LELBA Jaunatnes nozares “Priecīgas pēdas” izdales brauciens sācies

Daina Grosa | 

15. jūnijā ar dievkalpojumu Rīgas Jēzus baznīcā sākās nedēļu garš brauciens 11 jauniešiem no Amerikas, Kanadas un Austrālijas, ko rīko Latviešu ev. lut. baznīcas Amerikā Jaunatnes nozare. Jaunatnes nozari vada māc. Dags Demandts, kurš kalpo Mineapoles un St. Paulas draudzē, ASV. Nedēļas laikā līdz 22. jūnijam iecerēts pāri par 300 jaunu apavu izdalīt trūcīgām ģimenēm Kurzemē.

Līdzekļi  apavu iegādei pēdējā pusgada laikā saziedoti  īpašās līdzekļu vākšanas akcijās – ‘walk-a-thon’ un `bike-a-thon’ pasākumos , ko rīkojušas latviešu draudzes ASV, Kanadā un Austrālijā. Pasākumos plašākā sabiedrība atbalstījusi dalībniekus vai nu ziedojot naudu par katru dalībnieka nosoļoto/nobraukto kilometru vai arī noziedota zināma summa šim mērķim.

„Priecīgas pēdas” labdarības projekta idejas autori ir 2013. gada Garezera vasaras vidusskolas (GVV) 3. klases audzēkņi. Šis jau ir ceturtais labdarības projekts, kas rīkots Latvijā: pirmais bija Ziemassvētku projekts 2008. gadā, tam divus gadus vēlāk sekoja divriteņu projekts ‘Lai rit!’ 2010. gadā un 2012. gadā notika labdarības projekts „Būsim gudri!”

Līdzekļu vākšanas pasākumi notika 15 pilsētās, galvenokārt Ziemeļamerikā, sākot ar 2013.g. novembra mēnesi līdz 2014. g. jūnijam. ‘’Walk-a-thon’’ pasākumi notika Mineapolē, Denverā, Filadelfijā, Sietlā, Vašingtonā, Demoinā, Indianapolē, Kalamazū, Lansingā un Milvokos (ASV), Otavā, Hamiltonā un Toronto (CAN), un „Bike-a-thon” tika rīkots Melburnā (AUS).

Kopā ieņemtie līdzekļi līdz šim ir $45 000 USD. Pa šo naudu tika iegādāti jauni apavi gan ASV (1/3 no kopīgā skaita), gan Latvijā (2/3). Tos izdalīs 15 izdales vietās Kurzemē: gan luterāņu un baptistu draudzēs, bērnu namos, internātpamatskolās un pamatskolās.

Izdales maršruts ir sekojošs:  15. jūnijā  Rudbāržos;  16. jūnijā Vaiņodē, Paplakā un Bārtā; 17. jūnijā Nīcā, Rucavā; 18. jūnijā Cīravā, Valtaiķos un Kazdangas Māteru Jura pamatskolā; 19. jūnijā Snēpelē, Pelču speciālā internātpamatskolā; 20. jūnijā Piltenē, Kolkā; 21. Jūnijā Strazdē, Nāriņciemā; 22. jūnijā Talsos.

Izdales komandā ir 11 personas: projekta vadītājs mācītājs Dāgs Demandts (ASV-MN), Edija Banka-Demandta (ASV-MN), Kristīne Ģiga (ASV-MN), Aina Budrevics (CAN-ON), Laura Vīksniņa (ASV-MN), Anna Inveiss (ASV-IN), Sarma Millere (ASV-IN), Larisa Kreišmane (ASV-MA), Stefans Brūvelis (ASV-MN), Toms Gross (AUS) un šoferis Arnis Banka (LV). Laura Vīksniņa, Anna Inveisa un Sarma Millere ir arī projekta idejas autores.

Tuvāku informāciju par šo projektu sniedz māc. Dāgs Demandts: tel. 28390256 vai dagdemandt@hotmail.com

Daina Gross is editor of Latvians Online. An Australian-Latvian she is also a migration researcher at the University of Latvia, PhD from the University of Sussex, formerly a member of the board of the World Federation of Free Latvians, author and translator/ editor/ proofreader from Latvian into English of an eclectic mix of publications of different genres.

New Project Compiles Latvian Characters in Fiction and Film

Rihards Kalniņš | 

Imaginary Latvians is a project that collects Latvian characters in world literature and international cinema. The project aims to reflect the diversity of Latvian characters in fiction and film, and to make encounters with imaginary Latvians into a special event similar to finding a lucky charm.

In novels by Jeffrey Eugenides, Don DeLillo, and Dave Eggers, a Latvian family plays the kokle, an older Latvian woman walks backwards down the stairs, and Latvians dress in black and furs, because they are ashamed of their bodies and want to disappear. Fictional Latvian characters are also found in works by several Nobel Prize winners, including Vladimir Nabokov, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Günter Grass, as well as legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock.

Since the launch of Imaginary Latvians, many readers in Latvia and abroad have shown an interest in the project, including US Ambassador to Latvia Mark Pekala, who has submitted several Latvian characters. The project’s editors are currently working on a website, where visitors will be able to study the compiled Imaginary Latvians, as well as submit the Latvians they have encountered in their own reading.

Readers are encouraged to share their encounters with Imaginary Latvians by writing to imaginary@latvians.co or sharing through Facebook and Twitter. The editors of the project are Rihards Kalnins and Krisjanis Mazurs.

Riga Becomes European Leader in Free WiFi

Arnis Gross | 

On my travels to Estonia’s largest island, Saaremaa a few years ago I was gobsmacked to be able to connect to the free public WiFi network – in a rural location that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. But I shouldn’t have been surprised, because Estonia already had a reputation for being a worldwide leader in e-services.

This week Rīga, European Capital of Culture 2014, takes the front stage by announcing the further expansion of its free public WiFi network to become the top European leader putting Estonia’s capital Tallinn in second spot followed by Stockholm, Vienna, Paris and Helsinki.

The free WiFi service is provided by Lattelecom, a telecommunications company partly owned by the Latvian government. Lattelecom is also known for its innovative services such as Internet TV and blindingly fast 1 Gbits/s optical Internet connections. Each WiFi point in Latvia’s capital city will on average serve up to 750 residents and the company claims a minimum of 3 WiFi points per square kilometre. Lattelecom provides over 3700 WiFi points throughout Latvia including 21 hospitals, 165 educational institutions as well as major city parks and recreation areas.

To use the service connect to the “Lattelecom-free” WiFi network , watch the 15 second advertisement and then starting using the Internet. After 30 minutes of usage you will be required to watch another 15 second slot before continuing with your online session.

This service is just in time for the tourist season and the upcoming 8th World Choir Games to be hosted by Riga early next month. When you decide to go online from Vērmanes dārzs or other favourite outdoor venue don’t forget to send us your WiFi experiences.

More details on the WiFi service including locations are available from wifi.lv/en.html.