Lögberg-Heimskringla - 11.09.1992, Blaðsíða 1

The lcelandic Weekly
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106. Árgangur Föstudagur 11. september 1992 Númer 31
106th Year Publications Mail Registration No. 1667 Friday, 11 September 1992 Number 31
Vigdis Finnbogadótt
re-elected to fourth term
Logberg Stofnað 14. jnnúar 1888
Heimskringla Stofnaö 9. september 1886
celandicl
News
■'yM, f 4 y
Leola Josefson, the representative for the
University of Minnesota and the president
of the board of directors for the Valdimar
Björnsson's Scholarship fund & Sveinbjörn
Björnsson, the chair ofthe University of
lceland, at the signing of the agreement
between the Universities.
Universities Renew
Agreement
Ten years have passed sínce the
Universities of lceland began formal
cooperation wíth the University of
Minnesota U. S. A. In 1982 an agree-
ment for a mutual teacher and student
exchange program was signed by the
Chair of both Universities, and the
agreement was renewed again ín 1987.
Thís agreement has been formally
renewed anew between the Universities
for the next 5 years.
icelandic
Music
Introduces
In The
U.S.A.
Steinunn Birna
Ragnarsdóttir, a
pianist, was re-
cently a guest on
a one hour show at the radio and televi-
sion station WGBH, where she intro-
duced lcelandic musíc and answered
questions about lcelandic culture. The
show was broadcast to many millions in
the States, and via satellite to Austraiía,
England and elsewhere. Works by Jón
Nordal and Þorkell Sigurbjömsson were
played. Steinunn played works by
Sveinbjöm Sveinbjömsson, Scariatti and
Schumann.
Icelanders Sell Fishing
Technology To Norway
lcelanders used to buy fishing technolo-
gy from Norway, but for the last 10
years lcelanders have been exporting
theír own fishing technology to Nonway,
The lcelandic machinery is now superior
to that of the Norwegian. In the first 6
months of this year lcelanders sold 40
million krónur's ($8 million Canadian)
worth of fishing technology to Norway.
The outlook for future sales is very
bright and Roger Walderhaug the agent
for Kvikk sf. expects to double the sales
in the latter part of the year.
Plctures from Morgunblaðlð
Icelandic President Vigdís Finnboga-
dóttir was last month re-elected to a
fourth term in office. Once again,
she was unopposed, her popularity in
the country being such that no realistic
politician would choose to oppose her.
Iceland could have no better repre-
sentative on the world stage. As many
Canadians, and most Western Icelanders
in Canada and the United States know
from her visits here a few years ago, she
is a highly intelligent, cultured and artic-
ulate woman with a good common sense
grasp of major international issues as
well as the many issues that particularly
concern Iceland.
Icelandic society is in many ways
classless, the ultimate dream of people
everywhere but one which has been real-
ized nowhere. Years ago, the British
novelist John Buchan, or if you prefer,
Lord Tweedsmuir, governor-general of
Canada, as he was known in his alter-
ego, visited Iceland and commented that
the foreigner visiting the country would
get along fine so long as he treated
everyone he met — no matter how hum-
ble their appearance or station in life —
as if they were British aristocrats. My
father taught me the same lesson - treat
everyone with respect until they proved
that they do not deserve it. Anyone who
has met President Vigdís is aware that
she subscribes to the same theory.
President Vigdís has earned the
respect of her people from all walks of
life, and of Western Icelanders as well.
Following is an editorial from News
From Iceland congratulating her on yet
another victory.
Opinion
News from lceland
As Iceland’s President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir begins
her fourth term of office, the best wishes of the nation go
with her.
The fact that she was retumed unopposed to this, the
country’s highest office, speaks for itself. During her 12
years as president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir has won herself
a special place in the heart of the nation. During her pres-
idency, the respect and dignity of the office has continued
to grow, a point of great importance to the young repub-
lic.
It is clear that during her term as president, she has
contributed greatly to the increase in awareness of
Iceland around the world, laying special emphasis on
strengthening cultural ties and contact between
Icelanders and other nations. She has also worked con-
sistently to encourage her people’s consciousness of their
historical heritage and responsibility for their own des-
tiny.
It is sometimes said that problems in govemment grow
in inverse proportion to the number of those who are
being governed. If this were true, governing Iceland
should be anything but easy. Many shades of opinion
have often existed within the country at the same time,
with little common ground found for agreement.
However, there is one thing on which there seems to
be no disagreement: the Icelandic people are happy with
their president and welcome the fact that Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir is continuing in office.