THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
|
VilNews has its own Google archive! Type a word in the above search box to find any article.
You can also follow us on Facebook. We have two different pages. Click to open and join.
 Click on the buttons to open and read each of VilNews' 18 sub-sections  |
|
News
- Posted by - (0) Comment
A poem by Abraham Sutzkever
How?
How will you fill your goblet
On the day of liberation? And with what?
Are you prepared, in your joy, to endure
The dark keeing you have heard
Where skulls of days glitter
In a bottomless pit?
You will search for a key to fit
You jammed locks. You will bite
The sidewalks like bread,
Thinking: It used to be better.
And time will gnaw at you like a cricket
Caught in a fist.
Then your memory will resemble
And ancient buried town
And your estranged eyes will burrow down
Like a mole, a mole….
Vilna Ghetto, February 14, 1943
Translated by Chana Bloch
SESSION 2: 27 July – 10 Aug
http://sumlitsem.org/Lithuania/
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Lithuania’s new Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius
Lithuania's new Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius:
Let's be more polite to our neighbours
Talking and showing respect – such is the recipe that Lithuania's new Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius will follow in his quest to mend the country's soured relations with neighbouring nations.
In an interview to 15min, Linkevičius says that Lithuania must not be hostage to the past in dealing with Russia; should balance democratic values with pragmatic interests in its treatment of Belarus, and give up the sense of indignation and be more polite while talking to Poland – and keep the old promises once made by Vilnius to Warsaw.
– What are your nearest plans and what's the agenda for the entire term?
– Presidency over the Council of the European Union next year makes all other tasks pale in comparison. All the attention is now focused on this job – not just in our ministry but in all state institutions. What is crucial is a smooth cooperation among them.
When it comes to good neighbourly relations, I still see much room for improvement.
I am a man of consensus, that's what I always seek and I value agreement in areas like defence, foreign policy, security.
Foreign policy requires less revolution and more continuity. In the wake of our independence, we had three main priorities: membership in the EU, joining NATO, and friendly neighbourhood. The first two tasks have been accomplished, but when it comes to good neighbourly relations, I still see much room for improvement. I do not want to be over-dramatic, but nor do I wish to be indulgent.
– What directions will our foreign policy take, geographically speaking?
– There's no either-or in such matters – we need to look in all directions. Neighbours can be different, but they are important to all states. We share EU and NATO membership with Latvia and Poland, we have a common agenda and values, even though there are certain variations. Belarus and Russia have chosen a different path, but that does not mean we have to be slaves to our prejudices and drown ourselves in analysis of differences.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Lithuanian parliament strips Labour MP Viktor Uspaskich of legal immunity
86 Lithuanian lawmakers voted in favor of a draft resolution on immunity cancelation, 29 voted against and 15 abstained. At least 71 MPs need to support such a motion in order to pass it.
The Social Democrats, conservatives, and liberals unanimously voted in favor of the resolution as did three members of the non-affiliated political group and three members of the Path of Courage Party's political group, Aurelija Stancikienė, Vytautas Matulevičius, and Algirdas Patackas. Other members of the latter group did not attend the vote.
Petras Gražulis, elder of the Order and Justice Party group, had proposed to hold a secret ballot but the proposal was rejected.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Join the ‘Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a non-profit educational organization, was established by an Act of Congress to build a memorial in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the more than 100 million victims of communism.
Mission
The mission of The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation is to educate this generation and future generations about the history, philosophy, and legacy of communism.
Read more…
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
“It is unthinkable in the twentieth century to fail to distinguish between what constitutes an abominable atrocity that must be prosecuted and what constitutes that "past" which "ought not to be stirred up.”
― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956
Read more...
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Banks are not paying enough taxes
According to the Lithuanian Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud and Audit Algirdas Semeta (picture), banks are not paying enough taxes to the country's budget and financial transactions are exempt from value added tax (VAT). "When you buy water, you pay VAT, whereas [when you purchase] financial services you do not. Thus the tax burden on the financial sector is less than on the others," says the commissioner. The commissioner proposes to introduce at least 0.1 percent tax rate for trade in shares and bonds, informs LETA/ELTA, referring to Lietuvos rytas.
