{"id":799,"date":"2017-08-29T16:47:07","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T14:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/?p=799"},"modified":"2025-07-13T13:27:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T11:27:20","slug":"liga-ruperte-tedexriga2017-angliski","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/?p=799","title":{"rendered":"L\u012bga Ruperte TEDxRiga2017 (angliski)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-803 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Screen-Shot-2017-08-29-at-17.47.59-244x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"244\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>INTRO<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Do any of you know someone who has to live somewhere other than hia or her native<\/p>\n<p>country?\u00a0 Many of us probably do, because these days there are more displaced people<\/p>\n<p>in the world than there have been at any other time.\u00a0 I would like to share my story about<\/p>\n<p>how after being forced to leave home, I found ways\u00a0 to strengthen my ethnic identity and<\/p>\n<p>connect to my roots.\u00a0 I hope it will help others who find themselves far from home.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine a place where three generations of people can spend a week together to<\/p>\n<p>celebrate being with their family and their tribe \u2013 people who share their history,<\/p>\n<p>language and traditions, songs and dances \u2013 a phenomenon.\u00a0 A place where a teenager,<\/p>\n<p>a 90 year old, a middle aged person and a toddler \u2013 all feel welcome, are listened to and<\/p>\n<p>heard, know that they belong.\u00a0 A place where they can learn about their ethnic heritage<\/p>\n<p>and about each other.\u00a0 There is such a place and we call it 3&#215;3, symbolizing the three<\/p>\n<p>generations.\u00a0 In fact, I started the 3&#215;3 camp movement which helped Latvians all over the<\/p>\n<p>world to connect, affirm their ethnic identity and enjoy being together.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The wisdom of three generations, held together by a thread | L\u012bga Ruperts | TEDxRiga\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x366Bapc8I8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>Refugee<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I was born in Latvia, a small country in northeastern Europe.\u00a0 Along with my parents<\/p>\n<p>and many others I fled the Soviet occupation in 1944, spent five years in refugee camps<\/p>\n<p>in Germany and then emigrated to the US where I have spent most of my life.\u00a0 However,<\/p>\n<p>I am immensely grateful that I feel I belong here in Latvia as well.<\/p>\n<p><b>Loosing identity<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Life in America was hard in the beginning.\u00a0 We had lost everything, including our very<\/p>\n<p>identities as the people we used to be.\u00a0 My father had been an officer in the Latvian army,<\/p>\n<p>but in the US he was a farm hand, whose wages barely bought the family groceries.\u00a0 My<\/p>\n<p>mother, who had been a clerk in a district court, became a maid on the farm.\u00a0 I went to<\/p>\n<p>school, but only because my parents insisted.\u00a0 It was humiliating \u2013 I was placed in a grade<\/p>\n<p>much below my age level, because I could not speak English.\u00a0 We felt weird and inferior.<\/p>\n<p>Life became easier after we moved to a city where a number of other Latvians had settled.<\/p>\n<p>My parents had menial jobs, but I continued in school and eventually earned a Ph.D in<\/p>\n<p>counseling.\u00a0 Over time I held a number of great jobs as a teacher and a counselor.\u00a0 I no<\/p>\n<p>longer felt weird.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, I was proud of being different, being unique.<\/p>\n<p><b>Clash of generations<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Most of my friends were Latvian, but I had participated in few organized activities in the<\/p>\n<p>Latvian community.\u00a0 To tell the truth, I felt I did not quite belong there, like I wasn\u2019t a<\/p>\n<p>good enough Latvian by the standards of the older generation, because in many respects<\/p>\n<p>my opinions differed from theirs.\u00a0 Eventually I did find some ways I could contribute<\/p>\n<p>by working in the summer high school and some youth seminars.\u00a0 And then, much to my<\/p>\n<p>surprise, I was elected to chair the Bureau of Culture of the American Latvian Association.<\/p>\n<p>Now I had to do something, but had no idea what!