{"id":11963,"date":"2010-07-28T15:30:53","date_gmt":"2010-07-28T19:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/?p=11895"},"modified":"2010-07-28T15:30:53","modified_gmt":"2010-07-28T19:30:53","slug":"50th-independence-anniversary-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/?p=11963","title":{"rendered":"50th Independence Anniversary Celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2011, Sierra Leone will be celebrating its 50<sup>th<\/sup> Independence Anniversary. At the national level, His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has appointed a national committee to organize year-long celebrations in 2011 to mark our Golden Jubilee with the theme \u201c Sierra Leone 50 years forward\u201d &#8211; \u201ccelebrating a new Sierra Leone.&#8221; At the Diaspora level, similar committees are being formed all over the world to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Washington, the Embassy has taken the lead in setting up a non-partisan committee to organize the year-long celebrations in North America.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Golden Jubilee Anniversary to mark the event of 50 years ago on April 27<sup>th<\/sup>, 1961 when we asserted our rights as a nation to shape our destiny is an important milestone in the history of our country. It offers us a moment to step back and reflect on our trials and tribulations over the years; an opportunity to also celebrate our achievements through a variety of activities reflecting our social, cultural, artistic, religious, environmental and ceremonial events. Indeed, it is a moment to rebrand and showcase the touristic and investment potential of the country to the rest of the world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For decades, the Diaspora has been a partner in the country\u2019s development. Through remittances and other forms of assistance in kind, the Diaspora has been a strong pillar in the sustenance of our people, particularly during and after the dark days of the rebel war. Indeed, its participation in the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary General Elections has contributed, in large measure, to its elevation to the status of the 5<sup>th<\/sup> province of Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whilst it is inevitable that every state or city will be having its own local version of events, at the same time we believe that distance and other logistical problems cannot and should not be a barrier to one\u2019s meaningful participation at the continental level.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To this end we call upon all Sierra Leonean Community Organizations in all states and at all levels, desirous of participating to take the first step and register with the Embassy, proffer suggestions and be partners in this historic occasion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Please find hereunder the relevant contact email addresses and telephone numbers, and we kindly request that your response be made as soon as possible as time is not on our side.<\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Ambassador Bockari Stevens<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>email: <a href=\"mailto:he@embassyofsierraleone.net\">he@embassyofsierraleone.net<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 939 9261 Ext 111<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>DCM Amb Ibrahim S. Conteh<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>email: <a href=\"mailto:dcm@embassyofsierraleone.net\">dcm@embassyofsierraleone.net<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 939 9261 Ext 142<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Minister Counsellor Ms.\u00a0 Rasie B. Kargbo<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>email: <a href=\"mailto:hoc@embassyofsierraleone.net\">hoc@embassyofsierraleone.net<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 939 9261 Ext 113<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Mr. Sheku Mesali<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>Official email: <a href=\"mailto:fsec@embassyofsierraleone.net\">fsec@embassyofsierraleone.net<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 939 9261 Ext 115<\/address>\n<address>Personal email: <a href=\"mailto:smesali@yahoo.com\">smesali@yahoo.com<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 459 7667<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Mr. Saspo I. Sankoh<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>Official email: <a href=\"mailto:fsec2@embassyofsierraleone.net\">fsec2@embassyofsierraleone.net<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 939 9261 Ext 141<\/address>\n<address>Personal email: <a href=\"mailto:saspous@gmail.com\">saspous@gmail.com<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel:\u00a0 202 758 7397<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Ms. Elizabeth Foray<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>Official email: <a href=\"mailto:information@embassyofsierraleone.net\">information@embassyofsierraleone.net<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 202 939 9261 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ext 143<\/address>\n<address>Personal email: <a href=\"mailto:lizforay@email.com\">lizforay@email.com<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 646 387 2354<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Mr. David Vandy<\/strong><\/address>\n<address>email: <a href=\"mailto:dee4vee@yahoo.com\">dee4vee@yahoo.com<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 703 499 2892<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<address><strong>Committee email<\/strong>: <a href=\"mailto:sierraleone50@gmail.com\">sierraleone50@gmail.com<\/a><\/address>\n<address>Tel: 641 715- 3900 Ext 440804#<\/address>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Embassy fax:<\/strong> 202 483 1793<\/p>\n<p><em>Elizabeth M. S. Foray, <\/em><em>Information Attach\u00e9, Embassy of Sierra Leone to The United States<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!<\/em><\/strong><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2011, Sierra Leone will be celebrating its 50th Independence Anniversary. At the national level, His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has appointed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":75801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1221,1],"tags":[4395,4396],"class_list":["post-11963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases","category-uncategorized","tag-50th-independence-anniversary-celebrations","tag-golden-jubilee-anniversar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/75801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}