Why call it 'surreal' when it is very real and even dear to millions of people? It continues to look and feel surreal to me 'on the outside looking in' or 'looking over the neighbor's fence'. Metaphorically speaking. This week I watched a documentary "Putin's witnesses" by an exiled Ukrainian/Russian filmmaker Vitaly Mansky who now…Read more The surreal reality called Putin’s Russia
Civil society
Still learning to be free and independent
How many 'Independence Days' do you celebrate? Or do you even have one? Latvia has two! The first is November 18 when we celebrate the original proclamation of Independence of 1918. The second is May 4 when we celebrate the proclamation of Restoration of Independence in 1990. Independent from what?! First time from Russian Empire.…Read more Still learning to be free and independent
Don’t talk in maybe’s… Sing it like it should be
There is this one guy I would like to meet. He is very tall, very skinny, very bald and very cool. Well, he is kind of intimidating, too, but in a good way. His name is Peter Garrett and he is an Aussie. He also happens to be the lead singer of my favorite Australian…Read more Don’t talk in maybe’s… Sing it like it should be
The barricades and my experience of nonviolent resistance
It is January and it is another cold one in Latvia I am not in Riga but I do know what a cold winter day or night feels like. And in 1991 it was a cold January. Still, most people in Latvia (including me) remember it with special warmth because it was also a time…Read more The barricades and my experience of nonviolent resistance
peaceroads 