<\/p>\n<p><b>Being a Latvian<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I kept thinking of something I had overheard at the Latvian summer high school in Three<\/p>\n<p>Rivers, Michigan.\u00a0 A mother was berating her teenage daughter who apparently refused<\/p>\n<p>to sing in in the choir.\u00a0 Mom said that all good Latvians sang in the choir!\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 And<\/p>\n<p>what made her so sure of that?\u00a0 Her parents had said so.\u00a0 Hmmmm\u2026\u00a0 And what was the<\/p>\n<p>big deal about being a good Latvian anyway when you lived in America?<\/p>\n<p><b>New approach<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Although Latvians in the diaspora had a number of organizations and activities, I felt<\/p>\n<p>that there was room for something new and different.\u00a0 Not sure I was on the right track,<\/p>\n<p>I interviewed a number of people in my age range, about 40-55 years old, and asked<\/p>\n<p>about their experiences in the Latvian community, what they liked and disliked.\u00a0 It turned<\/p>\n<p>out we had a lot in common \u2013 we shared an appreciation of Latvian culture and<\/p>\n<p>friendships with other Latvians.\u00a0 We also shared the feeling that some of the activities<\/p>\n<p>and some characteristics of Latvians as group in general discouraged our participation.<\/p>\n<p>Living in the past, expecting everybody \u201cto sing in the choir\u201d \u2013 stick to a rather rigid<\/p>\n<p>definition of what a good Latvian should be and do alienated us.\u00a0 I wanted to do<\/p>\n<p>something that I and, hopefully, others would truly enjoy, not participate in because we<\/p>\n<p>felt we had to be \u201cgood\u201d Latvians.<\/p>\n<p>Such participation had a lot to offer.\u00a0 All of us, especially people who have been forced out<\/p>\n<p>of their homelands, are better off when they have a sense of connectedness,<\/p>\n<p>opportunities to develop stable, lasting face-to-face\u00a0 interpersonal relationships and<\/p>\n<p>strong multigenerational family ties.\u00a0 A reference group with shared roots, goals and<\/p>\n<p>values would help meet the need for belonging.\u00a0 I was convinced that a strong sense of<\/p>\n<p>experiential ethnic identity could enrich my life and those of others as long as its<\/p>\n<p>development was compelling rather than prescribed.<\/p>\n<p><b>Appealing vs. force-fed<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I had a hunch we had to start with the \u201cwhy do it\u201d, and there were many\u00a0 \u201cwhys\u201d \u2013 to get<\/p>\n<p>to know more about our rich cultural heritage, complicated history, precarious political<\/p>\n<p>situation \u2013 in brief, know more about the meaning of being a Latvian.\u00a0 To know more<\/p>\n<p>about each other \u2013 who we actually were, not who we should be to qualify.<\/p>\n<p>I thought that in an informal, non-traditional, fun setting we could learn from and about<\/p>\n<p>each other, regardless of age, educational level, profession or economic situation.<\/p>\n<p>Participating in interactive educational and recreational activities hopefully would<\/p>\n<p>promote thinking about and sharing with others what it meant to one personally to be a<\/p>\n<p>Latvian child, parent or grandparent surrounded by a different language and culture.<\/p>\n<p>To think about what were the good and not so good aspects of being a member of the<\/p>\n<p>Latvian community.\u00a0 Share how you feel, what you do and how you do it, how you cope<\/p>\n<p>with life in two different cultures and languages.\u00a0 And hopefully discover what it is worth<\/p>\n<p>to you to affirm your Latvian identity and feel that you belong to a group of your own<\/p>\n<p>people.<\/p>\n<p>The more I thought about it, the more carried away I became.\u00a0 And you know what<\/p>\n<p>happened?\u00a0 My enthusiasm and belief in the project helped to connect with others\u00a0 who<\/p>\n<p>spread the idea further and offered suggestions.\u00a0 In fact, many of them became involved<\/p>\n<p>In the development of what we named the multigenerational ethnic heritage camp 3&#215;3.<\/p>\n<p><b>What is 3&#215;3<\/b><\/p>\n<p>So what is 3&#215;3? It is a week long camp where you can make a traditional Latvian ring or<\/p>\n<p>necklace for your sweetheart, learn how many \u201cdainas\u201d or folksongs are dedicated to the<\/p>\n<p>sun, discuss the current situation in Latvian politics,\u00a0 help draw an animated film, folk-<\/p>\n<p>dance \u2018til dawn, sing your heart out, make friends and watch your children make friends<\/p>\n<p>may last a lifetime, and much, much more.\u00a0 It is where family members who live in<\/p>\n<p>different countries can spend quality time together.