Liuda Rugienius

Commission’s Results Provide Growth Opportunities

In the President’s Hall, President Valdas Adamkus meets with the "Information Center’s" staff. From left: Vincas Augustinavicius, Australian Lithuanian representative; Edmundas Kulikauskas, LAC Inc. representative; Pres. Adamkus; unidentified Information Center representative; Dr. Zilvinas Bielauskas.

At the World Lithuanian Community Conference on July 1st in Vilnius, the Board of Directors, Presidents of each of the representative countries, World Lithuanian Community Council Chairs, and other invited representatives from various organizations listened to Lithuania’s Parliament Chairman’s, Vytautas Landsbergis’, words. He described Lithuania’s relationship with Lithuanians living outside Lithuania. He stated that "…We have succeeded in developing cooperative ties with the World Lithuanian Community, or as I call it ‘lietuvija’ -- with the community that ended up in the West under various circumstances and conditions and the one that ended up in the East by force."

Mr. Landsbergis went on to say that he was pleased with the World Lithuanian Community’s representative to the Lithuanian Parliament. "This (to date) solution is satisfactory and fruitful depending on the representative’s degree of involvement, the possibilities of cooperation, and the subsistence of ties. I believe that the current representative – Gabrielius Zemkalnis – is very competent in this position."

Regarding the Lithuanian American Community’s (LAC’s) Joint Parliamentary Commission, Mr. Landsbergis stated, "Looking at it from a practical standpoint, it’s good that there is such a committee that can be worked with and function in that country which is the most influential in this day and age. [There] we see [support] for Lithuania’s independence and future even more than in Western Europe…The USA has much more of a firm and consistent position. We feel we get that very important support for the sovereignty of the Republic of Lithuania."

Mr. Landsbergis noted a few very important things. Firstly, it seems that Lithuania is pleased with the way the Lithuanian Community is presently organized with the two institutions in Lithuania: The World Lithuanian Community’s Representative to the Parliament and the LAC Inc.’s Joint Parliamentary Commission. Secondly, as Mr. Landsbergis strongly emphasized, having strong ties between Lithuanian and the US is very important because it is with these ties the Lithuania feels the strongest support for its sovereignty. It is because these ties are so important that an exceptional bond was formed with the LAC Inc. It is also important to note that the LAC is the most productive, and many other Lithuanian Communities depend on its activity and staying power. This exceptional position held by the LAC was highly accentuated by the LAC Inc.’s founder and Honorary Chairman Stasys Barzdukas.

The strength of the Joint Parliamentary Commission is that it is formed as a union of five LAC Inc.’s elected council members and five of the Lithuanian Parliament’s primary party’s representatives: the Lithuanian Conservatives (The Country’s Union), the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party, the Lithuanian Central Union, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, and the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party. The Commission works with all parties, seeking to achieve a common goal benefiting Lithuania and her people. The Commission’s purpose is clearly outlined in its articles in the "Integral Nation": a document signed by nine members of fractions of Parliament working with the Commission on September 2, 1996.

The Commission accepts resolutions by way of total agreement. We’ve been working in a friendly and productive atmosphere up to and including the present. The atmosphere during our meetings is positive and all questions and agenda items are discussed in a serious and effective manner.

We only have five days for meetings. Often times the Parliament members have plenary meetings, various committee and fraction meetings, and sometimes even tours of duty which were planned well in advance. The representatives from Parliament to our Commission are all high level officials: Feliksas Palubinskas and Romualdas Ozolas, Deputy Prime Ministers; Jurgis Razma, Parliamentary Chancellor; and Aloyzas Sakalas and Ceslovas Jursenas, party chairmen. To find time for our Commission sessions where we can meet with these representatives at a time when they are not so busy is quite difficult. (The fall meeting was scheduled from November 2nd to the 6th.)

The LAC Inc. members of the Joint Parliamentary Commission are: Regina Narusis, the LAC Inc. President; Dalia Puskorius, presidium member; Joseph J. Ardys, Vytautas Maciunas and myself, members of the LAC Board of Directors.

How do we pick our causes? First of all, we try to consider those items which are most important to us: cultural affairs, education, sports, youth organizational affairs, genocide of our nation, relocation, and some social issues as citizenship, health insurance, and taxes. Some of these items are very current, as the question of membership to NATO. Because membership into NATO is dependent upon U.S. acceptance, this item is closely followed during our discussion. We work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense.

Another very important issue deals with Lithuania’s southeastern region’s educational system. In this region there is a dearth of Lithuanian speaking schools, and children wanting to learn Lithuanian are discriminated against. A group of people who live in this region are seeking autonomy and the situation here is very complicated. This very sensitive issue has begun to be introduced to the Commission. Reports and interviews have helped us to understand the situation better.

