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Weekly News from Lithuania, April 17

April 17, 2020

POLITICS

Lithuania expresses its support for safety of journalists and media freedom in fight against COVID-19 pandemic

On 15 April, the four Groups of Friends on the Safety of Journalists at UNESCO, the United Nations, and the OSCE issued the first joint statement on the safety of journalists and access to information during the COVID-19 crisis. Lithuania, which chairs the Groups of Friends on the Safety of Journalists in New York and Vienna, has also actively contributed to the preparation of the joint statement.

As the trilateral discussion of the Baltic States regarding implementation model of the project “Rail Baltica” continues, Lithuania suggests not to deviate from the main purpose – to implement the project on time because “Rail Baltica” is important not only for the Baltic region, but also for Europe as a whole, as a part of trans-European rail network that is going to fill in the lacking links between the North-Baltic Seas and Scandinavia-Adriatic Sea in current map of carriage of passengers and goods.

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BUSINESS & SCIENCE

		Invest Lithuania 9:58 AM - Apr 15, 2020

A Lithuanian team has won 2nd place in worldwide hackathon The Global Hack, with a mobile app aimed at easing loneliness and promoting emotional wellbeing during the COVID19 outbreak. The app, AOC (‘Act On Crisis’), was developed in just two weeks by a team of psychologists, IT specialists and others. It offers breathing exercises, anonymous chats with other users, as well as individual consultations with professional psychologists in Lithuanian, English or Russian. The Global Hack was judged by a panel of big names from the tech world including Linkedin co-founder, Reid Hoffman; Google X founder and Stanford University professor, Sebastian Thurn; and Steveás Jurvetson, co-founder of Future Ventures and board member of both SpaceX and Tesla. Find out more about AOC here: https://bit.ly/aoc0415

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While fighting against COVID-19, Lithuanian companies are showing solidarity and are discovering new opportunities

In just over a week, 176 companies have already registered on the Entrepreneurship and Export Development Agency’s “Enterprise Lithuania” information website “www.verslaspriescovid19.lt” and provided information on their capabilities to produce and supply the necessary tools to combat the COVID-19 virus. Among the names on the list are both already existed businesses and the newcomers to the medical market – businesses that have quickly reoriented and adapted their production capacity for the production of personal protective equipment, disinfectants and medical devices, which are currently in the greatest demand.

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Google to support Lithuanian NGOs

US technological giant Google plans to fund Lithuanian non-governmental organizations' advertizing via Ad Grants by allocating up to 10,000 US dollars to each organization, writes LETA/BNS.

"This support will be allocated to deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and could be used for the upcoming six months," Paulius Vertelka, public policy manager for the Baltic states at Google, told a press conference

The FlexBlow Shield—made out of high-quality food-grade PET plastic, which is harmless and food-friendly—protects the eye area against airborne bacteria, infections, and viruses, including the COVID-19 virus.

Gediminas Raciukaitis, the Head of the Department of Laser Technologies of the FTMC – Center for Physical Sciences and Technology says they have just installed a Coherent E-150 CO₂ laser to cut a face shield mask from 5-liter PET bottles designed at Terekas.

Truthful, reliable and up-to-date information on emergency, quarantine and coronavirus from official sources is crucial today. In order to facilitate the provision of such information to the public an automated conversation robot called ViLTė was installed at www.koronastop.lt. This is a new way to get information quickly and at any time during the day, which is particularly relevant when the number of coronavirus cases is increasing and more people are turning to helplines on a wide range of issues in the country.

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April 24-26

EUvsCirus Hackathon

The European Commission, in close collaboration with the EU member states, will host a pan-European hackathon to connect civil society, innovators, partners and investors across Europe in order to develop innovative solutions for coronavirus-related challenges.

More information

CULTURE & HISTORY

Representative orchestra of the Ministry of Interior of Lithuania shares a positive message to celebrate Easter differently | Ministry's of Interior Wind orchestra

Stay at home: cherry blossom viewing without leaving sofa

Sakura blooming in the centre of Vilnius in the spring become a real place of attraction for Vilnius residents every year, but this year we offer to watch them in a live broadcast online due to the quarantine and risk posed by crowding. The City of Vilnius together with the telecommunications company Telia has found a technological solution, and starting today, they will offer an opportunity to see blooming sakura online at www.karantinas.lt/sakuros.

LRT and MO Museum bring you a series of videos presenting 20 key Lithuanian artists of the 20th century.

Antanas Gudaitis combines Lithuanian pre-war modernism with transformations in art ushered in by the “thaw” era in the USSR.

