25 April
“For Lithuania not to walk away”. These words of Lithuania’s patriots
may be interpreted as an invitation to resurrect and cherish the vital power of
the nation for a great goal – for the nation and the state to survive in the
world of global challenges. Those who use the slogan are mainly determined to
wake people up from indifference and inactivity.
The goal of the academic community,
creative intelligentsia and other people who care for Lithuania and who are
united in the non-governmental movement is to establish a link to all those who
are concerned with the spirituality of Lithuania. Another intention, a more
important civic one, is to urge the public to work unselfishly and
whole-heartedly for the prosperity of the nation.
Lithuania is our Homeland. Its
statehood and prestige can be strengthened only through the profusion and
popularisation of the national spiritual and cultural values, moreover, through
the engagement of the whole society into the value system. Fostering national
values is an important means of shaping a national identity.
We must bear in mind that due to
Lithuania’s rapid integration into the family of European nations, the European
Union, respect shown by each nation for its history and culture becomes part
and parcel of the history and culture of the entire Europe. The approaching
commemoration of Lithuania’s millennium, the events in the framework of Vilnius
- the European Capital of Culture, and national song festivals add diversity to
the European culture, make Lithuania more visible internationally and improve
its image globally.
It is also true that deeds for
Lithuania are done by its people. Our nation, having lived through hardships,
inversions of the truth, several waves of attempts of physical annihilation, is
both the subject and the object of our different activities. Therefore our
national identity is the critical and currently even vital element of our
statehood.
I intend to speak about emigration, of course, or the problem of
self-destruction of the nation. How shall we deal with it? What shall we do for
Lithuania not to walk away?
Several
presentations of the Conference will address the challenge and refer to
national, economic, social, cultural and possibly philosophical criteria. The
Lithuanian government, being naturally concerned with emigration from
Lithuania, is approving a very important document at the moment, the Strategy
for Regulation of Economic Migration. I am convinced that when we implement the
strategy, we will have resolved the problem.
The text of the Strategy highlights the government’s tasks, which may be
translated into the following questions: what can we do to keep Lithuanian
people from leaving their homeland; to maintain relations between those who
left and their native country; to provide for their return?
I agree that we must be the first to
respond as we represent the nation. And regulation of emigration cuts
horizontally across various activities and policies: legislation, health care,
education, social and economic matters. It is high time our public authorities
coordinated their actions to that end.
Another obligation of the government is to
support non-governmental, civil initiatives since they are capable of reaching
out to all members of the public, inspire motivation and satisfaction of
individual contributions. The civil society is the most effective instrument in
changing the situation and identifying the key values. The people engaged
actively will definitely not walk away, nor will they leave Lithuania. They will
bring others back to Lithuania, and then our life will be better.
I think today’s
Conference will hear the ideas about change and guidelines for positive changes
aimed at putting an end to the shrinking of the nation residing on the banks of
the Nemunas and the Neris. The overarching goal of the Lithuanian public
authorities and NGOs is this: Lithuania should be a lovable place for
Lithuanians to live in.
The project “For Lithuania not to walk away” covers the
entire country. Let’s hope that inspired by the idea the whole nation will
consolidate its mental and physical power for the sake of Lithuania, for our
future and the future of our children.
