Lithuanians in the News
13th May 2012
Prestigious International Business Award to Lithuanian Business Leader
Dr. Vladas Lašas is congratulated by Sir Richard Branson.
Photo courtesy: Business for Peace Foundation
Lithuanian business leader Dr. Vladas Lašas was presented with the highly esteemed 2012 Oslo Business for Peace Award at a ceremony on May 7, 2012, at the Oslo City Hall in Norway. The award to Vladas Lašas was one of seven awards to world business leaders, selected from 90 candidates from 60 countries. The Business for Peace Award is awarded to outstanding business leaders, who apply ethical and socially responsible business practices, while creating economic value for society. The Award is regarded as the highest global honour that can be bestowed on a business leader and, appropriately, the Award Committee that selects the persons for the Award are themselves Nobel Prize winners in Peace and Economics.
Dr. Vladas Lašas is the CEO and co-founder of the company “Skubios Siuntos” (means “Urgent Deliveries”), in Kaunas, Lithuania, as well as a number of high-tech companies, such as “Elinta” (Industrial and Power Plant Automation), “Elinvision” (Computer Vision R&D) and “Globaltus” (Global e-Commerce). He holds a doctorate in Computer Science and has lectured and carried out research on Computer Vision at Kaunas University of Technology. He has been cited as “an inspirational business leader who is helping drive awareness of how technology, cooperation and synergy can provide important solutions to pressing, global problems”.
Together with Sir Richard Branson he is also a co-founder of the Carbon War Room, a global initiative to put into practice practical solutions to climate change. Sir Richard was one of the first to congratulate Lašas in Oslo on his award.

Further information:
http://businessforpeace.no/   http://www.skubiossiuntos.lt/ http://www.carbonwarroom.com   http://www.lrytas.lt 08/05/12
Lithuanians in the News
22nd April 2012
Lithuanian Design Stands Out Internationally
The winning armchair. Photo courtesy sedesregia.com
At the recent International Furniture Fair in Singapore (IFF Singapore 2012, 9 – 12 March 2012) the Lithuanian upholstered furniture manufacturer Sedes Regia won the Best Exhibit Award in the Living Room Category for a swaying armchair. The winning armchair “ops!” was designed by designer Jonas Jurgaitis. At the Singapore fair there were 7 Lithuanian design companies exhibiting their designs, creating a lot of interest among the exhibition visitors and demonstrating the high standards of design Lithuanian designers can achieve.

Further information: www.sedesregia.com   www.iffs.com.sg
www.baltictimes.com 28/0312
Lithuanians in the News
1st April 2012
World Lithuanian Community President Visits Australia
Photo courtesy Regina Narušienė
On a visit to Tasmania, the President of the World Lithuanian Community (WLC), Regina Narušienė, and her husband, Bernardas Narušis, stopped briefly in Sydney. On March 21, 2012 she met up with the members of the Committee of the Australian Lithuanian Community of Sydney (ALC–Sydney Inc) and the Australian representative of the magazine “Pasaulio Lietuvis” (“The World Lithuanian”), published by the World Lithuanian Community.
Regina Narušienė was very interested to find out about Lithuanians in Australia, their history, activities and achievements. She enquired about the problems faced by Australian Lithuanians, problems of Lithuanian diplomatic presence in Australia, questions of dual citizenship and other issues of concern. She shared with ALC-Sydney Inc Committee information about the work of WLC in Lithuania and elsewhere in the world.


In the photo: (Counter clockwise from right) WLC President Regina Narušienė, ALC-Sydney Inc members Kęstutis Protas, Jadvyga Burokienė, Dr. Ramutis Zakarevičius (president), Ramona Zakarevičienė. From the left - “Pasaulio Lietuvis” representative Antanas Kramilius OAM and Lėta Kramilienė.
Lithuanians in the News
4th March 2012
Film Director Hazanavicius with Lithuanian Roots Sweeps the Oscars
Michel Hazanavicius (left) with his wife Berenice Bejo
and Jean Dujardin (right). Photo courtesy lrytas.lt
At Hollywood’s Oscars ceremony last Monday, February 26, film “The Artist” by the French film director Michel Hazanavicius, who has Lithuanian roots, won Oscars for the best film, the best director, the best actor, the best original score and the best costume design!
Michel Hazanavicius’ grandparents migrated from Lithuania to France in the 1920’s, where Michel was born in 1967. In the photo Michel Hazanavicius is with the actor Jean Dujardin, who won the best actor award for his role in “The Artist”. Michel’s wife Berenice Bejo, who is in the photo as well, is the female lead in the movie.

