Latvia plays Germany on May 6 and Italy on May 8 before taking on the Czech Republic on May 10, Norway on May 12, Denmark on May 14 and host country Sweden on May 15. The top four teams from each group move to the quarterfinals. That means the games against the weaker countries Germany, Denmark, Norway and Italy are key. The last team in each group gets relegated.
Kaspars Daugavins and Oskars Bartulis are the only two with recent NHL experience and Bartulis spent all of this past season with the Philadelphia Flyers AHL farm team the Adirondack Phantom. Thirteen of the 25 players on the roster are from the KHL Dinamo Riga squad. One other is from a KHL team. The rest are drawn from various European teams including four who play locally in Latvia with HK Riga in the MHL (the KHL’s junior league) or Liepajas Metalurgs in the Belarus League.
The story this year is the how the squad which has limited talent compared to the big guns will respond to Canadian coach Ted Nolan who has a wealth of coaching experience in North America including the NHL, AHL and Canada’s Major Junior hockey. Nolan was quick to impart his style of play - a more physical game where forwards need to pick up their defensive assignment and the results of exhibition games against Denmark, the Czech Republic, Russia and France looked promising including a win against Russia.
As usual, a few thousand boisterous Latvian hockey fans have arrived in Stockholm to cheer on their team.
The IIHF updates their power rankings every few days. A tongue in cheek commentary on each of the teams that is worth a chuckle. Check it out at http://www.iihf.com/competition/272/homeiihf/power-ranking.html Latvia is ranked 12th and realistically will finish between 9th and 12th although Nolan and the Latvian Hockey Federation (LHF) have set a quarter-final top 8 finish as the goal, something that Latvia has accomplished on more than one occasion. Here’s hoping!
]]>Martin Sixsmith’s new book “Russia: A 1,000 Year chronicle of the Wild East” presents an interesting observation in the introduction. He thought, like many, that 1991 marked the end of an autocratic system in Russia - to be replaced by democracy and related freedoms. He then states that he and anyone who believed that were foolish and had ignored Russia’s history.
Sixsmith discusses “silnaya ruka” - the iron fist of centralized power & refers to polling of Russians - over a 20 yr. period. 40-45% of Russians consistently believe that Russia must be ruled by silnaya ruka and another 20-30% claim that this is indeed necessary at times.
The desire or need for an iron fist of centralized power need not be debated here. That’s not the point.
The question that I pose - from a theoretical standpoint - relates to Russian ethic minorities in Latvia and the question of citizenship. If the underlying premise is right - that Russians believe in autocratic rule - then how does this impact bringing Russians into the Latvian political system and should it?
Latvia has generally looked to the West at democratic states. Of course, there was the Ulmanis issue - which might simply fall into the category of post-depression nationalism (that occurred throughout Western Europe).
So, do you leave the ethnic minority disenfranchised, but with individual freedom of speech in tact? I realize that this solution would not be a move towards conciliation, but…
Also, is this something that must be emphasized in discussions with the West re the ethnic minority issue?
Does Latvia need an active voice for silnaya ruka or should it be precluded? I understand that there may be Latvians who hold this position as well.
Looking forward to reading your comments.
]]>OVERVIEW: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_syndrome
FUTURE CONCERNS: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singendo_index.html
REMEDIES: http://worldtruth.tv/how-to-test-for-metals-poisoning-and-remove-heavy-metals-from-your-body-2/
PS.i have written to admin, regarding the apparent whitewashing of this topic, still waiting for a reply. (eg. orders from above, complaints from the community, call from the Embassy…)
PSS. Can Latvia afford a newclear power station next door, Lithuania, so much to answer for.
]]>1. For our financial untergang (demise) we may thank our banks, with the Scandinavian banks in the lead.
2. For our economical untergang we may thank our political parties, which are in essence corporate SIAs taking advantage of a law that allows a corporation to present itself before the law as an individual with all of an individual’s rights.
