THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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Opinions
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The trampling of
Lithuania’s history
Many Lithuanian historians continually choose not to understand, appreciate, and respect the impact and grandeur of Lithuanian history.
READ this article by Jon Platakis
To read comments, go to our
SECTION 5 – SPEAKERS’ CORNER
Boris Bakunas This article needs to go viral! I shared it on my FB page, and I urge all others to read it and share it as well. Astounding, Jon!
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Bartłomiej Kolubiński I’m Polish. I have a great respect for the people and Lithuanian history. That’s why, I is not easy to read, that you may treat the 400 years our common history as your occupation. It was the most successful period in the history of our two nations (as always, there were also some difficult issues). Please, visit Krakow. Lithuania-origin kings were living there and created one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is mainly, you Lithuanians, who did it.
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Jon Platakis And I have great respect for the Poles and their history. One must remember, however, that during a half century of Soviet occupation, Poland was given much more freedom than the Baltic states. It is during this period that Poland was able to disseminate their versions of Lithuanian history while Lithuania was wiped off the map. I certainly do not hold the Polish people of today accountable for what happened 5 or 6 hundred years ago, but in some nationalistic Polish circles the subordination of Lithuanian history to Poland exists.
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A crucial letter from the Middle Ages changes the interpretation of the history of Lithuania on an essential point
SVEN EKDAHL is Assistant Professor of History at Gothenburg University and Professor of Medieval History at the Polish-Scandinavian Research Institute in Copenhagen. He has published extensively on the history of the Teutonic Order in Prussia as well as treated Polish, Baltic, and Scandinavian themes.
Read more...
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Klaipėda crisis centre for women –
a pioneering example for such centres worldwide?
I love that Lithuanians feel strongly enough about stopping violence against women by building a beautiful haven for abused women to heal in
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Poland and Lithuania were amongst the worst for child abuse, violence against women and homophobia
______________________________
Huge achievement ♥
______________________________
Wonderful concept!
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FROM JANUARY 2006 Opposition leader Andrius Kubilius “LITHUANIA NEEDS A VISIONARY STRATEGY” |
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See our new, old articles at
Section 4 – FROM OUR ARCHIVES
Never say never, said R. Paksas in 2005. He was seemingly right…
VilNews will over the coming weeks present some of our older articles, from 2004 and later, in our Section 4. In our last issue we presented a handful of politicians, including a few current. Among them was ex-President Rolandas Paksas who in 2005 was impeached for alleged ties to Russian businessmen, and had to leave Lithuania's highest office.
We've received two comments:
Julie Minkunas Banionis Who would trust a guy who gives Lithuania's national security info to Russia? Why on earth is he allowed to run for office? I think it's a waste of intelligence (no pun intended) to even spend a facebook posting on your site about this traitor. yucko! :-(
Vyto Be In retrospect: if you impeach, do it properly or don't do it. Now the question always remains if he would have been better than those that came after him...
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14 October:
Are these men the political leaders that Lithuania needs?
Algirdas Butkevičius
Social Democrats
14,2%
Viktor Uspaskich
Labour Party
13,3%
Rolandas Paksas
Order and Justice
11,2%
Andrius Kubilius
Homeland Union
8,5%
Eligijus Masiulis
Liberal Movement
6,1%
Artūras Zuokas
TAIP (YES)
4,5%
The six political parties / leaders above are likely to gain support as shown according to a poll from June on the website www.delfi.lt
editor@Vilnews.com
Bill Stankunavicius
Dear Aage,What a choice of leaders?Kubilius is certainly not too popular as a leader, Viktor U.would be a great surprise,even in Moscow. Paksas, been there done that...recycle a discredited, untruthful person? Masiulis, questions that seem not to go away...how did his personal & family wealth grow so much and quickly since he entered the Seimas and the Ministry? That leaves Mr.Z and Mr.B. Mr.Z. known by all, and Mr. B. a unknown quantity and quality? Sad line up for such a intelligent, cultured country.Balys
Karl Altau
ugh!
Meecolas Goudialis
If anything they should have been gone a long time ago!!! Somewhere around 1991!!!!!!
Daiva Repeckaite
How boring - all are men.
Riina Ailio
I don't know about others, but Artūras Zuokas is the Future.
Giedrius Gražulis
Andrius Kubilius (Homeland Union) is the most reliable leader. I believe in him.
Riina Ailio
Ahaaa! If so then God save the Kubilius.
Jurate Pupacchiotta Pasekaite
non of them :-( we need new faces, competent people, left-wing people, anti neo-liberalist people.
Giedrius Gražulis
PM Andrius Kubilius (Homeland Union).
Bernard Terway
Where are the women? Lithuanian women are beautiful, smart and should be in the running also.
Rasa Snipiene
Jei iš šitų šešių, tai A. Kubilius...
Lukiškių Aikštė : A Monumental Tribute to Lithuania
Kubilius!
