The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.2005, Qupperneq 7

Vol. 59 #3
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
93
Vigdis Finnbogadottir currently holds
the very important position of UNESCO’s
Goodwill Ambassador for Languages. Her
aim and duty is to defend all languages and
to raise awareness of the many languages
that are in danger of becoming extinct.
She was honoured and deeply touched
when the University of Iceland established
the Vigdis Finnbogadottir Institute of
Foreign Languages, the only institute of its
kind at any university. All foreign lan-
guages taught at the University are under
the guidance of the Institute. Located there
is the recently unveiled bust sculpted by
Erlingur Jonsson. It depicts Vigdis looking
out into the world with a beautiful expres-
sion of wisdom and joy. In her remarks fol-
lowing the unveiling, Vigdis said, “I hoped
that it will speak to future generations and
answer their questions.”
The Dialogue of Cultures conference,
organized by the Institute, the Foreign
Ministry and other organizations and gov-
ernment offices attracted over 70 foreign
guests from 18 countries together with over
120 representatives from Iceland. Vigdis
had requested this Dialogue to bring the
sciences and the humanities together
through intellectual discussion by many
learned people and distinguished scholars.
She said, “It is essential for people to meet,
to try to understand each other. We must
respect the equality of all cultures.”
At the Conference, Mary Robinson,
President of Ireland, 1990 to 1997 praised
Vigdis for her many achievements at home
and abroad and thanked her for being such
a wonderful example for women the world
over. As a special tribute and to exemplify
the admiration of so many, a choir of 100
women, from little girls to seniors, sang for
the guest of honour. Professor David
Crystal, the expert on endangered lan-
guages from the University of Wales, gave
the keynote address and concluded with his
own tribute to Vigdis. He listed all the
existing awards for the Arts, the Oscar for
films, the Booker for writers etc. and said,
“There should be an award for language
and it should be called the Vigdis”.
Speakers, President Olafur Ragnar
Grlmsson, Prime Minister Halldor
Asgrimsson, Minister of Education,
Science and Culture, PorgerSur Katrln
Gunnarsdottir and Magnus Magnusson
praised Vigdis, elaborating on all her
numerous accomplishments and reciting
many of her characteristics. In her
response, Vigdis said “Thank you for
introducing me to myself”! She was most
gracious, speaking humorously and
humbly and, once again, endearing herself
to all listeners.
Vigdis is currently working on a pro-
ject for the United Nation’s 60th
Anniversary that occurs in October of this
year. Voices of the World is a film about all
the living languages of the world. “It will
be a very long film,” she said. “There are
6500 languages in the world! It is being
made to create awareness and bring atten-
tion to the fact that we must take care of
our languages. It is only twenty-five years
since we started to pay attention to cultur-
al diversity. It is vital to recognize that with
every language that disappears, a culture
disappears.”
During our visit, Vigdis talked about
her visions. “I walk around with visions. I
want to see things become a reality. It is
such a wonder when they do. There is an
old Spanish saying that only those who can
see the invisible, are capable of doing the
impossible. So, you must first see the vision
and then start to create something out of it.
All visual artists know this. I never give up.
I am rather stubborn in that way. I go on
until I have seen that it is possible. I have
been lucky in life that way. I have changed
some visions into reality.” That focus and
determination has made her an inspiration
to so many people over her lifetime.
To listen to Heather Alda Ireland’s
interview with Vigdis Finnbogadottir log
on to HYPERLINK "http://www.pen-
nan.ca/SIR/" http://www.pennan.ca/SIR/
Strondin Internet Radio series:
Program #7 - "HARPA "