The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.2005, Síða 6

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 59 #3
Editorial
by Heather Alda Ireland
It is an honour for me to write this edi-
torial for the Icelandic Canadian. Since
childhood the magazine has been in my
home, sparking conversation, debate and
praise for the stories and poetry to be read
in every issue. Its continuance over the
decades is the result of the dedication and
determination of so many people, all chil-
dren of Icelandic immigrants.
Visiting Iceland recently, I was struck,
once more, by the incredible achievements
of its small population in recent years.
Since our forbearers left Iceland’s rocky
shores, Icelanders have guided their coun-
try to an important position in the world.
Just consider the phenomenon of modern
Iceland; economically sound, politically
mature and stable, providing an enviable
standard of living for its people. One real-
izes that Icelandic people are driven by a
sense of life’s possibilities and their need to
“make a difference”. Accomplishments
such as we have seen in Iceland begin with
a “vision” and the ability to identify a goal.
But visions are only that, unless pursued
with wisdom and determination. We can
see these attributes in the person of Vigdfs
Finnbogadottir who celebrated her 75th
birthday on April 15, 2005.
Vigdfs Finnbogadottir was elected
President of Iceland in 1980, a single moth-
er whose career had been in the humanities,
specifically theatre and languages. During
her sixteen years in office, she was a gra-
cious and dignified representative of
Iceland, raising its profile on the world
stage. She was and is an example for all her
countrymen and women that you can
Dream the Impossible Dream and make it a
reality.
I went to Iceland to attend the
Dialogue of Cultures conference and
Vigdfs Finnbogadottir’s special birthday
celebrations. We met one morning in her
home near the University. She commented,
“This birthday has crept up on me. I was
getting older without noticing it. But I find
it elegant to be 75, to be healthy and to
speak my mind from experience. I can’t
think of anything better.” I asked her what
she had been doing since she left the
Presidency nine years ago. “I knew that the
international community was waiting for
me.” Activity and commitment throughout
a long life is not uncommon to Icelanders.
After leaving the Presidency in 1996,
Vigdfs was appointed Chair of the United
Nations World Commission on Ethics in
Science and Technology based at
UNESCO in Paris. This position she held
for 4 years. She worked in Amman, Jordan
for the Leadership Academy, part of the
United Nations University. In
Copenhagen, she spearheaded the restora-
tion of an 18th century warehouse to estab-
lish a Culture House for the North
Atlantic. She is proud of this achievement.
“It celebrates the cultures of Iceland,
Greenland, the Faroe Islands and
Denmark. Many said that it could not be
done, for it took a great deal of money and
energy and the co-operation of the govern-
ments of all four countries. Now the plan is
to expand the Culture House to include the
other Nordic countries.”
The Council of Women World
Leaders was established ini996 at Harvard
Kennedy School of Government. Vigdfs
Finnbogadottir, the first woman to be
democratically elected President of her
country, became the Founding Chair. She
told me that eight women were members at
that time and now there are 23, indicating
the progress that is being made by women
world wide to reach this high position. She
said, “We greet with great warmth all
women who are added to this Council of
Women World Leaders.” Vigdfs has
“paved the way” for women to become
leaders of their countries.