3. Our spiritual untergang is the result of Latvians having been forced some centuries ago to abandon their Gods, especially Saule and Jānis, and accept as their “religion” a foreign import from a Nevernever heaven. Indeed, the native Latvian’s self-sacrificial brother (brālis) and God Jānis (John), whose Feast occurs on Midsummers Eve, has been belittled and denied, and his feast day has been turned into a day for picnics and, no less, as a day for drunks. No institution (least of all neo-Christianity) is interested in returning Johns Eve to its original meaning, that is, a religious celebration. One institutional exception is the police. However, the reasons for the interest of the latter is to try reduce the carnage on Latvia’s roads due to drunk driving.
This blogger has been arguing for some time that the Latvian Gods Saule and Jānis (the former a mother figure, the latter her son) belong to a prehistoric religion, which we may call arch-Christianity. Saule’s daughters (meitas) are of course also Saule’s priestesses. John-Jānis is of course Saule’s priest. Women’s and men’s folk dresses still illustrate how these priests and priesteses dressed. Because these Gods and their Children (ordinary Latvian men and women) celebrated Johns Eve at Midsummer’s solstice, a time when many of the grasses are in bloom, Johns Day was known also as Zāļu Vakars (Eve of the Grasses, Krautabend in then mostly German Riga).
The current Latvian government in cooperation with the authorities in Brussels and elsewhere is exterminating Latvian small farm expertise in agriculture and decimating the ranks of small farmers by denying them crops that would enable them to survive. As a result, the Latvian countryside is experiencing a demographic crash. Latvian country people cannot survive under the puritanical yoke of its oppressive post-Soviet government, which is allegedly democratic, but exercises its formal powers against the interests of the people of Latvia.
One of the ways the Latvian President, the Saeima, its ministers, and the police (their executive arm) work against their people is to ban all healing grasses—if not explicitly, then implicitly—under the label of narcotics. Only the government with its overpowering neo-Christian bias is given the right to determine which of the healing grasses are not narcotics. This is how a traditional herb, known by Latvians as kaņepe (cannabis), which was used for its strong fiber as rope and packing sacks, for healing farm animals, and drunk at home as kaņepu tēja (cannabis tea) has been banned as a narcotic with allegedly hideous side effects. Moreover, the issue is presented as if there is no way for a government to institute an intelligent program of use for this herb, which—contrary to government and media propaganda—can contribute significantly to Latvia’s economy.
For one, cannabis is smoked mostly by youths, yet its traditional use in Latvia was as tea. In a poverty-stricken nation, where most of the elderly people cannot afford expensive medicines, cannabis tea serves not only to decrease physical pains and aches, but also to lower stress and a sense of isolation. It is a help to cancer patients in preventing nausea from treatment. There ought to be no obstacles in preventing the tourist industry to advertise “Johns tea”, while educating the public that this is the desirable way of consuming this relaxant. To maximize the economically beneficial effects from kaņepe containing THC, the government may limit the amount of land (say, 0.25 hectars) used in growing the plant. This would certainly be sufficient for home use and enough to entertain tourists on the farm the year round. As for policing the restrictions, the economic benefits should more than pay for it.
The Latvian government must reverse the laws against the growing of kaņepes (cannabis) on Latvian farms. This is the only way countryside people will be able to survive the catastrophic decline in the price of agricultural products and still keep the countryside populated by people living their lives above poverty, not to mention provide farmers’ with the wherewithal to educate their children. http://tinyurl.com/bzswbx
[See http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com for complete blog.]
]]>http://www.marketwatch.com/story/can-latvia-be-trusted-by-nato-2012-05-15
Andrejs
]]>Sorry, to bother everyone again, but any suggestions would be very welcome.
