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Skriven 2007-07-09 23:30:54 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0707093) for Mon, 2007 Jul 9
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Fact Sheet: White House Conference on the Americas
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 9, 2007

Fact Sheet: White House Conference on the Americas Advancing The Cause Of
Social Justice In The Americas

˙˙White House News

˙˙˙˙˙ White House Conference on the Americas ˙˙˙˙˙ President Bush
Participates in a Conversation on the Americas

"In the coming months, this Administration will convene a White House
conference on the Western Hemisphere that will bring together
representatives from the private sector, and non-governmental
organizations, and faith-based groups and volunteer associations. The
purpose is to share experiences and discuss effective ways to deliver aid
and build the institutions necessary for strong civil society."

- President George W. Bush, 3/5/07

Today, President And Mrs. Bush Are Hosting A Conference On The Americas To
Highlight United States Engagement And Discuss More Effective Ways To
Deliver Aid And Strengthen Civil Society.˙ With the theme of "Advancing the
Cause of Social Justice in the Americas," the conference includes
representatives of approximately 150 regional-based organizations and 100
United States-based groups.˙ It focuses on sharing lessons learned on how
to promote education, healthcare, and economic opportunity at the
grassroots level, and public-private partnerships throughout the
hemisphere.

The Administration Has Launched New Initiatives This Year To Meet Basic
Healthcare Needs, Expand Economic Opportunities, And Invest In Education In
The Western Hemisphere

1) Meeting Basic Healthcare Needs

The U.S. Has Provided Over $950 Million To Improve Healthcare In The
Western Hemisphere Since 2001.

The President Directed The USNS Comfort  A Medical Ship  To Begin A
Four-Month Deployment To Provide Medical Care To 12 Latin American And
Caribbean Nations.˙ The Comfort deployed in June and has made stops in
Belize and Guatemala. It is also scheduled to stop in Panama, Nicaragua, El
Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and
Suriname.˙ Its medical professionals plan to treat 85,000 patients and
conduct up to 1,500 surgeries.˙

In June, Health And Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt Inaugurated A
Healthcare Training Center In Panama.˙ Already, 100 healthcare
professionals from six countries in the region have attended the first two
courses, and another 50 students will be trained in September.

Today, Mrs. Bush Announced The Launch Of The Partnership For Breast Cancer
Awareness And Research Of The Americas.˙This initiative will unite experts
from the United States, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico in the fight against
breast cancer, which is the most common cause of cancer-related death for
women worldwide. The partnership joins the University of Texas M. D.
Anderson Cancer Center, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the U.S
government.˙ These partners will work to build capacity in the region by
increasing research, training, and community outreach efforts and by
helping women build the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their
own health.

2) Expanding Economic Opportunity

The United States Is Assisting In Building A Market For Affordable Housing
In Latin America.˙ This year, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC) has already approved $305 million in financing to help underwrite
mortgages and build homes in our hemisphere. ˙Also, OPIC is currently
planning to support more than $250 million in additional financing this
year to help provide low and middle income residential home mortgage loans
and home construction loans in ten Latin American countries. Through OPIC,
for example, the U.S. provided $10 million in financing to help underwrite
mortgages that will benefit low and middle income families in Nicaragua.

In June, The Commerce Department Hosted the First-Ever Americas
Competitiveness Forum.˙Nine hundred participants from more than 30
countries discussed ways to make the Americas more competitive in the
international marketplace.˙ Follow-on meetings are scheduled in the
hemisphere later this year.

The Treasury Department Has Unveiled A Plan To Help U.S. And Regional Banks
Improve Their Ability To Extend Loans To Small Businesses In Latin
America.˙ The plan will open new opportunities for small businesses to
grow.˙ Increasing access to capital throughout the Americas will help
entrepreneurs create new jobs and opportunity for their fellow citizens.˙

Last Week, The Treasury Department Announced A New Latin American And
Caribbean Initiative To Catalyze Private Finance For Infrastructure.˙The
United States will partner with the International Finance Corporation
(IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, to create a program
to catalyze private investment in infrastructure in Latin America. This
initial $17.5 million infrastructure project development program will
include a $4.6 million U.S. contribution and a $1.9 million contribution
from Brazil.

The President Calls On Congress To Take Action On The Peru Free Trade
Agreement Before The August Recess And Move Forward Quickly To Approve
Pending Agreements With Panama, Colombia, And South Korea.˙ On May 10, the
Administration and Congress reached agreement on a path forward for our
pending free trade agreements with Peru, Panama, Colombia, and South
Korea.˙ Congress must now show good faith by taking action on these
agreements.

3) Investing In Education

In March, The President Announced A New $75 Million Initiative To Help More
Young People Learn English And Study In The United States.˙ The
Administration has already provided an initial $1.5 million for this
initiative, which will enable 120 undergraduate student leaders to study in
the U.S., starting in January 2008.˙ The program will provide the students
with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, while enhancing
their leadership skills.

The U.S. Has Provided More Than $150 Million For Education Programs In The
Western Hemisphere Since 2004.

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