2011 Inaugural Address By The Honorable Sebastian L. Anefal ...

of the Yap State Constitution, on November 2, 1982, our forefathers, our peopleand our State Government realized a vision of a common commitment -- andafter centuries of colonialism, dependence and separation, we chose to moveforward, towards a brighter independent future.Today, as I stand before you, with a sense of humility and gratitude, I also feelproud and elated at the same time because of you, the people of Yap. It is fittingtherefore that I congratulate all of you; the people of all the small islands in theState of Yap and past and current leaders for staying the course. While our voyageis still in its enfant stage, comparatively speaking, the course of our journey hasalready been set. And while our journey may face strong winds and dangerousseas, we can and we will survive together.I would therefore ask that we rededicate ourselves to realizing our originaldreams and expectations. This will not be an easy task and will require ourgreatest collective efforts.There are many external development partners, some of whom are here with ustoday, that I would like to recognize. First, I must thank the United States, acountry that has stood with us for over half a century in our quest for a better lifefor our people.We are likewise grateful to our other major development partners -- Japan, thePeople's Republic of China, the European Union, France, Australia--just to name afew -- for their valuable contributions toward our growth and development.2