However, President of the Vilnius Stock Exchange Nasdaq OMXArminta Saladziene says that such decision would force Lithuanian business and operations to move to the other markets where such tax is not applicable. Meanwhile, Semeta says that such concerns are exaggerated. Experts at Vilnius Stock Exchange estimate that within a year Lithuania's budget would receive around LTL 4.5 million (EUR 1.3 million) out of this tax. Semeta claims that the revenue could reach tens of billions of litas if transactions outside the stock exchange were also included. How would this charge affect ordinary bank customers? So far the banks are reluctant to comment but they hint that the service may get more expensive.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Cheapflights.com includes Vilnius in a list of most starry Christmas cities
There's nothing like a good holiday lights display to spark off the festive season, that is why online tourism portal Cheapflights.com published a top 10 of Christmas lights' destinations – and Lithuania with its glowing capital city ranked on this list, too, as Reuters reports. Vilnius has been acknowledged as the only most luring Christmas lights' city in the Baltic States.
Cheapflights.com elaborated the list of Top 10 Christmas lights displays to inform the audience about the most glowing and spectacular places, writes LETA/REUTERS.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Grybauskaite approves incomplete Butkevius cabinet
President Dalia Grybauskaite on Friday approved 12 members of cabinet as proposed by the Prime Minister-designate Algirdas Butkevicius, though the post of two ministers remained vacant.
Grybauskaite stressed that the government must start working immediately, saying in a statement that "important work and decisions are waiting ... that's why I signed the decree to approve the government whose composition is incomplete."
The heads of the Ministry of Social Security and Labor and the Ministry of Science and Education were still undecided, as Grybauskaite rejected two of the Labor Party's candidates.
Grybauskaite nominated Butkevicius, leader of the Social Democrats as candidate for Prime Minister on November 5, following two rounds of parliament selection on October 14 and 28.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel meets with Lithuanian consul
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Lithuanian Consul General Marijus Gudynas met last week to discuss Chicago's growing cultural and economic partnership with its Lithuanian Sister City of Vilnius. Chicago and Vilniushave been Sister Cities since 1993.
"I welcome Consul General Gudynas and am pleased to continue strengthening the relationship between our two cities," said Mayor Emanuel. "This partnership fuels bilateral economic development and adds to Chicago's place as a center of the global economy. Chicago is proud to include Lithuanians as part of its diverse community and history and we look forward to many further interactions and opportunities."
Mayor Emanuel is committed to maintaining and fostering greater dialogue and collaboration between both cities to support mutual economic growth. In the past three years, there has been an 82% increase in exports to Lithuania from Chicago and a 72% increase in imports from Lithuania to Chicago.
Chicago and Vilnius' economic success is only strengthened by their deep historical and cultural links. The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture and the only Lithuanian language daily published abroad, the Draugas newspaper, are located in Chicago. Major Chicago customs district exports to Lithuania include medical instruments, machinery, computers and electronics. Abbott Laboratories, Draft FCB, Wrigley Jr. Co., Leo Burnett, Havi, Global Solutions, Amcor Flexibles, Kraft Foods, McDonald’s, Spraying systems, and Tenneco Automotiveare among the Chicago area-based companies with offices in Lithuania.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Lithuania’s second capital
By Frank Passic, Albion, Michigan.
When Lithuania came under Russian control in 1795, the Russians did all they could to “Russify” the Lithuanians, but they were continually met with stiff opposition. During the last half of the 19th Century, oppression increased as parochial schools were closed and Lithuanian printed matter was forbidden. Repressive measures were forced upon the people by the Czar, adding to the misery of the Lithuanian nation which already suffered from famine and mass unemployment.
As a result, thousands of Lithuanians fled their homeland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries prior to World War I. Emigration to America eventually totaled 635,000 individuals, approximately 20 percent of the population of Lithuania!
Read more...
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Lithuanian court clears late Andrius Ūsas in notorious paedophilia case
A Vilnius court acquitted late Andrius Ūsas who was charged with molesting a minor.
The court ruled on Friday that the small girl was not abused and that the only way she might have had any sexual experience was during a filmed testimony after being coached by her father, late Drąsius Kedys.
An appeal against the ruling may be filed within 20 days.
Both the prosecutor and the defense lawyer asked the court to clear the defendant of the charges, while representatives of the children's rights watchdog suggested that the ruling note a lack of conclusive evidence to uphold the charges. The lawyer representing the girl asked to find Ūsas guilty.
Read more…
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Kaunas may become European Green Capital of 2015
The competition for the prestigious award in 2015 will involve two cities of the United Kingdom – Bristol and Glasgow, also Brussels (Belgium), Bydgoszcz (Poland), Dublin (Ireland), Kutahya (Turkey) and Ljubljana (Slovenia), writes LETA/ELTA.
"The idea was initiated several years ago by Tallinn and it soon gained momentum. Every year the European Capital of Culture is announced, and now in addition to that we have a different European Green Capital elected every year. Several representatives of different European cities in a meeting in Brussels urged Kaunas to seek the award of the greenest capital in Europe. What is more, foreign guests often note that Kaunas is a very green city," said Kaunas Mayor Andrius Kupcinskas.
