BABEL IN VILNIUS - Community affairs - Comments

A wider way for bloggers - Mykolas

Mykolas — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:57:33 +03:00

I am encouraged by the number of Lithuanian Bloggers who have chosen to express themselves at Cafe Babel and other Blog Host sites.

Those who choose to write in English provide a valuable service to the rather large portion of Lithuanian decendants who desire to remain connected to their people and their ancestral home land. You are building bridges! This is what brings us together! This is what will keep us together!

Lietuviais mes esame ir busime!

Valio,Valio,Valio!

Mykolas
http://bieksia.wordpress.com/

A wider way for bloggers - Erika

Erika — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:28:13 +03:00

CB has very clear mission and goals. It is not a question about limited or not - but CB is different. We communicated our initiative and invited to join. Some Lithuanian writers have their own blogs in CB platform. But this organization of Lithuanian bloggers should be an individual unit and we would love to have a partnership with it. The vision, mission, goals, project etc. - they have to evaluate that and represent the interests of Lithuanian bloggers.

A wider way for bloggers - Hedgehog

Hedgehog — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:48:01 +03:00

Is CafeBabel wrong platform for the bounce of content raise? I don't think CB is so limited organization which cannot lead community (at least small). then it can develop separately. but why not using CB for gathering people at the beginning?

A wider way for bloggers - Erika

Erika — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:25:42 +03:00

Yes, I agree with you, Hedgehog, about the beginning, so this is why I called the first part of an article like this :) I think, that the mentality of people makes an influence on how things go, don't you think? And what I see - personal interests, no higher objectives. Sure, there are exceptions, I can not say this about every person, but I speak about the general situation and the results - good informing quality is lost...

On the other hand the progress could be more active with the leading association, who could envisage trends and pass them to the community, organize seminars and establish partnerships. I understand there were few initiatives, but the work, not only the wish, is needed to implement those ideas. Then we could talk about the higher quality of contents, etc etc etc.

A wider way for bloggers - Hedgehog

Hedgehog — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:34:03 +03:00

I don't agree that "It is a problem of our bloggers community ant it's mentality".
I'm not sure if there are any theories of blogosphere developing phases, but we're still somewhere at the beginning.
you cannot blame 5-year-old child that he doesn't understand square root operation. he doesn;t even know multiplication!
so maybe Vanessa should have recognized that she should start with more basics after those questions and not to repeat the same answer or elements of presentation.

on the other hand, I don't think all 400 participants have the same attitude and knowledge as the girl with questions.
I'm sure there were lots of people who understood what Vanessa wanted to say and her presentation was useful.
and you don;t always have to have basics (multiplication) to understand higher topics (root operation) - but there should be no expectation that this will happen after one presentation. so keep going and people will understand not only the advantage of being in a community but also that blog isn;t only a personal space for your thoughts.

A wider way for bloggers - Erika

Erika — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:09:04 +03:00

Adriano, the problem is not in the accent, neither Vanessa. It is a problem of our bloggers community ant it's mentality. A girl asked Vanessa three times about EYP and all three answers did not help her to see the difference between blog platform and European organization.

Personal interests are much more important for Lithuanian bloggers, but they do not realize, that in long term period to participate in an organization is very important for themselves and for their readers.

What could you say about that the only representatives from non commercial sector were Babel Lithuania and European Youth Press?

A wider way for bloggers - Adriano

Adriano — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:05:34 +03:00

Knowing Vanessa, it is strange to read this review... maybe her American accent was too difficult to understand...

Romuva: respect for live tradition in XXIst century - neSKAnu

neSKAnu — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:57:48 +02:00

First of all I would like to say that I am incredibly sorry that your relatives received that sort of treatment. I suppose it is only natural that non-whites are looked upon with suspicious eyes here in Lithuania. After all the locals are not used to seeing such people. Just ask my grandmother what she thinks should be done with non-whites... I won't continue, but you can imagine what her suggestions are. Incidentally she has always lived in big cities and is an educated woman... With grandparents like that it's not hard to see why present day Lithuanians act the way they do.

