June 06, 2012
Youth camp 2x2, a camp in the US for primarily North American Latvian youths is scheduled from December 27th 2012 to January 2nd 2013 in Malibu, California. This will be the 4th 2x2 camp to be held since the movement was rejuvenated in 2006. Originally started in 1964 and active until 1996 this movement had experienced a lull for a decade before Aivars Osvalds, a former 2x2 member decided it was time to recreate the atmosphere of previous years.
The focus of this camp is on promoting activism among Latvian youth in North America with the view to make clear succession in Latvian community life - that eventually they will be taking over the reins. Topics for discussion have been Latvian politics, “latvietība”, the options for youth from North America to relocate to Latvia for various lengths of time, ways of expressing your sense of being a Latvian.
Serious discussions are always offset with less brain-stressing acitivities - folk dancing, jewelry making, Latvian cooking, singing and a fun-packed evening programme.
Guest speakers from Latvia over the past years have been writer and playwright Māra Zālīte, journalist Jānis Domburs, journalist Eva Ikstena-Strapcāne, and a host of former emigre Latvians who now reside in Latvia: Māris Graudiņš, Dainis Mjartāns, Andris Gobiņš among others. This year’s 2x2 guest speakers will be singer Renārs Kaupers, politician Raivis Dzintars and former Diena editor and Minister of Culture, Sarmīte Ēlerte.
For more information on 2x2 have a look at the 2x2 website
Daina Gross is editor of Latvians Online. An Australian-Latvian she is also Chair of the Education Board of the World Federation of Free Latvians and the translator into English of various books on industrial history in Latvia.
2x2 group photo at the 2006 camp in West Virginia.
