July 26 Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. John F. Kennedy, 35th President, 1961-1963 Delivered at The White House, Washington D.C. on 13 March 1962 Together, the free nations of the Hemisphere pledged their resources and their energies to the Alliance for Progress. Together they pledged to accelerate economic and social development and to make the basic reforms that are necessary to ensure that all would participate in the fruits of this development. Together they pledged to modernize tax structures and land tenure - to wipe out illiteracy and ignorance - to promote health and provide decent housing - to solve the problems of commodity stabilization - to maintain sound fiscal and monetary policies - to secure the contributions of private enterprise to development - to speed the economic integration of Latin America. And together they established the basic institutional framework for this immense, decade-long development. For too long my country, the wealthiest nation in a continent which is not wealthy, failed to carry out its full responsibilities to its sister Republics. We have now accepted that responsibility. In the same way those who possess wealth and power in poor nations must accept their own responsibilities. They must lead the fight for those basic reforms which alone can preserve the fabric of their societies. Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.