Further information: www.lrytas.lt 27/02/12
Lithuanians in the News
26th February 2012
Tasmania’s Great Lake Conquered by Ultratriathlon Swimmer Vidmantas Urbonas
Vidmantas Urbonas after crossing Tasmania’s Great Lake.
Photo courtesy lrytas.lt. Photographer V.Ščiavinskas
World Ultratriathlon Champion Swimmer Lithuanian Vidmantas Urbonas swam across Tasmania’s Great Lake on the 94th anniversary of Lithuania’s Independence day on February 16 2012. His aim is to swim the major lakes on all the continents as a promoter of an ecological campaign “WATER – THAT’S LIFE”. He has already swum across Lake Titicaca in South America, the Yellowstone Lake in the USA and Lake Baikal in Russia. In the future he plans to tackle Africa. He always chooses the date of his swims to coincide with some significant date of Lithuania’s history. This year in Tasmania his swim was on the occasion of Lithuania’s Independence Day.
Dr. Taškūnas of the University of Tasmania was
very happy to receive the Lithuanian Encyclopedia
Urbonas’ visit to Australia was under the patronage of Lithuania’s Past President Valdas Adamkus, who dedicated a number of copies of his books to be presented to Lithuanian communities in Australia. Urbonas met up with Sydney’s Lithuanian community on Monday, February 13, at the Sydney Lithuanian Club. In Tasmania he donated the Lithuanian Encyclopedia to the Lithuanian Reference Library at the University of Tasmania.

Further information: www.lrytas.lt 6-16/02/12
“Mūsų Pastogė” 22/02/12
Video of interview with President Adamkus -
http://tv.lrytas.lt/?id=13285431111328255014
Lithuania in the News
5th February 2012
World Leader Award to Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius
Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte (left) and Prime Minister
Andrius Kubilius. Photo courtesy lrytas.lt
Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius on January 31 2012 was honoured with the World Leader Cycle Award 2012 by the Economic Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR), affiliated with Erasmus University in The Netherlands. This notable award is an annual award to outstanding world leaders.
The award to Prime Minister Kubilius was for his accomplishments in the economic sphere. Former awardees include world figures such as NATO Secretary General, A. F. Rasmussen, the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr Reinfeldt, former German Chancellor, G. Schroeder, Prime Minister of Israel, B. Netanyahu.
In announcing the award to Prime Minister Kubilius, EFR declared “We admire your efforts in trying to restore Lithuanian economy and mitigate the outcomes of the economic crisis. Even though, Lithuania is severely affected by the crisis, its economic recovery was the fastest in the EU in the third quarter of the year."
In 2011 Lithuania’s economy achieved a growth of 5.8%, an amazing result for these difficult times. The World Bank predicts Lithuania’s economy to grow by 3.2% in 2012 and 3.5% in 2013, again very good results against the threats of another reecession in Europe. Also last year, Lithuania enjoyed one of the best results in the European Union for growth in foreign trade, which increased by about a third.

Further information: www.lrv.lt   www.investlithuania.com
Lithuanians in the News
22nd January 2012
New Board of Directors for the Sydney Lithuanian Club
The new Sydney Lithuanian Club Board of Directors – (L-R) John Lee, Rimas Mickus, Onutė Kapočienė OAM, Viktoras Šliteris OAM,
Garry Penhall, Romas Kalėda and Gintaras Janulevičius. Photo courtesy “Mūsų Pastogė”

At its Annual General Meeting on December 4, 2011, Sydney Lithuanian Club members basically reelected the previous Board of Director, with one new director, John Lee.

Further information: “Mūsų Pastogė” 14/12/11
Lithuanians in the News
15th January 2012
“Žuvėdra” – Seven Time World and Seven Time European Champions!
“Žuvėdra” celebrating their seventh world gold win. In the centre
of the back row is President Dalia Grybauskaitė with the coaches
Skaistutė and Romaldas Idzelevičius. Photo courtesy lrp.lt
The "Žuvėdra" DanceSport Ensemble from Klaipėda University again demonstrated superb artistry at the World Formation Latin championships in Vilnius on December 3, 2011. They became world champions for the seventh time. So now they have achieved gold for the seventh time in both the World and European Latin American Formation championships!
Competing in the championship were 17 groups from 10 countries. Second place was taken by the Russian ensemble “Vera“ and third place went to the German group "TSZ Aachen-TSC Duesseldorf Rot-Weiss". The Klaipėda University second team "Žuvėdra II" also did very well, taking fifth place.
Skaistutė and Romaldas Idzelevičius, the long time
coaches of “Žuvėdra. Photo courtesy lrytas.lt
When Žuvėdra" first competed internationally under Lithuania’s flag in Germany in 1989 they won seventh place and they have been going from strength to strength ever since. The long time coaches of “Žuvėdra” are husband and wife Professors Skaistė and Romaldas Idzelevičius and their dedication over all those years has made “Žuvėdra” the world champions they are.

Further information: www.lrytas.lt 04/12/11

“Žuvėdra” on video: http://www.lrytas.lt/videonews/?id=13229524911321489233
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