Before the war, he studied in Paris and observed the latest experimentation in modern art.

In April 1920, Lithuania's status as a sovereign country was still far from secure. It had declared independence two years prior and had managed to drive out foreign armies from most of its territory, but it had yet to secure the de jure recognition from key governments, including those of the United States and France.

As cultural life ground to a halt in the Lithuanian capital, a drive-in cinema kicking off on Friday offers a coronavirus-proof experience.

The screenings will take place in the parking lot at the Vilnius’ Litexpo exhibition centre. The first film will be shown on Friday, with two additional screenings each day over the weekend.

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		Lithuanian Art and Culture in the USA 8:07 PM - Apr 14, 2020

#stayhathome #filmscreening #classic #nobodywantedtodie A rare possibility to enjoy the Lithuanian classic movie Nobody Wanted To Die (1966) by Vytautas Žalakevičius. Dramatic post-war situation in a small Lithuanian village community, whose members are divided: some support the Soviet government while others back the partisans fighting against the new regime. The film shows each character’s desire to survive and secure safe and peaceful life. It is a story of revenge: the head of the village council is killed by partisans and his sons decide to seek justice. It is also about those who do not want to die: about lay people, who find themselves in a terrible fight for survival and have to choose whose side to take. Lithuanian Films Lithuanians in NYC / Lietuviai NYC Lietuvos kultūros institutas / Lithuanian Culture Institute NY Lietuviai

Niekas nenorėjo mirti (Nobody Wanted To Die, EN)

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From April 17

Culture to the Courtyards

Kaunas 2022 together with the community program Fluxus Labas starts the project "Culture to the Courtyards" in order to bring these emotions and experiences back, to bring culture ... to our courtyards!

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TALKING DIPLOMACY PODCAST

Episode 3: Interview with ambassador Asta Skaisgiryte [in Lithuanian]

Listen to the episode

Highlight of the Week

Sakura trees start to blossom in Vilnius

Vilnius
Photo credits @ E. Blaževič / LRT

Apr 20 2020

April 10, 2020

POLITICS

NATO Foreign Ministers discuss Alliance’s response to coronavirus pandemic

On 2 April, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius took part in a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers by secure videoconference for the first time in the Alliance’s history. The meeting discussed the Alliance’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, NATO’s role in the Middle East and North Africa region. NATO Ministers also exchanged their views on Russia, arms control, and relations with partners.

On 9 April 2020, at the informal discussion with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in Geneva Lithuania together with other member states expressed support for human rights-based approach in addressing COVID-19 pandemic and called on all states to safeguard free and independent media and ensure unhindered access to information.

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Iconic sites in Vilnius illuminated in the colours of Italian flag in solidarity with Italian people

Lithuania offers €100,000 in medical aid to Italy and Spain

Lithuania plans to send 100,000 euros-worth of aid to Italy and Spain, the worst-hit EU nations by the coronavirus, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on April 7.

“I believe that Lithuania’s people will understand and support this decision. When fighting to prevent loss of human life, solidarity with our partners in Europe and elsewhere is vital,” Skvernelis said in a Facebook post.

The Hill of Three Crosses monument, the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral in Vilnius were all lit up in green, white and red this evening. In this way, Lithuania’s capital has expressed its solidarity with Italy, which is mourning the loss of thousands of coronavirus victims.

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BUSINESS & SCIENCE

FabLab workshops at schools of the capital produce protective equipment for medical specialists

Even though schools of the capital are empty while in quarantine and remote learning, some serious work has started in some of them – teachers of the innovative FabLab workshop started to produce various protective equipment for medical specialists, complying with hygiene and safety requirements, with remote assistance of their students.

“Such a challenging period in which we now live is a perfect time for manifestation of the most original and creative solutions”, said Vytautas Mitalas, Deputy Mayor of Vilnius.

Seeking to facilitate the daily lives of people in self-isolation due to the coronavirus, a mobile app Quarantine has been developed and launched. The app will benefit not only those who are obliged to stay in quarantine and isolate themselves at home, but also everyone who cares about their own health and the health of those around them.

One of the most important tasks for hackathon organizers was to identify the most pressing issues, and their list was expanding day by day.

One of the most important tasks for hackathon organizers was to identify the most pressing issues, and their list was expanding day by day: from formal and non-formal education challenges to business relief, help for the people in quarantine and the medical system. Therefore, the solutions presented by teams after the intensive two-day work were very diverse, covering a wide range of public and private life.

