Musicians at the 96th Lithuanian Festival in Frackville, Pennsylvania (USA) in 2010.
Photo by Joanne Antanavage of Philadelphia , USA. Frontover of the magazine
‘Bridges’, October 2010. http://www.lithuanian-american.org/bridges_en.php

More and more Lithuanians turn their backs to their home country. The wave of residents who have left or want to leave is growing day by day. The bright spots in economics and business are still few.

Parents with children in primary school are looking desperately for opportunities of further education abroad as the Lithuanian school system does not provide a satisfactory basis for future jobs. Health Service is also struggling with serious problems. Pessimism is spreading rapidly, and there are not yet too many signs that the country's politicians are able to tidy up and clean the 'Lithuanian House' where dirt and dust from the Soviet times still lie in every corner. 

Fewer and fewer see a future for themselves and their children in this once proud country, and there is no indication that those who have already moved to the West will come back. Many descendants of those who emigrated in connection with World War II have not even been visiting their ancestral country. The national feeling among young Lithuanians around the world fades each day that passes. 

- Is there then nothing that can be done to reverse this

negative trend? I think there is.

But first we need to get back optimism and faith in the nation called Lithuania. The Lithuanian people must once again begin to believe that joint efforts with common goals are not useless, and that the future will be far brighter if we all are working together to reach concrete goals. 

One important step would be if Lithuania's political leaders began to consider absolutely all of Lithuanian background, wherever in the world they live, as full and equal citizens. The country's diasporas represent invaluable brain-power and should be invited 'back to the family'. An extensive bridge-building should be undertaken without any further hesitation.

'Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you

can do for your country'

This was what President John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address in 1961. Such a speech should also President Grybauskaitė make, but first she should proclaim that Lithuania’s leaders will be the ones taking the first step; showing the good example, cleaning the ‘Lithuanian House’ and start demonstrating that they are ready to do their very best for Lithuanians around the globe.

Still, the politicians can not really do much more than to facilitate.  The real action must come from the Lithuanians themselves. 

Our contribution to renewed optimism, bridge building and constructive criticism of the negligent sins that still characterize this nation, is the publication you are now reading. Our wish would be that VilNews should become a new bridge, with the aim of better linking Lithuanian groups in every corner of the globe to each other and their home country Lithuania. 

For VilNews to get the necessary position and recognition as an international, interactive meeting place and an honest, professional media for Lithuania-related matters, there must in my opinion be a broad and solid group of readers and supporters from around the world standing behind it. Then we can, together and with weight, be pointing out issues we believe should be addressed in this country and for Lithuanian nationals around the globe. I believe we this way, in joint spirit, slowly could begin to rebuild the optimism that the country now so desperately needs.

We appreciate very much the letters we already have received from so many of you, dear readers, and I hope we together, over the next few years can use VilNews as a genuine tool for change.

Those who still live here, and all those who have sought

happiness in other countries, are all belonging to the same

Lithuanian nation and should be consulted and listened to

in the further development of the nation. 

This year it will be 71 years since World War II took its grip on Europe, including Lithuania. The war and the post-war years became deeply tragic for Lithuania, characterized by the Holocaust, genocide, deportation to Siberia, a bloody partisan war and extensive emigration to Western countries, primarily the United States.

20 years ago Lithuania regained its freedom, and one could then have expected that the Lithuanian people would unite to again build up and develop this country that had seen so very many tragedies take place on its soil since it all started in 1940.

Unfortunately, the last two decades have largely been characterized by political turmoil and a more widespread emigration than ever before in the country’s history. Lithuanians and individuals with Lithuanian roots are now spread throughout virtually the entire world, and it is today unlikely that too many of them will ever move back to their little home country here at the Baltic Sea's southern coast.

Nevertheless, those who still live here, and all those who have sought happiness in other countries, are all belonging to the same Lithuanian nation and should be consulted and listened to in the further development of the nation. 

The fact that the inhabitants are scattered around the whole Earth seems initially to be negative and an obstacle to cooperation, but maybe we together can turn this to be something positive instead?

Today's technology makes it possible, as never before, to communicate and collaborate across national boundaries, and both the Lithuanian nation and all with some form of affiliation to this country can certainly gain great benefit and pleasure by uniting - in joint efforts for the worldwide Lithuanian nation and the many fine people belonging to it!

Lithuanians have many reasons to be proud of their country's history. The time from when King Mindaugas (1200-1263) was crowned in 1253 until the country was occupied by Tsarist Russia in 1795 appears to be the most glorious. But the inter-war years (1918-1940) in regained freedom are also being remembered as good years for Lithuania, represented here by the two American-Lithuanian pilots, Darius and Girenas, who in 1932 flew across the Atlantic but tragically died when the plane crashed just before it reached Lithuania.

But although the war years and the years of Soviet occupation until 1990 offer little to be happy or proud of, also these 50 years represent a part of the country's history. We can not bring back those who were murdered or died in some other cruel way, but we should do our utmost to bring their stories to light. The people and systems committing crimes and misdeeds throughout the war and post-war years should be brought to justice. It is important for Lithuania's promising future that we work together and look ahead. But this should be based on clarity about what injustice and tragic events happened over the last 70 years.

'Let the past be the past,' many will say. But the

skeletons in the closet always have a tendency of

coming out, sooner or later, whether we like it or not. 

Lithuania needs a thorough and serious confrontation with its past, primarily since 1940, and I hope this now can be taken really seriously by today's leaders.

It is on such a background we best can unite in common efforts for creating a bright future for the Lithuanian nation.

Also present Lithuania has much to be proud of. The landscape and the symbols of the country's glorious history (above, represented by Trakai castle outside the capital Vilnius) allows the country to remain one of the world's leading, but largely undiscovered tourist attractions. The many giant successes on the basketball courts, theatre stages and concert halls, stand today as the hallmarks of the new Lithuania.

Yet it is clear that Lithuania, and the many amazing activities going on here all year around, are too little known outside the country. Marketing to potential tourists has been and is still very bad. The culture is struggling with low budgets that leaves little room for marketing abroad.

The economical recession in the world has hit Lithuania very, very hard. But I think we  now are beginning to see signs of improvement. The Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance, various institutions and commercial companies already have success stories to refer to, and the country's export industry is again enjoying relatively good times.

The country's authorities have not been too good in asking

for advice and help from their own diaspora groups around

the world and from the international community here in

Lithuania.

It is, however, clear that much business can be created without interference or help from government or public institutions, and I see at present many signs that entrepreneurs and existing businesses are in the process of taking this challenge seriously.

The goal should be to unite all good forces for the benefit of Lithuania and Lithuanian interest and nationalities around the world. 

My call to all of you is therefore – freely, and with a certain sense of humour, after Karl Marx... : 

"Lithuanians of the world, unite!"

Your feedback would, as always, be appreciated…

Aage Myhre

VilNews Editor