Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.04.2014, Side 5

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1. apríl 2014 • 9
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8 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • April 1 2014
Upon returning to Iceland in
2011, she immediately involved
herself with the Community
Church, and a year later was
elected the Chair of the Women’s
Club of the church.
“After a year and a half
back in Iceland, when it was
clear that Atli had to retire at 70,
as all Icelandic Civil Servants
have to do, we asked to be sent
to Winnipeg as our last posting
abroad before our retirement.
Here and in Western Canada,
it is of course the mission
of the Consulate General to
continue maintaining and
strengthening the strong bonds
between Canadians of Icelandic
descent, that we lovingly call
Western Icelanders, and the old
Motherland,” Anna said in a
recent speech.
Anna has quickly endeared
herself to the many Western
Icelanders with whom she
has been in contact following
her arrival in Winnipeg in
June 2013. Whether it is her
hosting the Consular Corps for
dinner, making kleinur for new
Canadians at Citizenship Court,
participating as Honourary
Patron of Jon Sigurdsson
Chapter IODE, speaking to the
University Women’s Club, or
attending the many Icelandic
cultural events, Anna portrays
as an accomplished, confident,
warm and friendly woman.
These accomplishments
are also reflected in her love
of the arts. During her travels
she has studied watercolour,
done quilting and is currently
thinking about pursuing
photography.
In their 38 year career as
diplomats, Anna and Hjálmar
have always worked as a
team. “We are two people –
one diplomat and one spouse
--working in diplomacy,”
(Hjálmar said). “It can be the
most rewarding teamwork of
any profession. We love it.”
Despite the fact that Anna
and Hjálmar have lived all
over the world, all three of
their children were born in
Iceland. Their two sons and
their families, including four
grandchildren, live in Iceland.
Their daughter lives and works
in New York City.
The Western Icelanders of
Manitoba are indeed blessed
that Anna and Hjálmar, over the
next two and a half years, will
be sharing their knowledge and
culture as well as continuing to
strengthen the bond between
Canada and Iceland.
Source: “Wife Adapts,
from Women’s Issues at U.N.
to Economic Crisis in D.C.”,
The Washington Diplomat,
contributing writer, Gail Scott
Above: Skata or Skötuveisla in Gimli, Grétar Axelsson
(centre) with Hjálmar and Anna Birgis
Below: Fjallkona Maxine Ingals with Anna Birgis
Above: Ambassador Hjálmar and Anna with Michelle and President Barak Obama
Top left: Anna Birgis learning to dance “Line dans” in Red Deer, Alberta, at Thorsteinson
Family Reunion The boy is Jake Thorsteinson from Edmonton
Introducing Anna Birgis Hannesson
The Icelandic community in Manitoba was delighted when it heard that the new
Consul General for Iceland and
his wife, who as experienced
diplomats, had chosen to
spend the last three years of
their service in Winnipeg.
As a former Ambassador to
many countries, including the
United Nations, many know the
accomplishments of Hjálmar
W. Hannesson. However, Anna
Birgis Hannesson, his wife, also
has a reputation for contributing
on many levels in the diplomatic
circles and communities in
which she has lived.
In 2009, when Anna
and Hjálmar were posted to
Washington, D.C., according
to columnist Gail Scott, a
contributing writer to The
Washington Diplomat, wrote:
“Anna Birgis Hannesson, wife
of Iceland’s new ambassador,
Hjálmar W. Hannesson, is the
energetic first president and co-
founder of the United Nations
Women for Peace (WFP) project
in New York. Now that she is in
Washington, she hopes to stir
up some interest in the nation’s
capital for her cause.”
‘“This peace initiative is
so important,’ Anna told the
Washington Diplomat. ‘We
want and need the women’s
perspective and I would love to
start a group here in Washington
for that.’”
