Nations and Nationalities Day Colorfully Marked in  Washington D.C.   By: Tsehaye Debalkew, / December 8, 2013/ The 8th Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day of Ethiopia was colorfully marked at the auditorium of the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. today. The celebration which was attended by hundreds of Diaspora Ethiopians, Community Representatives and families was also graced by the presence of dignitaries from Ethiopia who attended the commemoration as guests of honor.   Girma Birru, Special Envoy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the US underlined the significance of the occasion which marked the endorsement of the new Ethiopian constitution that guaranteed and protected the rights of the various nations, nationalities and peoples by declaring and putting into practice their equality and fair and just representation in the political milieu, as enshrined in the noble document in contrast to past Constitutions which remained on paper and at the the level of rhetoric. Ambassador Girma further elucidated the importance of the Nations, Nationalities Day as a land mark, which enabled the creation of an auspicious climate for the realization of the sovereignty and the ultimate power of the people to be accorded due recognition for the first time in the country’s political history which spawned for millennia on end.   On the event the Special Envoy called upon the Diaspora Ethiopians to positively engage themselves in the overall Growth and Transformation leap by lending their cherished knowledge, expertise, networking and revenue capacities in a manner that boosts the national drive forward and also calibrating them to be active beneficiaries from the enterprise.  . The guest of honor present during the grand festivity, Mr. Diriba Kuma, Mayor of Addis Ababa called upon Ethiopians domiciling abroad to actively engage themselves in buttressing the image of the nation positively and to participate in the current nation- wide Growth and Transformation drive. Mayor Diriba Kuma succinctly brought to the fore the heretofore negative signature identification of our nation as a hub of misery, war and famine, is currently being relegated to the museum of history and supplanted by a new glorious and developed Ethiopia championing peace and stability and enlisting itself in the ranks of mid-income nations of the globe in the not too distant future. The attendees to the event raised varied queries pertaining to the overall construction boom and its negative impact on the supply and smooth functioning of activities in the telecom, energy and investment, housing scheme, corruption and nepotism. The Mayor satisfactorily explained the conditions and admitted the concerns of the Diaspora and called upon them to be part of the solution and contribute their share in alleviating the challenges. Poems, diverse musical menu, posters and slogans that surfaced during the robust occasion gave an added color and a sense of jubilation during the celebratory function which culminated the National Anthem of Ethiopia which was accorded a standing ovation by the constituents.  Artist Chachi Tadesse, Good Will Ambassador of the Natural Heritage of Ethiopia made good of the event to highlight the need to preserve and protect the fauna and flora of Ethiopia and called upon the Diaspora Ethiopians to actively engage themselves in the noble job.