In any case the swastika is an ancient symbol and is not used by Lithuanian nationalists. Furthermore, the swastika the members or Romuva wear points leftward (i.e. counterclockwise) whereas the Nazi swastika points to the right. The leftward swastika is perfectly legal in all countries including Germany and the U.S.A.

Incidentally, Lithuanian Nazis use other ancestral Lithuanian symbols - the cross of Vytis (or more often two intersecting crosses) and the columns of Gediminas. Does this mean that we should ban our national symbols, because Nazis use them?

Romuva: respect for live tradition in XXIst century - violainvilnius

violainvilnius — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:57:48 +02:00

that's all very well, and I know about the Indian connection. But in Lithuania it means that anyone can go and tattoo themselves with a swastika on their nexts, say 'Oh, I'm a member of the Romuva' ...
and then go and make monkey noises to, say, black people, attack them, call them names or laugh at them.

Lithuania is not exactly known for tolerance to those who are different. I know because I live there and my dark-skinned relatives have been thus treated in my presence.

If it were up to me, and especially given the history of Lithuania during WW2 - not a proud moment - I would make the swastika illegal in Lithuania, so-called mythology or not.

Romuva: respect for live tradition in XXIst century - Indre

Indre — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:38:58 +02:00

According to Jonas Trinkūnas, swastika is an Indian tradition word and a swastika as a symbol is very popular in India. It means fortune, happiness. It was known in all cultures and in very old ones too.

This symbol was very common in Lithuania till Christianity. In Kernave (historical capital of Lithuania) archaeologists have found some rings which had swastikas in their eyes. What did they symbolize? This is a sign of fire and Perkūnas - God of Thunder. Lithuanians worshiped fire and Perkūnas, so this sign is also a symbol of idle religion.

Community of Romuva doesn't use square swastika as it was used by upholders of Hitler. Romuva uses a symbol, which is only similar to swastika. It's intercrossed grass-snakes, which is a symbol of fire. The symbol of Romuva means union of fire and water, which in mythology means life. So the symbol of Romuva should be called a symbol of life and happiness.

Romuva: respect for live tradition in XXIst century - violainvilnius

violainvilnius — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:20:54 +02:00

'In all countries of the world the swastika is a sign of fire, light and happiness'

I'm not sure that this would apply to Israel, or Germany these days.

I would have expected some comment relating to current day use of swastikas.

A Day without Catholic Chains - ozcan

ozcan — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:28:14 +02:00

'Koochia'...wow.. it sounds nice...Thanks Erika:)

A Day without Catholic Chains - Erika

Erika — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 23:57:33 +02:00

Ozi,

it would sound like "koochia".

All the best in 2008 :)

A Day without Catholic Chains - Ozi

Ozi — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:02:36 +02:00

Once again we realise that all religions direct people to goodness. But I would like to learn how should we pronounce Kūčia in English.
Happy New Year...

Public opinion: European of the Year - dilemma

dilemma — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:49:35 +02:00

Mr Valdas is the second Lithuanian person to be nominated/elected as European of the Year.
D.Grybauskaitė was named "Commissioner of the Year" in the European Voice in 2005.

A local expression of the French pattern - Jean-Sébastien Lefebvre

Jean-Sébastien Lefebvre — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:18:59 +02:00

Love your tittle.
Greetings from Paris, the demonstrations city...

Public opinion: European of the Year - violainvilnius

violainvilnius — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:39:29 +02:00

Congratulations, Valdas! Could you please export some of these negotiating skills to Georgia? I know you tried last week...

Kalba Vilnius: news recycled (video) - Adriano

Adriano — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:14:39 +03:00

Great job. Very professional. Next time I want to be there!

Vilnius' regatta 2007 (photos) - Indre

Indre — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:09:47 +03:00

Thanks for your comment and great emotions :) We really think that young captain was very brave :) And please tell him - keep sailing!

Vilnius' regatta 2007 (photos) - Daiva

Daiva — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:44:33 +03:00

Wow! My child (little captain) was very proud to see himself in the pictures :) Nice article and the day and copetition were fabulous!