]]>Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Dates: June 13th-15th, 2012
Symposium Agenda
The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Geneva will be held parallel to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and will focus on the importance of sustainable development to the future of developed and developing countries. The conference will offer perspectives on how cultural diplomacy policies can assist in strengthening existing and future sustainable development policies and, in particular, how cultural diplomacy practices are necessary to express and mediate the rationale behind investment in sustainable development during this challenging period.
Symposium Speakers
Speakers during the conference will include leading figures and experts from international politics, academia, diplomacy, civil society and the private sector from across the world.
A Selection of Speakers for Symposia including:
Dr. Catherine Ferrier
Coordinator Certificate of Advanced Studies in Corporate Social Responsibility, University of Geneva
Cecile Molinier
Director, UNDP Office in Geneva
Clemens Boonekamp
Director, Agriculture and Commodities Division, World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Deborah Vorhies
Managing Director, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
Doaa Abdel Motaal
Advisor to the Head of the World Trade Organization
Gérard Biraud
Former Chairman, Joint Inspection Unit, United Nations
Haibing Ma
China Program Manager &, Chief Representative in China, Worldwatch Institute
Heiner Studer
Former Member of the Swiss National Parliament
Ivan Ureta
Professor, Geneva School of Diplomacy
Jon-Hans Coetzer
General Manager, Geneva School of Diplomacy
H.E. Amb. Luvuyo Ndimeni
Deputy Permanant Representative of South Africa to the United Nations
Mario Apostolov
Regional Adviser, UNECE Trade
Hon. Noemi Sanin Posada
Former Minister Foreign Affairs, Columbia
Dr. Philipp Krueger
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Geneva Finance Research Institute, University of Geneva
Ronald Derks
Focal Point World Alliance of Cities against Poverty, UNDP
The Hon. Rufus Yerxa
Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Thérèse de Saint Phalle
Deputy-Registrar, International Court of Justice
Participants
Participants will include young professionals, students and academics, representatives from politics, diplomats, practitioners from the civil society and the private sector, Media representatives and other individuals with an active interest in the Program’s themes.
Participation Cost
The participation cost for the program is 195 Euros. If offered a place in the conference, applicants are then required to transfer the participation cost to reserve their position. The ICD is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization and the Participation Cost goes towards the cost of developing and running the program. Please note that the participation cost does not cover accommodation, and meals.
For more information please visit: icd-international-symposium-geneva (dot) org
]]>Location: the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin, Germany
Dates: June 20th-22nd, 2012
Symposium Agenda
The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy & International Economics will provide a forum to examine the factors contributing to economic and political inequality both on a global and a particularized scale, identify trends and propose solutions. Economic, political and cultural conditions leading to the development of the current situation will be assessed both at the national and supranational level, with a particular focus on the influence of corporations and powerful individuals, and the function of international organisations and the European Union as venues for decision-making beyond nation states.
Symposium Speakers
The program will consist of lectures, seminars, debates and panel discussions that will feature leading figures from the media, international politics & diplomacy, academia, civil society, and the private sector.
A Selection of Speakers for Symposia include:
Alberto J. Verme
Chairman, Europe, Middle East and Africa Banking, Citibank (tbc)
The Hon. Alfred Moisiu
4th President, Republic of Albania (2002-2007)
The Hon. Dr. Alfredo Palacio
Former President, Republic of Ecuador (2005 - 2007)
Charles Davis
Vice President Strategy & NBO, Delhaize Group
Claus Fischer
Head of B2B Business, Austrian Mint
Christian Reinaudo
President of the Agfa HealthCare business group (tbc)
Christiane Nickel
Head of Section in our Fiscal Policies Division, European Central Bank
Diwakar Gupta
Managing Director & CFO of State Bank of India (tbc)
Prof. Dr. Elio Borgonovi
Professor of Economics, Bocconi University & Founding Member (EURAM), Board Member (EQUIS), Scientific Board Member (EQUAL)
Prof. Fabrizio Onida
Professor of Economics, Bocconi University
Francesco Papadia
Director General for Market Operations, European Central Bank
Prof. Franco Bruni
Professor of Economics, Bocconi University
The Hon. Frederik Willem de Klerk
Former President, Republic of South Africa (1989-1994)
Gerard Korteweg
Senior Adviser in Directorate General Economics, European Central Bank
The Hon. Yasar Yakis
Former Foreign Minister of Turkey
Participants
Participants will include young professionals, students and academics, representatives from politics, diplomats, practitioners from the civil society and the private sector, Media representatives and other individuals with an active interest in the Program’s themes.