Anna began WFP while
serving as president of the
U.N. Delegation’s Women’s
Club during her husband’s
posting as Iceland’s permanent
representative to the United
Nations in New York. “Women
don’t need to be based in
New York to spread peace
throughout the world...we need
women’s voices in peace crises
to negotiate between countries
and within their own families....
they can have influence on their
husbands and sons; and the
daughters, on their fathers and
brothers.”
Gail Scott added, “We need
more women leaders, more
women in higher positions
and more women working
with men, not against them.
Women and men can make a
bigger difference when they
work together as equal partners.
To that end, Anna helped to
organize the Women for Peace
Gala at the United Nations on
April 17, 2009, a multicultural
event celebrating International
Women’s Day...”
This gala raised funds to
send four women from Uganda,
Sri Lanka, Brazil and Tajikistan
for graduate studies at the
University of Peace in Costa
Rica.
“‘We have a simple
message: Together we represent
every woman in the world. We
carry every woman from every
part of the world in our hearts
and minds,’ Anna said. ‘We
encourage and empower one
another to become partners of
peaceful societies around the
world.’
“Iceland in fact has a long
history of strong and forthright
women. When Iceland’s
women’s party was established
in 1974, it made headlines
around the world. ‘Now the
women’s party doesn’t exist
because we don’t need it.’ Anna
said. ‘We have opened up the
system and the political parties.
In 1980, we elected our first
female president, our former
prime minister was a woman,
and half the Cabinet is female.’”
This year, Anna returned
to New York for International
Women’s Day held on March
7, 2014 to participate in the UN
Women for Peace Committee’s
“March in March” to end
violence against women, along
with her many international
colleagues.
Anna has always been active
in the many nations, as she and
Hjálmar travelled throughout the
world with different diplomatic
posts. She and Hjálmar have
lived in Belgium and Sweden, in
Germany and China, where they
established the first Icelandic
Embassy, as well, as in Ottawa,
New York and Washington,
D.C. During her stay in these
countries she studied German,
Mandarin and Swedish. By
learning the language of these
various countries, she was able
to gain a better understanding of
the culture of the country. It was
their tour in China that made
Anna realize how privileged
the people are in the developed
world. Following her stay in
China, Anna led six groups of
people back to China for tours.
In each of these countries
she became very active in the
Diplomatic spouses’ activities,
often taking a lead role, as
President of the Diplomatic Club
in Stockholm, chairing the United
Nations Heads of Missions
Spouses’ Association, and
President of the United Nations
Delegations Women’s Club.
Karen Botting
Winnipeg MB
UN Women for Peace “March in March” from left to right:
Cindy McCain, Trudie Styler. Mrs Ban Soon-taek, Kim
Cattrall, Naomi Campbell, Muna Rihani, UNWfP President,
ABH Former President (per interview)and Nassir Abdulaziz
Al-Nasser Qatar, former Ambassador at the UN. Women for
Peacemarching to celebrate the InternationalWomen’s Day.
We proudly support the United Nations Trust Fund to end
Violence Against Women.
PHOTO: HJÁLMAR W. HANNESSON
Above: Anna Birgis and her dog, Coco
Below: Anna Birgis with daughter Anna Karin
Year round service from Toronto, seasonal service from
Halifax and convenient connections on WestJet.
+ For further information, please visit
www.icelandair.ca or call (877) I-FLY-ICE
VELKOMIN HEIM
December 2013, when Anna invited a group of “Western”
Icelanders and Icelanders who moved to Manitoba in the last
five or six years, for a day to make the traditional laufabrauð
that we make before Christmas and serve with hangikjöt. Three
generations: Anna Birgis Hannesson, Johanna Wilson (one of
the vínarterta specialists in Winnipeg) and Robbie Rousseau
GENERAL MANAGER LANCE FRIDFINNSON
www.mymidtownford.com
100-1717 WAVERLEY STREET
WAVERLEY AUTO MALL
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA R3T 6A9
1-800-665-1632
204-284-7650
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANNA BIRGIS HANNESSON
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANNA BIRGIS HANNESSON
PHOTO: FIONA AXELSSON