Reconciliation

Rohingya and soul searching in Myanmar

Myanmar is making international headlines again and the news is not good. Tragedy for the thousands and thousands of people who are losing their homes, ancestral land, possessions and fleeing to neighboring country Bangladesh... hundreds are also losing their lives and their loved ones. The story of Rohingya ethnic minority has repeated through the years…Read more Rohingya and soul searching in Myanmar

Most difficult peace with ourselves

My claim to fame - meeting and talking with Brian "Head" Welch from Korn. I was never a huge fan. I could not relate to their darkness and anger and even less to the destructive lifestyle, but few years ago I heard Head perform his solo album "Save me from myself". Talk about a story…Read more Most difficult peace with ourselves

Helpful or harmful to talk about painful national past?

This is a common and valid question. When do the wounds, losses and memories from time ago truly become things of the past? When does it heal and hurt no more? When does dwelling on the past become harmful and we get stuck in it? Increasingly many people in my global circle of friends are…Read more Helpful or harmful to talk about painful national past?

Time to bridge the chasm of dividing memories in my own nation… Latvia

Does time heal all wounds? Few months ago I was asked by an American how much more time we need in Latvia to bridge our ethnic and historical divides and to have a real sense of 'one nation'. 30 years? 40 years? More? Wait a few decades when the older people will be gone and…Read more Time to bridge the chasm of dividing memories in my own nation… Latvia

Good Friday and The Cranberries in my head

The keywords  - Ireland, The Cranberries, Good Friday and Jesus - are not equal in importance but they are all part of my story. I am a big fan of Ireland! I have never lived there (my brother has, my friends and close relatives do) but I have always been fascinated by it. The Celtic…Read more Good Friday and The Cranberries in my head

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes…

I miss her. Today, October 8, is her birthday and I miss going to her home, having a nice home cooked meal, watching some silly TV programs, talking about anything and everything, watching her laugh so easily... so many ordinary things that she made special. My mom passed away a few years ago. Today she…Read more Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes…

By losing our neighbors we lose a part of ourselves

I continue to reflect on my recent trip to Ukraine. Particularly the city of Lutsk, the regional center of Volyn province. It is a very nice, slow paced city in northwestern part of Ukraine with very fascinating story. It has a beautiful old castle and lots of other interesting cultural, historical and architectural sights. But…Read more By losing our neighbors we lose a part of ourselves

These stones make me stumble

I am from a city that still has cobblestone streets. These roads in Riga are not the most comfortable for riding a bicycle or walking with high heel shoes (women in Latvia do it anyway) but they are beautiful. The old stones make you think of previous generations, even centuries and people who walked here.…Read more These stones make me stumble

It could be me, it could be you…

I want to talk about Ukraine in a very personal way and this story starts in Thailand... of all places. My former home in Chiang Mai was in a small and quiet neighborhood close to Chiang Mai University. There were not many foreigners living there. So, when a foreign family moved in, everyone took notice.…Read more It could be me, it could be you…