Ambassador Speeches

Remarks by Ambassador Martinez on the occasion of the 230th Anniversary of the Independence of the United State of America

Lusaka
July 8, 2006

Ambassador Martinez and Education Minister Dr. Brian Chituwo toast to the celebrations

I will begin by extending a warm welcome to our guest of honor, the Honorable Dr. Brian Chituwo, Minister of Education, to the other distinguished officials of the Government of the Republic of Zambia, and to the Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as to all of our distinguished guests, members of the press, colleagues and friends. Welcome to the 230th celebration of America's independence. We are delighted that you accepted our invitation to join us to celebrate the birth of our nation. Indeed, you have joined millions of people from around the world who have come together to wish the American people well.

As many of you know, I arrived in Zambia to assume my duties as U.S. Ambassador on December 2nd, 2005. In the seven months that I have been here, I have met Zambians from all walks of life – in government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, men and women in cities and villages throughout the country, young and old. I have been impressed with the welcome I have received wherever I have gone, with the warmth and genuine affection that I have experienced from all Zambians. You are blessed with a country that is graced with natural beauty in its land and in its people.

In my interactions with you, you may have noticed that I keep repeating core principles and ideals that have made my country what it is today, a great nation willing to take risks to spread civil liberties and democracy. For American citizens, Independence Day is a time to reflect and take pride in our nation's history, in our nation’s achievements. We celebrate the ideals of democracy, liberty, and equality under the law, which inspire our way of life and symbolize the best of America's aspirations.

We must remember, however, that ideals are always works in progress. That is certainly true of American democracy. Anyone familiar with these past two centuries of American history knows how generations of Americans have struggled to keep alive the promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that our founders made to us on July 4th, 1776, when they signed our Declaration of Independence.

We find encouragement in these ideals and their relevance to the world at large. They have not only inspired generations of Americans but have been, and still are, beacons of hope to countless people around the world.

At every crossroad, America was fortunate to have visionary leaders that inspired our nation to overcome contemporary challenges. Sixty-five years ago, one of these visionary presidents who made a tremendous impact in our history was our 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. During a time of unprecedented domestic and external challenges, the Great Depression, and World War II, he offered inspiration to the nation to unite and overcome those challenges. In his State of the Union Address delivered on January 6, 1941, he enumerated four freedoms to be enjoyed not only by Americans but by people all over the world. President Roosevelt’s four freedoms are:

--The freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world.
--The freedom of every person to worship God in his own way everywhere in the world.
--The freedom from want – which means economic opportunities which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants everywhere in the world.
--The freedom from fear – which means that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor, anywhere in the world.

President Roosevelt’s inclusion of the latter two freedoms went beyond the traditional American Constitutional values protected by the First Amendment, and endorsed a right to economic security and an internationalist view of foreign policy that have come to be central tenets of modern American ideals.
While sixty-five years have gone by since President Roosevelt underscored the four freedoms, we look around us and observe that his dream has not been fully realized everywhere in the world. These freedoms remain a dream, in some cases a distant dream. In Zambia and in Africa in general, the four freedoms continue to elude millions of people despite all the efforts that are being made. Together, we can do better to make the four freedoms a reality in Zambia and the world over.

All Zambians deserve to enjoy these freedoms in a country that continues to reinforce a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, that continues its reform efforts for a more democratic, transparent and accountable government, and that continues the fight against disease and poverty. I call on each one of you to make a personal commitment to work towards attaining all four freedoms for all Zambians.

I will conclude by asking you all to join me in a toast to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, and to the people of Zambia, wishing health and prosperity to the nation and to all of its citizens. Thank you.