photo courtesy of Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, in the tapestry of human existence, citizenship emerges as a defining thread, weaving together the aspirations, responsibilities, and collective identity of a community. Beyond a mere legal status, citizenship embodies a profound sense of belonging and allegiance to a shared homeland, fostering unity, democracy, and progress. As we navigate the complexities of our modern world, it is paramount to recognize and celebrate the intrinsic value of citizenship, for it serves as the cornerstone of a vibrant and inclusive society.
For many people, the idea of citizenship by investment seems complicated and out of reach. However, these programs can actually be quite simple to understand and access. In fact, citizenship by investment programs legally confers citizenship on an individual for a significant capital investment in the host country.
Everyone moves to the United States in the hopes of one day gaining full citizenship, thus moving themselves and their loved ones on the path to perhaps a better, more stable life. At least, this is what the American dream stands for, and what many people who work here eventually aspire to. If this sounds like you and you’re interested in securing a green card at some point, then read on for more information.
“Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is an American federal observance that commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of the United States and those who have become United States citizens. This day is observed each year on September 17. On this day members of the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.
The lottery of life :Where to be born in 2013
Nov 21st 2012
In 1988, we ranked America as the best place to be born. In 2013, things had changedhttps://econ.st/1GcSMgm
Warren Buffett, probably the world’s most successful investor, has said that anything good that happened to him could be traced back to the fact that he was born in the right country, the United States, at the right time (1930). A quarter of a century ago, when The World in 1988 light-heartedly ranked 50 countries according to where would be the best place to be born in 1988, America indeed came top. But which country will be the best for a baby born in 2013?
To answer this, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, has this time turned deadly serious. It earnestly attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.
Its quality-of-life index links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys—how happy people say they are—to objective determinants of the quality of life across countries. Being rich helps more than anything else, but it is not all that counts; things like crime, trust in public institutions and the health of family life matter too. In all, the index takes 11 statistically significant indicators into account. They are a mixed bunch: some are fixed factors, such as geography; others change only very slowly over time (demography, many social and cultural characteristics); and some factors depend on policies and the state of the world economy.
A forward-looking element comes into play, too. Although many of the drivers of the quality of life are slow-changing, for this ranking some variables, such as income per head, need to be forecast. We use the EIU’s economic forecasts to 2030, which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood.
Ridgewood Student Honored for Exemplary Essay by US Capitol Historical Society
US Capitol Historical Society Awards Seung Ho Lee Third Place In 2013 ‘Making Democracy Work’ Student-Essay Contest
May 5, 2014
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The United States Capitol Historical Society is pleased to announce that Mr. Seung Ho Lee, an eleventh-grade student at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, NJ has been named one of the winners of the 2013 Making Democracy Work Student Essay Contest. Mr. Lee was awarded Third Place in the Senior Division and earned a cash prize of$250.
“The US Capitol Historical Society is pleased to recognize Seung Ho Lee for his exemplary essay,” said US Capitol Historical Society President Ron Sarasin. “As with all the winning essays, Seung’s essay reflected a deep understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our representative form of government.”
Mr. Lee’s award-winning essay, “Civic Virtues of Rights and Responsibilities,” reminds us that “with each right we have, we have a corresponding responsibility to protect it.”
“Citizenship itself,” Seung observes, “is not merely a legal status, but a ‘way of life,’ requiring the commitment to active participation in public affairs. . . . As far as his rights permit him, the citizen must teach and foster the civic virtue to respect and advance the freedom of the individuals in a sense of communal identity.”
In recognizing Mr. Lee’s award, Congressman Scott Garrett (NJ-5) said, “I commend Seung Ho Lee on his award-winning essay, ‘Civic Virtues of Rights and Responsibilities.’ It’s great to see young Americans like Mr. Lee active and involved in civics. I hope he continues to reflect on the rights and responsibilities he has, and I wish him all the best in his future studies.”
The 2013 Making Democracy Work Student Essay Contest was made possible by a generous grant from Express Scripts. The 2013 contest is the second in the US Capitol Historical Society’s Making Democracy Work program that has drawn hundreds of entries from students in grades 6-8 and 9-12.
