US embassy meets with basketball team, addresses democracy and ethics

TIRANA, June 23 – On Monday the Permet Girl’s Basketball Team visited the Embassy as part of the “Meet America” program. The team met with the Ambassador and discussed their passion for basketball and the challenges they face due to a lack of funding.
A women’s basketball fan himself, the Ambassador told the team about his favorite women’s basketball team in the United States – the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies.
The girls invited the Ambassador to Permet to see them play and he promised a visit.
The Ambassador then told the girls that the Public Affairs Office will also be sponsoring a trip for members of the team to attend a basketball summer camp in Montenegro where two representatives from Georgetown University’s basketball program will teach the girls new techniques.
The Ambassador said that he now has two favorite basketball teams, the UCONN Lady Huskies and the girls from Permet.
Last weekend, as part of the Embassy’s Speakers Bureau program, Maryruth Coleman addressed the members of the Forum for Democracy and Ethics. The group consists of academics, members of political parties, professors and students, young civil society activists and media representatives.
Coleman spoke about the qualities that make leaders grasp challenges and bring change and cited President Obama as an example. Coleman noted that “President Obama offers Americans a vision of finding practical solutions for problems that would build on bipartisan support and on the essential values of the American people. We will see him implementing broad-ranging changes. ”