"Education is the most important long-term investment we can make in our future. Education reflects our love and our belief in freedom. It is freedom itself."

The Honorary Ambassador for the Decade of Literacy promotes education worldwide, especially for women and children.

Laura Welch Bush was designated UNESCO Honorary Ambassador for the Decade of Literacy in the context of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012). This designation came in recognition of her dedication to learning and the promotion of reading, her commitment to universal education and literacy, her work on behalf of libraries and the sharing of knowledge, and her outstanding efforts in support of teachers and the teaching profession.