still not free. Authoritarianism still wields an iron grip over the lives of millions. And in this new time we are confronted by the alarming specter of racial, ethnic, and religious animosities and violence. It is thus all the more reason for us to recommit ourselves to the work of promoting respect for universal human rights and for political freedom for people of all races, creeds, and nationalities the world over. The Congress, by Joint Resolution approved July 17, 1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week in July of each year as "Captive Nations Week."

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