The title of the European Green Capital is given to a city leading environment-wise. An international commission of experts technically evaluates the candidates according to 12 criteria: climate change and energy efficiency, sustainable local transport, air quality and noise-pollution, green urban areas and sustainable use of land, nature and biodiversity conservation, waste management, water consumption and sewerage, eco-innovations and sustainable employment, as well as environmental management practice of the local government.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Butkevičius approved
Lithuania's parliament approved Algirdas Butkevicius as prime minister on Thursday, giving the Social Democrat leader 15 days to present a Cabinet and policy program for approval.
Lawmakers voted 90 to 40 with 4 abstentions to appoint Butkevicius, according to a live broadcast from the parliament in the capital, Vilnius. The 141-seat chamber, which convened this week after October elections, currently only has 139 members as ballots in two districts were declared invalid and will be repeated in March.
The premier-designate's Social Democrat party formed a coalition with the Labor Party, the Order & Justice party and the Lithuanian Polish Election Action. President Dalia Grybauskaite, who proposed Butkevicius for the post and must approve the new government's composition, opposes Labor's participation as it is suspected of fraud and voting violations.
Butkevicius, 54, served as finance minister in 2004-2005 and as transportation minister in 2006-2008. Speaking in parliament earlier this week, he quoted U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, saying the new government would seek to be "for the people" by focusing less on fiscal discipline and more on economic stimulus.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
Vilnius
Where old meets new
"Art may be a particularly good medium for distilling and reflecting the characteristics of a nation, but contemplation of it does not give us the vivid and visceral experience of them that we may crave," as Alain de Botton wrote recently in BA’s Highlife magazine.
"We’re learning that what we might really want to do is to talk to people," the philosopher continued, with his usual — and irresistible — knack for nailing ideas so simple you wonder why nobody had nailed them before. "This is remarkably hard."
Our increasing desire for stories, for the sweet sensation of living and breathing a city rather than digesting its historical data, hit me afresh in Vilnius.
Lithuania’s capital is a gem. Its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a European Capital of Culture in 2009. It’s a small place by any measure, but one spilling over with Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance churches, town halls and other buildings.
Yet none of these things puts the hook in me. What puts the hook in me is the moment I wander into a small chapel above the Gate of Dawn to find a wedding underway. An older couple exchanges vows — she in a cream bonnet, he with a bouquet of blooms under his arm and trousers bunching around his ankles. A Handycam is propped atop of the organ.
Beneath vaulted ceilings, a priest in a golden robe takes a step backwards. The couple leans in together and delivers a quick, bird-like kiss. The small crowd around them claps.
And there it is. Interesting and all as the 16th century Gate of Dawn is, or the fact that its famous icon of the Virgin Mary is said to have healing powers, or that Pope John Paul II took time to say the rosary here in 1993, the strongest memory I’m taking away is of that little kiss.
That moment in time. That stolen insight into two Lithuanian lives…
Read more…
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
IBM stops activities at Lithuanian research centre
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has stopped working at a research center it set up with the Lithuanian government in 2010 as the European Union refused to help finance the initiative, Verslo Zinios reported.
IBM put participation in the project on hold several months ago as Lithuania failed to get financing from the EU to match the company’s contributions, the newspaper said, citing Vice Minister of Economy Adomas Audickas.
Lithuania is negotiating with the EU about funding possibilities and with IBM about reducing the government’s commitments, the newspaper cited him as saying.
IBM may cancel its five-year contract with Lithuania by the end of this year if no agreement is reached, Audickas said, according to the newspaper.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
- Posted by - (0) Comment
One of the leading electronics manufacturing services suppliers in Scandinavia – Kitron – will expand its manufacturing facility in Kaunas, Lithuania and invest almost EUR 6 million into this project. The expansion strategy of the Norwegian company in Lithuania encompasses an increase in its production capacity, the creation of 60 new job openings and an improvement to the company‘s revenue by 40 per cent.
In Kaunas, Kitron already produces electronic control systems for high-speed rail vehicles and electric grass mowers, electronic circuits for ultrasound devices, scientific equipment for seabed research, mobile blood test devices, smart grid/automatic meter reading systems and other electronic equipment.
“To win this expansion project, Lithuania competed with the US, Norway and China, all of which are well-known to Norwegian investors as countries where they have already established manufacturing facilities. Our country was chosen because of its convenient location for logistics, the low costs of labour, and the resources to ensure production quality. Since the Norwegian company also supplies its goods to the defence and medical equipment industries, qualitative criteria were important to the decision on location,”- said the Managing Director of Kitron Lithuania Mindaugas Sestokas.
