http://thefilmarchive.org/ March 5, 2007 Today, President Bush Discussed The Administration's Efforts To Advance The Cause Of Social Justice In The Western Hemisphere. From March 8-14, President and Mrs. Bush will travel to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. These countries are part of a region that has taken great strides toward freedom and prosperity raising up new democracies and bringing stability to their fiscal policies. Yet despite these advances, tens of millions in the Western Hemisphere remain stuck in poverty. The working poor of Latin America need change, and the United States is committed to helping their governments provide it. The President Is Committed To Helping Democracies In The Western Hemisphere: Build government institutions that are fair, effective, and free of corruption; Meet basic needs like education, healthcare, and housing; and Maintain economies that make it possible for workers to provide for their families and rise in society. New Initiatives For The Western Hemisphere The President Announced He Will Send The USNS Comfort A Navy Medical Ship To Latin America And The Caribbean. The Comfort will make port calls in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. Its doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals expect to treat 85,000 patients and conduct up to 1,500 surgeries. The Comfort will also partner with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on a new initiative to provide oral care to the region's poor. At The Same Time, Military Medical Teams Will Operate To Help Bring Treatment And Care To Other Communities. This year, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps will partner to provide medical care through 62 Medical Readiness Training Exercises in 14 countries in the Western Hemisphere. The President Also Announced A Healthcare Professional Training Center In Panama That Will Serve All Of Central America. This Center will teach students how to be good nurses, technicians, and health care workers. The President Announced A New Partnership For Latin American Youth To Help Thousands More Young People Improve Their English And Have The Opportunity To Study In The United States. This three-year, $75 million initiative includes English language training; home-country and U.S.-based study; helping students apply for and win scholarships; and skills development to improve students' ability to gain employment. The President Directed Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice And Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson To Develop A New Initiative That Will Help U.S. And Local Banks Improve Their Ability To Extend Good Loans To Small Businesses. Increasing access to capital throughout Latin America and the Caribbean will help its entrepreneurs create new jobs and opportunity for their fellow citizens. The United States Is Launching A New Effort To Help Build A Market For Affordable Housing. Through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. has provided more than $100 million to help underwrite mortgages to working families in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and the countries of Central America. The U.S. will now provide an additional $385 million to expand these programs and help put the dream of home ownership within reach of thousands more people. The Administration Will Convene A White House Conference On The Western Hemisphere. This conference will bring together representatives from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, and volunteer associations to discuss more effective ways to deliver aid and build the institutions of civic society.

• published: 12 Apr 2012
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