US-based Liberians Kick off Independence Anniversary Celebrations
July 22,2013
This Friday (July 26) marks Liberia’s 166th independence anniversary. For Liberians in the United States, the celebration began Saturday with festivities on the grounds of the Liberian Embassy in Washington.
For many of those in attendance, the occasion was not only a time to celebrate, but also a time to reflect on whether 166 years of independence was worth celebrating, particularly after the nearly eight-year administration of Africa’s first-elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Jeremiah Sulunteh, Liberia’s Ambassador to the United States, said the country has made some progress under President Sirleaf in spite of many challenges.
"For me, I feel strongly believe that we have done a lot. Even though we still (have) got challenges, we have come a long way. We had an unfortunate situation where we fought years of war. We destroyed the entire fabric of the country. To rebuild takes time, and I think that there has been steady progress made, even though there are still challenges ahead. But, I feel the peace we now have to be one thing to celebrate," Sulunteh said.
Assistant Minister of Labor for the Sirleaf administration, Miateh Gonoglay, agrees that one of the challenges the government faces is high youth unemployment. But, she said this was not unique to Liberia.
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