The Nobel Prize, release from a dictatorship, and excellence in sports are among the major successes realized during the past five years. This is what Epoch Times reporters from Sweden to Peru found when they asked locals, “What is the biggest success your country has achieved in the last five years?”
  Jönköping, Sweden Thomas Evaldsson, 47, Insurance Broker The Nobel Prize. We have it every year and it provides good attention for Sweden. Then there was the royal wedding between Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria last year. It is somewhat hard to beat and it is a great opportunity for Sweden to be seen and to draw many tourists here. Sweden is not so big in the world. |
  Bucharest, Romania Floarea Mladin, 61, Retired I would like to refer to an issue that is very important, even if it’s not regarding economic, social, or political life. Romania was under a communist dictatorship for many years and a very important achievement was realized in 2006 when our president condemned the communist regime as being criminal and illegal. This was not easy for him, as many in Parliament tried to stop him doing this. |
  Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil Carlos Jose Theodore, 57, Merchant I think the biggest success Brazil has achieved in the last five years is to elect the first woman president in the country’s history, President Dilma Roussef. |
  Zaragoza, Spain David Barragan, 32, Engineer I think that the most outstanding successes of our country in the last five years all relate to the sports field. Be it in individual or team sports, we’ve achieved the biggest awards in football [soccer], basketball, handball, tennis, etcetera. We’ve been able to defeat countries with a larger population than Spain. Those successes are based on two main characteristics: The first one is that we’ve been blessed with a generation of sportsmen and women who are very humble and have great sacrificing capacities. The second reason is the enormous increase of quality sports centers all over the country that have permitted these talented people to improve in the perfect environment. |
  Lima, Peru Selene Revello, 40, Business Manager I believe that the biggest success in my country is the development of micro and small enterprises; now it is the engine of the economy, employing thousands of people, and some businesses become corporations. In my company, Selene Education Group, we were growing slowly; now we have several businesses. We teach fashion, beauty, and all about business management. Some of our students also have their own businesses. They are successful and they employ many people. Now we can say that we are proud to be Peruvian. |
  Medellín, Colombia Andrés Felipe Garcés A., 26, Stockbreeder The major achievement in the last five years in Colombia has been the great development in the international diplomatic environment, such as business, where the economic growth has been a great bulwark for our people. The free trade treaties have been one of the great achievements of our governments and businessmen managing to position us as one of the South American countries with a positive economic growth, helping the growth not only of the country, but also of Latin America in general. |
  Puerto Montt, Chile Patricio Vallespín, 47, District Deputy Chile has consolidated a gradual process to guarantee the population a generation of social rights. In the last five years, pension reform is the greatest achievement we have made as a country, as we have secured a decent pension for all people. … Without this reform, many Chileans 65 years and over wouldn’t have reached a pension that allowed them a better quality of life in times of a well-deserved rest. The Pension Reform of former President Michelle Bachelet involved an investment in the scheme, more than $3 billion, which allows Chile to deliver a dignified old age for all citizens. |
  Washington D.C., U.S.A. Richard Danais, 62, Real Estate Developer The turn of the House of Representatives to the Republican majority. The citizens of the United States are finally realizing government is too big and spending is out of control. The 2010 election sent a message to Washington, and I think it will continue through the 2012 election also. |
  Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.A. Michael Mitchell, 47, Courier Service Driver They [the government] haven’t accomplished anything. I think the world views them as a negative force. They’re going from well liked to disliked in the world. I think their international policies stink. I think they’re biased. On most issues, it’s their way or no way at all. They don’t support other countries’ views or ideology at all. |
| Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “What is your greatest regret in life?”
|
Friends Read Free