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Not all civil servants
are crooks or fools
Kestutis J. Eidukonis
about Lithuania year 2012
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Parlamentarians, and their families, should be the first to be checked for “Unusual increase of wealth”
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Balys Stankevicius
Excellent article. I too have seen and experienced the situation in Lithuania. May I add, all the dealings I have had with civil servants recently have been exceptionally pleasant. The staff have been most helpful, friendly and efficient. The biggest problem ,I believe, is corruption of Ministers, and their deputies. Examination of their true wealth acquired ,since becoming ministers, would be a start...Ministers and Parlamentarians, and their families, should be the first to be checked for "Unusual increase of wealth" since entering "Service". I am amazed that people holding public office can do as they please, without any legal or judicial control. The Soviet system of "Party" immunity must cease. Law makers must be the first to respect and keep the laws.
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Kestutis J. Eidukonis makes an excellent point
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Boris Bakunas
Kestutis J. Eidukonis makes an excellent point when he observes that it is a mistake to claim all government officials and civil servants in Lithuania are dishonest and corrupt. To make a statement containing such words as "all" or "every" is a common logical fallacy. Absolute statements are gross overgeneralizations, one of many cognitive distortions that lead to emotional upset. And they are very easy to disprove. As William James, the dean of American psychologists pointed out, it is very easy to disprove the statement "All crows are black." Just show one albino crow.
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Carol Luschas, Pennsylvania, USA
New ideas for
Lithuania?
Now this small Baltic Republic must look towards itself to inspire a new generation to have a sense of national pride, spirit, and above all hope for the future. The country needs to believe that giving back is ultimately about serving others and having a positive impact on people's happiness, health and well-being.
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Harley Felstein, chair and founder of the Sunflower Project in USA, hits back:
Zygimantas Pavilionis, Lithuanian ambassador to the U.S. (left),
and Harley Felstein of the Lithuanian Heritage Project
I have been under tremendous personal attack in certain press circles during the past month. The attack issues are mean-spirited and unwarranted
See also:
https://vilnews.com/?p=9949
https://vilnews.com/?p=13081
My fellow colleagues of Lithuanian descent, I would like to thank you for your staunch and unwaivering support over the past 18 months. My family’s documented roots in Lithuania trace back to the 1700’s, in and around the small town of Rokishkis in northeast Lithuania. As the chair and founder of the Sunflower Project, whose mission is to bridge and reconnect the Lithuanian people with the Jewish community of Lithuanian descent, I knew from the outset that to make progress and re-connect our deep roots was going to be a tremendous challenge.
As you maybe aware, I have been under tremendous personal attack in certain press circles during the past month. The attack issues are mean-spirited and unwarranted. The allegations have included that I have no connection to Lithuania (false), that I don’t know anything about Jewish cemeteries and their maintenance (despite my having worked in the funeral industry and in Jewish cemetery management for over 40 years professionally) or that somehow I am a “agent” of the Lithuanian government (absurdly false) as I am an independent volunteer who has been made aware of a need, and with others of like mind, am seeking to create an atmosphere of positive change.
You know the historical roots between the Lithuania and Jewish people are very deep - going back to between the 12th and 13th centuries. Those very roots can be re-established. But we need patience. We need understanding. We need reconnection. Focusing on death, deportation and destruction without a thoughtful view forward with steps towards reconciliation will simply make estrangement deeper. Yes, there’s a terribly painful past to acknowledge (much of which was suppressed in the years of Soviet domination) but there’s also a better future to envision – particularly as Lithuania accepts the responsibility of its incoming term Chairing the European Union
The Sunflower Project understands these mechanisms. We have already held successful events such as the first North American Joint Chanukah/ Kucios celebration last December at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington, DC, with members of the greater Washington DC Jewidsh and Lithuanian communities in attendance. And we are planning new events for the fall and winter. The Sunflower Project understands how welcoming the atmosphere is during these events. Please note, there are two concerts being planned—one in Washington DC and one in Chicago which will highlight Jewish and Lithuanian musical traditions.
Therefore, please continue your support for the Sunflower Project. Please reach out to your neighbors and engage in constructive dialogue. Please feel free to write to me (harleyfelstein@yahoo.com) and let me know your thoughts.
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Greetings from Great Britain:
Lietuva is the best country in all the world for four reasons:
Read more...
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SPEAKERS CORNER!
Good debate and response from readers has always been a very important part of VilNews. Section 5 here in the e-magazine is devoted to this purpose, and we encourage all our readers to share their views and comments on various topics having to do with Lithuania and Lithuanian matters around the world - be it commenting our VilNews articles or other topics.
Send your letters to
editor@VilNews.com
TOPIC 1:
Holocaust in Lithuania
A reader in the USA wrote the following one-sentence ‘letter’ to the editor of VilNews:
"May Lithuania rot in hell for a 1000 years."
This ‘letter’ resulted in several posts and comments from our readers around the world. We in the editorial team have been very impressed by how informative and balanced most of the posts have been.
It is this kind of open, intelligent debate that is needed to build bridges across the gap that emerged in the relationship between Jews and Lithuanians during and after World War II.
Read the posts…
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TOPIC 3:
People who think that those who left Lithuania had a comfortable life, are sadly mistaken
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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.
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