- Bookmark :
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Stumbleupon
- Redit it
OPINIONS
Have your say. Send to:
editor@VilNews.com
Ph. D., Chicago
A wave of unity sweeps the international Lithuanian community on March 11th every year as Lithuanians celebrated the anniversary of the Lithuanian Parliament's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. However, the sense of national unity engendered by the celebration could be short-lived.
Human beings have a strong tendency to overgeneralize and succumb to stereotypical us-them distinctions that can shatter even the strongest bonds. We need only search the internet to find examples of divisive thinking at work:
- "Those who fled Lithuania during World II were cowards -- and now they come back, flaunt their wealth, and tell us 'true Lithuanians' how to live."
- "Lithuanians who work abroad have abandoned their homeland and should be deprived of their Lithuanian citizenship."
In Lithuania Christmas Eve is a family event and the New Year's Eve a great party with friends!
Lithuanian say "Kaip sutiksi naujus metus, taip juos ir praleisi" (the way you'll meet the new year is the way you will spend it). So everyone is trying to spend New Year's Eve with friend and have as much fun as possible.
Lithuanian New Year's traditions are very similar to those in other countries, and actually were similar since many years ago. Also, the traditional Lithuanian New Years Eve party was very similar to other big celebrations throughout the year.
The New Year's Eve table is quite similar to the Christmas Eve table, but without straws under the tablecloth, and now including meat dishes. A tradition that definitely hasn't changes is that everybody is trying not to fell asleep before midnight. It was said that if you oversleep the midnight point you will be lazy all the upcoming year. People were also trying to get up early on the first day of the new year, because waking up late also meant a very lazy and unfortunate year.
During the New Year celebration people were dancing, singing, playing games and doing magic to guess the future. People didn't drink much of alcohol, especially was that the case for women.
Here are some advices from elders:
- During the New Year, be very nice and listen to relatives - what you are during New Year Eve, you will be throughout the year.
- During to the New Year Eve, try not to fall, because if this happens, next year you will be unhappy.
- If in the start of the New Year, the first news are good - then the year will be successful. If not - the year will be problematic.
* If New Year's night is cold and starry - look forward to a good summer!
* If the during New Year Eve trees are covered with frost - then it will be a good year. If it is wet weather on New Year's Eve, one can expect a year where many will die and dangerous epidemics occur.
* If the first day of the new year is snowy - the upcoming year will see many young people die. If the night is snowy - mostly old people will die.
* If the New Year time is cold - then Easter will be warm.
* If during New Year there are a lot of birds in your homestead - then all year around there will be many guests and the year will be fun.
Christmas greetings
from Vilnius
and epic battle for the
future
Philosopher, political theorist, historian of
ideas, social analyst, and political
commentator
Ukraine was and continues to be perceived by the EU political class as a sort of grey zone with its immense potential and possibilities for the future, yet deeply embedded and trapped in No Man's Land with all of its troubled past, post-Soviet traumas, ambiguities, insecurities, corruption, social divisions, and despair. Why worry for what has yet to emerge as a new actor of world history in terms of nation-building, European identity, and deeper commitments to transparency and free market economy?
Right? Wrong. No matter how troubled Ukraine's economic and political reality could be, the country has already passed the point of no return. Even if Vladimir Putin retains his leverage of power to blackmail Ukraine and the West in terms of Ukraine's zero chances to accede to NATO due to the problems of territorial integrity, occupation and annexation of Crimea, and mayhem or a frozen conflict in the Donbas region, Ukraine will never return to Russia's zone of influence. It could be deprived of the chances to join NATO or the EU in the coming years or decades, yet there are no forces on earth to make present Ukraine part of the Eurasia project fostered by Putin.
want to learn about the
new, scary propaganda
war between Russia,
The West and the
Baltic States!
believe their government
is corrupt
students say no to
bribes for doctors
During Soviet times, government was administered for the people in control, not for the local population, court decisions were decreed, they were not the administration of justice, and academia was the domain of ideologues. 25 years of freedom and openness should have put those bad experiences behind Lithuania, but that is not so.
Today, it is a matter of expectation that court pronouncements will be governed by ideological dictates. Few, if any Lithuanians expect real justice to be effected. For foreign companies, doing business in Lithuania is almost impossible in a situation where business people do not expect rule of law, so, surely Government would be a refuge of competence?