We also had an opportunity to meet with the Lithuanian-speaking schools’ principals and to listen to their opinions and concerns so that when resolutions are written, all information is parlayed correctly.

"Vilnijos" association is doing a tremendous job in that region; however, the government hasn’t paid much attention to their requests. Letters sent to the government are not answered, and the association feels that if only one request was addressed, they would be very happy. We are very happy that Lithuanian Americans are sentimental to the plight of this region and are trying to help. The Lithuanian Foundation (headquartered in Lemont, IL) has previously granted funds to this region's schoolteachers and had just recently granted additional funding. The Detroit Chapter of the LAC has "adopted" the Lithuanian school in Turgeliai. Representatives from the chapter visit the school frequently and often give gifts of money. The Cleveland LAC Chapter has sent out over 60 packages. The Tautos Foundation has even pledged to build a school. It would be a great idea if many more chapters would "adopt" a school. We will continue investigating the issues concerning the southeastern region’s Lithuania-speaking schools.

One of the projects we have successfully realized is "The Information Center", which concerns itself with those people who are interested in relocating to Lithuania. Its address in Vilnius is Gedimino Prospektas 24. A joint coordination committee was formed to set up the center. This committee worked extremely hard so that the concept of the center, as well as the center itself, would see the light of day. The way the center will continue to operate will depend on the committee’s supervision and proposals. I believe we will continue having great influence over the center’s operations.

Today, one of the most sensitive issues facing us is that of genocide. This issue never gets the important governmental attention that it so rightly deserves. Information is being gathered. The Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Investigative Center are doing the cataloging very efficiently.

A program called "Living Memory" is headed by the Center and is made up of three parts. The first part entails videotaping and/or audiotaping memories of historical events, and filling out questionnaires. The second part encompasses photodocumenting information from museums, archives, private collections, diaries, logs, and periodicals. Additionally trips to the areas of exile would be included. Finally, the actual historical places would be photodocumented and mapped out. These places are places of battle; areas where resistance fighters were slaughtered; commandposts; bunkers and lagers; and places of exile.

Because this investigative center had a small staff, it had been focusing on those events that happened in Lithuania from Eastern sources, not from witnesses displaced in the West. Dalia Kuodyte, the Center’s director, has said that she was motivated by the Committee meetings to put together questionnaires, for those in Lithuania, as well as those displaced in the West, that include the following: dissident activity, those who have been victimized, and acts against humanity committed in Lithuania.

Ms. Kuodyte said, "We do know that many of those displaced in the West participated in anti-nazi movements, participated in the 1941 uprising, and were members of organizations whose goal was to free Lithuania. This data is extremely valuable and needed." This is a very important subject that needs to be expanded.

Our Commission is trying to focus special attention on the soviet occupation and its acts of genocide because when it coincides or is compared to the Nazi acts of genocide, it is never seen in its full light. As far as I know, in schools in Lithuania, the subject of the Holocaust is taught; however, what happened to our nation during and after World War II and the ensuing genocide is not.

Working together in the areas of culture and education are of extreme importance. Following the example of "The First Book" (exhibition which toured the U.S. focusing on the first book, catechism, written in the Lithuanian language by Martynas Mazvydas) celebrations, we thought that it would be very important to form joint work groups with Lithuania. The representatives from Lithuania feel the same way because as we work together, we get to know each other better, we find new projects to work on, and new ideas multiply. For a nation spread all over the world such as us, these joint work moments are a must.

We proposed a number of work groups into which a number of persons would be drawn into; for example, archive preservation, education, academia, genocide research, and a coordinating group for those wanting to return to their homeland. Some of the work groups are already a success. Lithuania forms these work groups quickly, but our work in the States plods along because it isn’t easy to find actively involved people with time on their hands. For example, when we raised the problems of the youth organizations, the Ministry of Education and Academia formed a work group on the spot to oversee youth organizations. Because of the change in ministers, it is unclear if this work will continue, but we will request that it does.

As you can see from the aforementioned subjects, coming up with topics for our meetings is not a problem for our Commission. During our fall meeting, economics will be highlighted. The Lithuanians had asked us to bring along an expert who would summarize the economic well being of Lithuania. We will be bringing along Valdas Samonis from Canada. He is a well-known expert in this area who has lectured all over the world on this subject.

We will also be looking for proposals from you as to which subjects would be important for Lithuania to explore and resolutions to vote on. We represent you, your opinions, and requests to the Lithuanian Parliament.

The Time is NOW!

Contact your representatives in Congress to ALERT them to SUPPORT Lithuania’s admission into NATO!

In April, the U.S. will be a deciding factor for Lithuania’s future.

Help your representatives make the RIGHT choice.

Photo from Regina Narusis