Participation Cost
The participation cost for the program is 195 Euros. If offered a place in the program, applicants are then required to transfer the participation cost to reserve their position. The ICD is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization and the Participation Cost goes towards the cost of developing and running the program.
For more information please visit: iscdie (dot) org
]]>
Location: the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin, Germany
Dates: June 1st - 4th, 2012
Symposium Agenda
The 2012 International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin will focus on analysing the current global situation and will offer innovative strategies to promote greater access to human rights and to equalize the process of globalization, while using the practice of cultural diplomacy as a tool to enhance these processes.
Symposium Speakers
The speakers during the conference will include leading figures and experts from international politics, academia, the diplomatic community, civil society and the private sector, from across the world. These speakers will include a number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board.
A Selection of Speakers for Symposia include:
Dr. Alberto Iglesias Garzón
Economist, Member of Parliament (Izquierda Unida), Spain,
Instituto de derechos humanos Bartolomé de las Casas-Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Bernard M Ngoepe
President, The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Catherine Casey
West Africa Manager, Acumen Fund
David Smith
Africa Correspondent, The Guardian
Elsa Stamatopoulou
Professor, Columbia University & Former Director of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, New York Office
Hassan Shire Sheikh
Coordinator of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
Jacqui Hunt
Director, Equality Now, London Office
Justice Augustino S. L. Ramadhani
Chief Justice of the United Republic of Tanzania
Katlijn Malfliet
Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Leuven
Seyran Ates
German Lawyer and Author
Steven Shapiro
Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union
Prof. Dr. Surya P. Subedi O.B.E.
Professor of International Law, University of Leeds, UN Special Rapporteur for Cambodia
Participants
Participants will include young professionals, students and academics, representatives from politics, diplomats, practitioners from the civil society and the private sector, Media representatives and other individuals with an active interest in the Program’s themes.
Participation Cost
The participation cost for the program is 195 Euros. If offered a place in the program, applicants are then required to transfer the participation cost to reserve their position. The ICD is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization and the Participation Cost goes towards the cost of developing and running the program.
For more information please visit: icd-internationalsymposium (dot) org
]]>“The deportations and the Soviet policies toward the Latvians—while tragic—don’t even come close to the Holocaust.”
Although major atrocities cannot be compared, one cannot dismiss Latvia’s historic plight as “tragic.” What percentage of Latvians were killed or suffered serious injury? What percentage were deported? What percentage of the deported survived deportation? What percentage of Latvia’s population went into exile as the Soviets were returning to occupy Latvia?
What happened to the Latvian population during 50 yrs of occupation? What happened to the ability to manage, lead, the ability to make decisions?)
There is not a single Latvian that can’t point to atrocities that affected their family.
There is NO better or worse than the Holocaust.
My point still stands - Everyone needs to give Latvians and others time to get over the emotional element of its history. The Jews carry along the Holocaust. To think that Latvians will NOT or SHOULD NOT carry their history is naive and ignores human nature.
As a first generation Latvian in the US, who has had all of the advantages of growing up in the US, I continue to have strong feelings about about the fact that my parents’ families left Latvia with one or two suitcases and had to start life in a foreign place. This is my tie with Latvia. Am I to forget this and simply assimilate in the American melting pot?
PLEASE - no discussion re comparing atrocities is necessary or appropriate. No one can simply dismiss the pain suffered by others and simply say “get over it.”
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