Lithuanian Government has not emerged from Soviet styles. In an attempt to devolve power, Lithuania has created a myriad of fiefdoms of power, each speaking in the name of the Government, each its own centralized power base of ideology.
Chepstow, Wales
Doesn't that sound suspiciously like Lithuania? Ah, but I didn't mention the mountains of Snowdonia, which would give the game away.
I'm talking about Wales, that part of the UK which Lithuanians used to call "Valija", but later named "Velsas" (why?). Wales, the nation which has welcomed two Lithuanian heads of state to its shores - firstly Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, who has paid several visits and, more recently, President Dalia Grybauskaitė who attended the 2014 NATO summit which was held in Newport, South Wales.
ENGLISH VERSION OF THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF VYTAUTAS LANDSBERGIS.
Although Lithuanian activities have thinned over the decades as that postwar generation died out, the Lithuanian Martyrs' parish hall is crowded with many, many hundreds of visitors who come to the Lithuanian cemetery for All Souls' Day. Similarly, the Franciscan parish has standing room only for Christmas Eve mass.
Although I am firmly embedded in the literary culture of Canada, my themes are usually Lithuanian, and I'll be in Kaunas and Vilnius in mid-November 2015 to give talks about the Lithuanian translations of my novels and short stories, which I write in English.
If you have the Lithuanian language, come by to one of the talks listed in the links below. And if you don't, you can read more about my work at
www.anatanassileika.com
http://www.vdu.lt/lt/rasytojas-antanas-sileika-pristatys-savo-kuryba/ https://leu.lt/lt/lf/lf_naujienos/kvieciame-i-rasytojo-59hc.html
"My love and best wishes to all. As long as VilNews exists, there is hope for the future,"" she writes.
Irena Veisaite means very much for our publication, and we do hereby thank her for the support and wise commitment she always shows.
You can read our interview with her
Facing a new reality
Dear readers of VilNews,
For a number of years, the EU and Russia had assumed the existence of a strategic partnership, based on the convergence of values, economic integration and increasingly open markets and a modernisation agenda for society.
Our agenda was positive and ambitious. We looked at Russia as a country ready to converge with "European values", a country likely to embrace both the basic principles of democratic government and a liberal concept of the world order. It was believed this would bring our relations to a new level, covering the whole spectrum of the EU's strategic relationship with Russia.
The likelihood of Putin
invading Lithuania
.jpg "lithuania today")
Founding Director at Summer Literary Seminars
Are all Lithuanian energy
problems now resolved?
Lithuania as a country does not have significant energy resources. Energy consuming infrastructure after WWII was small and totally supported by energy imports from Russia.
First nuclear reactor begins power generation at Ignalina in 1983, the second reactor in 1987. Iganlina generates enough electricity to cover Lithuania's needs and about 50%.for export. As, prerequisite for membership in EU, Ignalina ceases all nuclear power generation in 2009
The Klaipėda Sea terminal begins Russia's oil export operations in 1959 and imports in 1994.
Mazeikiu Nafta (current ORLEAN Lietuva) begins operation of oil refinery in 1980.
Have Lithuanian ties across
the Baltic Sea become
stronger in recent years?
The two decades that have passed since regaining Lithuania's independence can be described as a "building boom". From the wreckage of a captive Soviet republic, a generation of Lithuanians have built a modern European state, and are now helping construct a Nordic-Baltic community replete with institutions intended to promote political coordination and foster a trans-Baltic regional identity. Indeed, a "Nordic-Baltic community" - I will explain later in my text the meaning of this catch-phrase.
Since the restoration of Lithuania's independence 25 years ago, we have continuously felt a strong support from Nordic countries. Nordics in particular were among the countries supporting Lithuania's and Baltic States' striving towards independence. Take example of Iceland, country which recognized Lithuania in February of 1991, well in advance of other countries. Yet another example - Swedish Ambassador was the first ambassador accredited to Lithuania in 1991. The other countries followed suit. When we restored our statehood, Nordic Countries became champions in promoting Baltic integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. To large degree thanks Nordic Countries, massive transformations occurred in Lithuania since then, Lithuania became fully-fledged member of the EU and NATO, and we joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2015.
Have you heard about the
South African "Pencil Test"?
But that is exactly what happened to me when I came back from South Africa. I will tell you how.
VilNews e-magazine is published in Vilnius, Lithuania. Editor-in-Chief: Mr. Aage Myhre. Inquires to the editors: editor@VilNews.com.
Code of Ethics: See Section 2 – about VilNews. VilNews is not responsible for content on external links/web pages.
HOW TO ADVERTISE IN VILNEWS.
All content is copyrighted © 2011. UAB ‘VilNews’.