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US Embassy Kolonia brings a piece of America to the FSM
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- A young girl has her picture taken with a man costumed as Captain America as part of the celebration of the 4th of July at the U.S. Embassy in Kolonia. (Contributed Photo)
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- American citizens, dignitaries, and other distinguished guests join the U.S. Embassy in Kolonia to mark the 238th birthday of the United States of America on July 4, 2014. (Contributed Photo)
The U.S. Embassy in Kolonia marked the 238th birthday of the United States of America with a large celebration, welcoming nearly 400 American citizens, dignitaries, and other distinguished guests. The celebration started with 70 students from the Talent Search Program surprising the crowd with a rendition of America the Beautiful, followed by an a cappella performance of the FSM and U.S. national anthems by the Santos Vocal Band.
Ambassador Dorothea-Maria Rosen provided remarks in which she discussed the challenges of democracy by saying that all parties must learn the art of compromise in order to reach an agreement that all can live by. Additionally she congratulated the FSM government for their progress in fighting Trafficking in Persons, highlighting the improvements made this year, which included prosecuting their first TIP case.
“The current measles outbreak in the FSM has highlighted the cooperation between the US and FSM when confronting concerns impacting us all,” she said. “The U.S. Center for Disease Control has been working with local health officials since shortly after we were advised of the outbreak and within two weeks over 21,000 individuals were inoculated against the measles.”
FSM Vice President Alik L. Alik also provided remarks in which he highlighted the special and unique relationship of the United States and FSM. He also discussed the combined effort the two countries are making to meet the challenges of 2023.
Following the formal ceremony, the U.S. Embassy staff hosted an American-style lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs, and vegi-burgers.
Peace Corps volunteers and trainees painted children’s faces and sang a combination of folk and traditional American songs. The day culminated with the appearance of Captain America, who proved to be popular for photos taken with many members of the audience. (PR)
