The 250th anniversary of the birth of our precious United States of America requires me to remember the extraordinary risks taken by the founders, and the efforts undertaken and sacrifices made by those who have fought, and those who continue, to make and keep her safe for her people. We will recognize again the core truth that it is within the immutable nature of all human beings to crave, and be willing to work for, and when necessary literally fight for, freedom. I celebrated the 200th anniversary at the National Mall in 1976. I was 15 years old and only beginning to understand the greatness of the country of which I am blessed to be a natural citizen. I will not see the 300th. My children might. My grandchildren shall. I pray for their peace and safety.
250 years ago, mankind reached a turning point, without realizing. "America" entered the fray with its constitution enshrining "freedom." A document hardly changed while surviving a civil war and two world wars. Because freedom is the pinnacle, the oxygen of peoples' desire to steer their own lives.
Distinguished Fellow (Hon.) · Former MEP
America's 250th anniversary is much more than a historic milestone. As an Iranian, I have dedicated a significant part of my life to the pursuit of the very principles upon which the United States was founded: liberty, the rule of law, accountable government, and individual rights. Millions of Iranians continue that same struggle today. This anniversary reminds me that the ideals on which America was built continue to inspire people far beyond its borders.
America's 250th anniversary is not just a celebration of the birth of a nation. It is a celebration of an idea that changed the world. The Declaration of Independence affirmed that our rights do not come from governments, but from our Creator. For 250 years, the American experiment has inspired millions to fight for freedom, constitutional government, free speech, national sovereignty, and the rule of law. This anniversary reminds us that liberty is never guaranteed; it must be defended by every generation with courage, conviction, and faith.
Distinguished Fellow (Hon.) · Former MEP
America's 250th anniversary is a reminder of the enduring power of the ideals on which the United States was founded: liberty, self-government, and the pursuit of opportunity. For people around the world, including many in Kurdistan, the United States has represented hope, resilience, and the possibility of a better future. I hope the next 250 years will see America continue to lead by example and remain a force for peace, freedom, and human dignity.
Senior Fellow · Kurdistan Chair
The 250th Independence Day of the USA is coming in a critical moment of human history. Throughout my life and many others around the world, I always believed that the pillars of this incredible nation are freedom, justice, equality, opportunity, the arts, and the best education. This is the American dream that I felt when I first saw the USA in 1993. I would love to see the real American dream rise again.
Distinguished Fellow (Hon.)
America's 250th anniversary is a significant milestone that celebrates the enduring ideals of liberty, democracy, and the rule of law. As a Kurdistani journalist, I have seen how these values continue to inspire people around the world who seek freedom, human rights, and self-determination. This anniversary is not only a celebration of America's past but also an opportunity to reflect on its responsibility to continue advancing freedom, justice, and international partnership in the years ahead.
For 250 years, America has stood as a beacon of freedom, defending liberty, protecting minorities, and championing the dignity and rights of every human being, no matter how small or vulnerable. My hope is that the United States will continue to lead the free world with courage, principle, and an unwavering commitment to peace and human dignity.
America represents freedom, liberty and equal protection of the law. Freedom, as President Reagan warned us, is never more than one generation away from being destroyed. The enormous task all Americans must embrace is to repeatedly secure our freedoms and liberties, and to recognize they are not the natural inclination of peoples. The gift we were given in 1776 was unique in all of human history; we may not be given such ever again. To preserve it is our calling.
America's 250th anniversary is the celebration of an idea so extraordinary that it forever changed the course of human history: that liberty belongs not to kings, dynasties, or ruling elites, but to a free people governed by law. America became the first great nation united by a shared civic identity, where people from every corner of the world could become Americans by embracing a common language, a shared constitutional creed, and the rule of law. That is the essence of American exceptionalism, the enduring conviction that a nation founded upon timeless principles rather than bloodlines could become humanity's greatest experiment in self-government. God bless the United States of America.
Every free soul on the Earth should celebrate the birth of the United States, because it is the only democracy born with real and effective separation of powers and a Constitution whose sacred duty is the protection of the citizen against the state. The wise founding fathers knew the nature of man and of power, and developed the constitutional mechanics to make open tyranny almost impossible. The US taught the world that freedom is the main force in the pursuit of prosperity and happiness. In this permanent fight for freedom, security, and prosperity, the Western world has in the United States of America its strongest pillar and inspiration.
Distinguished Fellow (Hon.)
America's 250th anniversary is not simply a celebration of longevity; it is a reminder of the extraordinary power of an idea that has survived conflict, contradiction, sacrifice, and renewal. Its significance lies in its capacity for self-correction, in the belief that freedom, dignity, and opportunity are not static inheritances, but responsibilities each generation must defend and expand. At 250 years, America represents both memory and obligation: gratitude for those who built and protected the republic, and a sober recognition that its promise must be earned again and again. That is what makes this anniversary so meaningful, not only nostalgia, but the living weight of a great experiment still unfolding, still tested, and still capable of inspiring the world.
