Polls open in language referendum amid predictions of high turnout

Andris Straumanis | 

ALA aicinājums

The American Latvian Association distributed this reminder to its members to participate in the Feb. 18 referendum and to vote against Russian as a second official language.

Around the world Latvian citizens are going to the polls Feb. 18 to cast a simple ballot in one of the most emotional issues in the country’s brief history as an independent state.

Voters are casting ballots in a national referendum to decide whether Russian should be given equal status in the constitution to Latvian as an official language. While many observers have predicted voters will turn down the proposal, the margin of defeat will be closely watched.

Outside the homeland, Latvian citizens are voting at one of 85 polling stations in 41 countries. The first to vote were Latvians in eastern Australia, followed by western Australia, Japan and China. Polls there are closed, while those in North and South America are halfway through their day.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.

An estimated 54,554 eligible voters are found outside the homeland, according to the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

As final preparations for balloting in the United States were being made Feb. 17, Raits Eglītis, office manager for the Rockville, Md.-based American Latvian Association (Amerikas latviešu apvienība, or ALA), said the organization has worked to keep 15 polling stations designated across the United States. Turnout in the United States could be substantial compared to previous votes, Eglītis suggested.

The ALA also departed from its usual neutral stance on political issues.

“This time ALA also has taken a position to vote against (the referendum),” Eglītis said. The organization sent a notice to its members urging them to be active in the referendum and to defend Latvian as the sole official language.

In New York, Normans Penke, Latvia’s ambassador to the United Nations and a member of the local election commission, noted that 350 ballots had been ordered for the voting that will take place in the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Latvia to the United Nations. If more are needed, they will be provided, Penke added.

By 8 p.m. in Latvia, according to the Central Election Commission, a total of 981,858 people—more than 63 percent of all eligible voters—had cast ballots.

The total included 6,274 who by 4 p.m. had cast ballots at 31 of the 85 polling stations abroad. That’s nearly 83 percent of the total in last year’s referendum on dissolving the Saeima, when 7,547 votes were cast abroad.

President Andris Bērziņš, on a state visit to Poland, voted in the Latvian Embassy in Warsaw, according to his press office.

A full list of polling stations abroad is available from the Central Election Commission’s website, www.cvk.lv.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Central bank issues coin with granite

Egils Kaljo | 

In continuing with a series of unusual commemorative coins celebrating non-metal elements and concepts, the Bank of Latvia has issued the Coin of Stone (Akmens monēta), which has a granite center.

The central bank has already released three versions of the Coin of Time (I, II and III, all of which were partially minted with niobium metal), the Coin of Digits, the Coin of Water and the Coin of Amber (which had a small piece of amber in the middle).

Although dated 2011, the silver and granite 1 lat coin (with a silver content of 13.6 grams), was issued last month. The coin was designed by Laimonis Šēnbergs, the modeling was done by Jānis Strupulis and the coin was minted by Rahapaja Oy in Finland. The coin is of proof quality and has a mintage of 7,000.

The Coin of Stone is the first commemorative release by the Bank of Latvia in 2012. Other coins to be issued this year will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Rīga Technical University; the 100th anniversary of the Rīga Zoo; the 90th anniversary of Latvian currency; Latvian Olympic athletes; the creative work of author Rūdolfs Blaumanis and sculptor Kārlis Zāle (designer of the Freedom Monument and Cemetery of the Brethren or Brāļu kapi); and Latvian cultural traditions.

Coins may be purchased at the Bank of Latvia, as well as numismatic shops in Latvia.

Akmens monēta

The latest commemorative coin issued by the Bank of Latvia features a granite center. (Images courtesy of the Bank of Latvia)

Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.

Konkursa ‘Starp tevi un mani ir valoda’ uzvarētāji zināmi

Latvians Online | 

Eiropas Valodu dienā 2011 gada septembrī Latviešu valodas aģentūra (LVA) izsludināja konkursu skolu jaunatnei. Konkursa mērķis – popularizēt latviešu valodas lietojumu, sekmēt valodas kā personiskas un valstiskas vērtības apzināšanos.

