April 1, 2008

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all very much for letting Laura and me come by your school. And thank you all for coming. You did an excellent job. And we love the Peace Corps¹. They're great, aren't they?

Listen, Laura and I are very impressed by your country. It's exciting to be in a place that has come through a very difficult period, and now heading toward freedom. And the future of your country is going to depend on you. And it's very important for you to be involved with the future of your country.

And so how do you do that? Well, one, you demand to make sure that your government doesn't have corruption²; that you insist that the government respond to the will of the people, not to the whims³ of a few. People will say, oh, your voice doesn't matter; it does matter.

The other thing is, make sure you get -- you know, keep your education going, and then contribute to your society. And you can do it all kinds of ways: You can be a teacher, you can be a doctor, you can be a small business owner. You can contribute to the future of your country by just being a good citizen.

So we're very excited for you, and we're excited about your future. And we wish you all the very best. Thank you for your gracious hospitality. Thank you for letting us come by your beautiful school. And may God bless you, and wish you all the very best.

Thank you all. (Applause.)

END 3:59 P.M. (Local)