Lögberg-Heimskringla - 07.11.1980, Side 7

WINN/PEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 7, NÓVEMBER 1980-7
Debra G. Dorfman ráðin söngstjóri
Söngsveitarinnar Filharmonía í vetur
Söngsveitin Filharmonía í Reykjavík
er nú að hefja vetrarstarf sitt. Hefur
Söngsveitin ráðið til sín nýjan söng-
stjóra, Debra G. Dorfman, frá New
York.
Samkomulag var milli söngsveitar-
innar og Sinfóníuhljómsveitar íslands
um val verkefna, sem að þessu sinni
eru Island þúsund ár, óperan Fidelio og
óperan Otello.
ÍSLAND ÞÚSUND ÁR SAMIN f
WINNIPEG
Island þúsund ár, alþingishátíðar-
kantata Björgvins Guðmundssonar,
var samin hér í Winnipeg árið 1929, við
hátíðarljóð Davíðs skálds Stefánssonar
frá Fagraskógi. Þá hafði Björgvin áður
samið öll önnur meiri háttar tónverk
sín, og fáum árum fyrr hafði hann
lokið burtfararprófi frá Royal College
of Music í Lundúnum. Debra G. Dorfman.
Diplomacy
cotitinued from page 6
bureaucracies that are involved in mat-
ters of direct concern to Iceland. In
other words they have to learn their
way around the capitals to which they
are appointed. They are undoubtedly
assisted in this task by their coopera-
tion with other Nordic countries and,
in certain cases, by the use of facilities
provided by the international staffs of
international organizations to which
Iceland belongs. However, the relat-
ively narrow range of Iceland's inter-
ests in most of the capitals in which
she is reþresented (in which fish and
fish products loom very large), also
makes it possible for Iceland's diplom-
acy to function. Only a limited number
of contacts is necessary.
The Washington Embassy
The Washington embassy, like the
mission in Brussels, is something of an
exception to this. This is largely a func-
tion of the importance of Washington
as a diplomatic centre, and many of
Iceland's political, commercial and ec-
onomic interests come together here.
There is also a heavy burden of con-
sular work stemming not only from the
business and personal contacts that ex-
ist between Icelanders and Americans,
but also from the fact that the Wash-
ington embassy services a network of
about fourty honorary consuls in
North and South America. The em-
bassy on Connecticut Avenue is
presently staffed by an ambassador
and one other officer, but it is expected
that a third officer will be appointed
soon, bringing the size of the mission
up to that in Brussels. The embassy is
located in a pleasant Victorian house
just across the street from the embassy
of Malta to the United States. Between
them, they must vie for the title of be-
ing the smallest embassies in Washing-
ton.
Bonn and Ottawa
The ambassador to the United States
is also accredited to Canada, and Cana-
dian responsibilities represent a signi-
ficant percentage of the work of the
embassy. In the light of the contacts
that exist between Canada and Ice-
land, and the presence of the Icelandic
communities in Canada, it is a little
surprising that Iceland does not main-
tain an embassy in Ottawa. After all,
"Iceland West" represents something
which is unique in Iceland's cultural
relations overseas, and which gener-
ates more official "goodwill" trips on
behalf of Iceland than anywhere else.
If an embassy can be maintained in
Bonn, where Iceland has only limited
interests, why not in Ottawa?
As might be expected, partly the pro-
blem lies in limited resources. The
staffing of an embassy in Ottawa
would strain even further the demands
made on Iceland's diplomatic person-
nel. But there is also the problem of
whether Canada would wish to recip-
rocate. Canada’s ambassador to Nor-
way is also accredited to Iceland, and
Canada does not maintain even a full-
time consul in Reykjavik. Canadian in-
terests on the spot are handled either
by an honorary consul or by the good
offices of the British embassy. Unless
Canada feels that her interests in Ice-
land are sufficiently important to in-
crease her diplomatic effort, then it is
unlikeiy that Iceland would wish to ex-
pand her diplomatic network in North
America further.
Unpredictable relations
Foreign policy can be a matter of
considerable political controversy in
Iceland (Icelanders have been known,
well before the Ayatollah set the
fashion, to attempt the storming of
foreign embassies on their soil), and
there is a recurrent debate as to how
far, and in what ways, Iceland should
relate to the outside world. For a small
state like Iceland, in a strategically
significant region, it is not always
possible to unilaterally determine
what the character of external rela-
tions will be. How much freedom of
action will be enjoyed, and how suc-
cessfully Iceland will be able to
manoeuvre between the constraints af-
fecting her, will be determined to a
significant extent by the effectiveness
of her diplomacy. Like so many other
aspects of her national life, in this area
too, Iceland manages to do a lot with a
little.
Dr. Paul Buteux teaches in the Department of Political Studies at the University of
Manitoba. He is currently undertaking research into the politics of nuclear weapon
modernization in NATO. During the course of travel in connection with this research
last summer he took time off to visit the Icelandic missions in Brussels and
Washington.
Business and
Professional Cards
Þjóðræknisfélag íslendinga í Vesturheimi
FORSETI: JOHANN S. SIGURDSON
Lundar, Manitoba
Styrkið íélaqið og deildir þess, með því að qerast meðlimir.
Ársgiald: EINSTAKLINGAR $3.00 — HJÓN $5.00
Sendið ársgjöld til gjaldkera ykkar eigm deilda, eða til
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386 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3R6
Telephone (204) 949-1312 Telex 07-57276
Mr. Glenn Sigurdson attends in Cimli and Riverton
on the first and third Fridays of each month.
Gimli OfTice- 3rd Ave. and Centre St.,
Telephone 642-7955, Hours 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Riverton Office- Riverton Village Office,
Hours 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Asgeirson Paints &
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696 Sargent Avenue
Winnipeg, Man. R3E0A9
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843 Sherbrook Street
Seiur likkistur og annast um
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THOMAS A. GOODMAN,
B.A. LL.B.
Barrister, Solicitor and
Notary Public
337 Main Street,
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R0G 2Z0
P.O. Box 96, Ph. 467-2344
ALBERT W. EYOLFSON,
LL.B.
Barrister and Solicitor
Associated with the firm of
CHRISTIE, DEGRAVES,
MACKAY
400-433 Portage Ave.,
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Ph. Business (204) 947-6801
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