Skolēnus aicināja piedalīties radošo darbu konkursā “Starp tevi un mani ir valoda”. Šogad konkursā piedalījās jaunieši ne tikai no visas Latvijas, bet arī no latviešu skolām ārvalstīs – no Melburnas, Briseles, Stokholmas, Bostonas, Adelaides un Hamiltonas. Kopā iesūtīti 334 literārie darbi, 101 zīmējums, tajā skaitā arī audiovizuāli darbi un komiksi.

Radošo darbu vērtēšanā tika ņemta vērā darba atbilsme tematam, oriģinalitāte, kopta valoda, kā arī motivēts izteiksmes līdzekļu izmantojums satura atklāšanai.

Radošo darbu konkursa “Starp tevi un mani ir valoda” uzvarētāji no ārpus Latvijas:

1.–4. klašu grupa:

  • 1. vieta: Kaija Lārmane (Melburnas Latviešu skolas “Daugava” 3. klase)

5.–9. klašu grupa:

  • Atzinība par klasisko vērtību iedzīvināšanu: Henrijs Princis (Briseles Eiropas skola II)
  • Atzinība par oriģinalitāti: Gustavs Zilgalvis (Briseles Eiropas skola II)
  • Atzinība par žanra izvēli: Toms Salenieks (Briseles Eiropas skola II)
  • Pateicība skolotājai ārpus Latvijas: Ineta Cara, Briseles Eiropas skola II

Kaijas Lārmanes domraksts “Starp tevi un mani ir valoda”

Mani sauc Kaija Lārmane un man ir deviņi gadi. Es esmu latviete, piedzimusi Austrālijā. Es mājās runāju tikai un vienīgi latviski. Es katru darbdienu eju austrāļu skolā, kur man jārunā angliski, bet sestdienās apmeklēju latviešu skolu. Latviešu skolā man ir daudz latviešu draugu un draudzeņu.

Es domāju, ka zināt valodas ir ļoti svarīgi. Es māku tekoši runāt latviski, angliski un ļoti nedaudz krieviski. Kādreiz sestdienās pēc latviešu skolas mēs iebraucam krievu veikalā un pērkam rupjmaizi. Tur es iemācos mazliet krieviski, jo prasu mammai kā pateikt vienkāršus vārdus, kā piemēram, „četras austiņas“ un „paldies“. Mana mamma māk runāt latviski, angliski, krieviski un vāciski. Es mammai prasu vārdiņus arī vācu valodā, jo man viena draudzene austrāļu skolā saprot vāciski.

Mana austrāļu skola ir kurlo bērnu dzirdes centrs. Tas nozīmē, ka šajā skolā ir kurlmēmās valodas zinātāji, kuri ar pirkstiem māk ar šiem bērniem saprasties. Man skolā šo valodu māca kā svešvalodu. Tik un tā, ja tā nav valoda, kura nāk no mutes, tā ir valoda. Daudzi no kurlmēmiem bērniem nevar skaidri izrunāt vārdus.

Valoda ir vienojošs spēks, tā satur tautu kopā. Ja tu esi ārzemēs un dzirdi kā runā tavu valodu, tas ir kaut kas ļoti kopējs. Tu šo cilvēku vari uzreiz uzrunāt, jo tā ir tava valoda.

Valoda ir bagātība. Jo vairāk valodu kāds zin, jo tas bagātāks. Ja kāds zin ļoti daudz valodu, viņš ir ļoti bagāts un viņam dzīvē ir daudz iespēju.

Es nesen izlasīju šādu joku par valodu zināšanu:

„Kaķis dzinās pakaļ pelei, bet tā paspēja noslēpties alā. Tad kaķis piegāja pie alas un sāka riet. Pele izbrīnījusies, domāja: „Kā tad tā, ka kaķis pēkšņi rej!?“ Izbāza no alas ārā galvu, bet kaķis tūdaļ viņu sagrāba un apēda. Pēc tam kaķis nolaizījās un teica: „Cik veselīgi ir zināt vismaz vienu svešvalodu!““

Mums visiem jābūt priecīgiem, ka mums ir valoda un mēs varam savstarpēji sazināties. Kopēja valoda cilvēkus vieno un es esmu lepna, ka varu sarunāties ar latviešiem gan Latvijā, gan visā pasaulē.