The purpose of the Committee is to
unify Norwegian Citizens, Norwegian-Americans and Friends of Norway
in an annual gala celebration centering around the May 17
observation of the adoption of Norway’s constitution.
The
Committee is staffed on an annual basis with dedicated volunteers
from the greater San Diego community.
The goal of the
committee is to preserve and promote the spirit of May 17 as an
occasion on which to celebrate Norway’s close ties to America and
the individual freedom and liberty which both countries enjoy. It
was on May 17th in 1814 that Norway’s Constitution was adopted. It
is the oldest constitution in Europe still in effect and the second
oldest in the world, after that of the United States, to which it
bears many similarities. The committee also strives to foster
cultural exchanges and to call attention to Norway’s role in the
international arena. As an ethnic group, we are proud to be
Americans, proud to call San Diego our home, and proud of our
heritage.
Norway:
Located along the western side of the Scandinavian
peninsula, Norway is the northernmost European nation, with a
population of nearly 4.5 million. Life expectancies are long and
literacy is 100%. Norway has a magnificent coastline and a thriving
tourism industry. Always a major seafaring nation, Norway possesses
one of the world’s great merchant marine fleets. The principal ports
are Bergen, Kristiansand, Oslo, Stavanger and Trondheim. The country
that produced Amundsen, Grieg, Heyerdahl, Ibsen and Nansen is today
active in agriculture, forestry, fishing, trade, industry, mining,
oil and gas production and high technology.
San Diego City:
San Diego is the second largest city in California and
seventh largest in the U.S. More than 44,000 citizens of Norwegian
ancestry live here. It is the home of the world famous San Diego
Zoo, the Wild Animal Park and the Sea World aquatic park. Blessed
with incomparable weather, San Diego is a major tourist destination
with a world class convention center. Among its many other amenities
are a sparkling harbor, close proximity to the International border
with Mexico and dozens of fine year-round golf
courses. |