As one of the first countries in Europe to declare a State of Emergency Lithuania has responded rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement of such a sudden and dramatic change could have caused panic, but instead has sparked creativity and a strong community feeling, with tech gurus raising funds for doctors and thousands taking the initiative to develop new solutions for unprecedented problems.

At the outset of 2020, the world was struck by a global pandemic of Covid-19. Needless to say, Lithuania was one of the countries strongly affected, and adopted the same strict measures of quarantine and self-isolation as the rest of the world. However, something else happened at this stage. According to Eurostat, in 2015 only about 16.3% of population in Lithuania was involved in formal and informal voluntary activities in the society. It is no secret that before Covid-19, it was a real challenge to find someone involved in voluntary activities outside their household or work environment. Today, we cannot give numbers yet, but we can share some of the numerous examples, which show that the stagnant civil society in Lithuania rose to a challenge as one.

Lithuania is joining an international clinical trial launched by the World Health Oranization (WHO) and partners to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19, Vilnius' Santaros hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Lithuania, has said on Tuesday.

“Lithuania’s patients will have a unique opportunity to take part in an international trial, which aims to study both the existing treatments used for other diseases and the entirely innovative drugs, and to find out, by scientific methods, which of the treatments or their combination is effective against the COVID-19 agent,” said Laimonas Griskevicius, who is in charge of COVID-19 processes at Vilnius’ Santaros hospital and coordinates the Solidarity trial in Lithuania.

The Lithuanian robotics company Rubedo systems based in Kaunas is designing a globally unique disinfection robot that can help fight the COVID-19 coronavirus.

‘The disinfection process poses a serious threat to people of getting infected with viruses. Thus the autonomous robot we are developing could effectively address the issue and ensure that our employees are fully protected’, said Paulius Rakauskas, Business development manager at UAB Rubedo systems.

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CULTURE & HISTORY

Huge Resources of Digitized Cultural Heritage and Pieces of Art Open to the Public

Due to the nationwide emergency situation, the Ministry of Culture, as well as museums, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions are temporarily unable to receive visitors. Therefore, the public is invited to continue the exploration of cultural heritage objects and the pieces of art in virtual space.

Launched in 2016 by the World Photography Organisation and ZEISS, the ZEISS Photography Award rewards the world’s most distinctive image-makers creating outstanding series showing their individual way of seeing the world. Photographers are challenged every year to submit bodies of work responding to a particular theme. The year’s theme, Seeing Beyond: Discoveries encouraged photographers to explore discoveries that transform our everyday lives.

For many of us since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the comfort of physical contact has suddenly been replaced by faltering familiar faces on a screen. Yet even before the lockdowns and self-isolation imposed by governments to fight the coronavirus outbreak, human social interactions had slowly been reduced by information technologies. But can a hug ever be replaced?

The bohemian Užupis district in Vilnius is marking the 22nd anniversary of its self-proclaimed republic. The friendship-themed celebration continues the history of the artists’ district. The Užupis Republic is well-known for its freedom-soaked constitution, translated into more than 50 languages.

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Portraits of quarantine: photographer shows how Lithuanians deal with lockdown

Photographer Adas Vasiliauskas would normally be working at weddings, events and product photoshoots, but the coronavirus quarantine has forced him to look for subjects elsewhere.

With many people confined to self-isolation at home, he has invited them to pose for photos from their windows and balconies. The result is a series of inventive and whimsical scenes of the coronavirus quarantine in Vilnius.

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Culture at Home : Kaunas 2020

Kaunas 2020 events, interviews with artists and conversations available online, including recommendations of best podcasts, shows and virtual libraries.

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State Drama Theatre of Šiauliai broadcasting plays live

To fight the stagnation of cultural life during quarantine the State Drama Theatre of Šiauliai started broadcasting their most popular plays live on Youtube.

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GLOBAL LITHUANIA

Separated by distance, united in celebrations: story of Lithuania and India

What is common between the most populous democracy, the 7th largest country in the world with a population of 1,35 billion people and the small Baltic state? Not only Sanskrit unites us, argues Dr Runa Chakraborty Paunksnis, Head of India Cooperation Development (known as India Centre) at KTU, but also our way of celebrating our festivals.

Dr Runa Chakraborty Paunksnis, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities started working at Kaunas University of Technology in 2018. Although she joined the academic community only a couple of years ago, the scholar already feels as a part of the university community: “My position as the Head of India Centre has given me the opportunity to see beyond academic activities of my Faculty and engage with other members of the university.”