\u00a0 It is where you don\u2019t have to worry<\/p>\n<p>about cooking or cleaning house.\u00a0 Your time is your own to enjoy the activities and each<\/p>\n<p>other.\u00a0 3&#215;3 camp programs meet the needs of participants by providing a variety of<\/p>\n<p>seminars and ethnic crafts workshops for the adults and activities for children of<\/p>\n<p>different ages.\u00a0 In the evenings there are programs and activities for families, folk<\/p>\n<p>singing and dancing, as well as time for socializing, playing cards and whatever else you<\/p>\n<p>may like to do.\u00a0 So children, their parents and grandparents, 3 generations, enjoy camp<\/p>\n<p>together.<\/p>\n<p>While the organizers come from various backgrounds, the seminar presenters and<\/p>\n<p>Craftsmen are mostly well known professionals in their fields, chosen not only for<\/p>\n<p>Mastery of their subject but also the ability to present their material in an interesting,<\/p>\n<p>Easily accessible manner \u2013 much like TED talks.\u00a0 All work is done on a volunteer basis.<\/p>\n<p><b>Going international<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In 1978 I was elected to chair the Council on Education of the World Federation of Free<\/p>\n<p>Latvians, and this provided an opportunity to travel and engage people in different<\/p>\n<p>countries that had a sizeable Latvian population.\u00a0 The 3&#215;3 camp movement rapidly<\/p>\n<p>spread from the US to other countries.\u00a0 Our goals were learning about all things Latvian,<\/p>\n<p>strengthening multigenerational family ties, and developing friendship and support<\/p>\n<p>networks.\u00a0 Many types of learning take place \u2013 not only about Latvian culture and<\/p>\n<p>society but also about and from each other \u2013 and about ourselves.<\/p>\n<p><b>What makes it a success<\/b><\/p>\n<p>3&#215;3 came about and flourished because it was conceived from the bottom, by asking<\/p>\n<p>people what they want to do and making it clear that it\u2019s up to each participant to make<\/p>\n<p>the experience meaningful to him- or herself.\u00a0 It means different things to different<\/p>\n<p>people.\u00a0 For example, the acclaimed folk musician Ilga Reizniece says\u201d\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s hard to<\/p>\n<p>describe the happiness I feel playing into the early morning hours and seeing that the<\/p>\n<p>energy and joy of the dancers is undiminished.\u201d\u00a0 A 90 year old man from New York, who<\/p>\n<p>has participated in camps in Latvia for many years, says that the people he has befriended<\/p>\n<p>there are his family since he has none other.\u00a0 I am sad that he will not be making the trip<\/p>\n<p>this year.\u00a0 Families often enthusiastically talk about how sharing\u00a0 experiences at 3&#215;3<\/p>\n<p>has helped them communicate like never before.\u00a0 Teenagers love being allowed to stay up<\/p>\n<p>\u2018til all hours to dance or socialize \u2013 as long as they don\u2019t oversleep and miss workshops or<\/p>\n<p>seminars the next day.\u00a0 Many camp participants view 3&#215;3 as the opportunity to \u201ccharge<\/p>\n<p>their Latvian batteries\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><b>Currently<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Currently there are 8 3&#215;3 camps each year \u2013 one in Australia in January, two in Latvia in<\/p>\n<p>July, two in the US and one in Ireland in August, and two in Great Britain in July\/August.<\/p>\n<p>A ninth camp in Germany will join us in 2018.\u00a0 So far, in the spring of 2017, there have<\/p>\n<p>been 232 3&#215;3 camps with over 34000 participants since the first camp at Garezers,<\/p>\n<p>Michigan in 1981.\u00a0 Although no two camps are exactly alike, all of them have the same<\/p>\n<p>goals and follow the same guidelines.<\/p>\n<p><b>Ending<\/b><\/p>\n<p>3&#215;3 was started so we could learn more about our ethnic heritage and about each other.<\/p>\n<p>The informal atmosphere and activity format at the camps foster interaction among<\/p>\n<p>People of different age groups and an understanding that all Latvians are not alike,<\/p>\n<p>That they don\u2019t all have to sing in the choir.\u00a0 We can learn certain things from our elders,<\/p>\n<p>but they have to learn from the younger generations what is important to them, how<\/p>\n<p>being Latvian feels to them.\u00a0 I strongly believe that unless there is an understanding<\/p>\n<p>and acceptance of the ideas, goals and values of all age groups, it is impossible to build a<\/p>\n<p>vital, strong and sustainable community.<\/p>\n<p>With the 3&#215;3 camps we started a social movement which grew from a few simple ideas<\/p>\n<p>eventually shared by more and more people \u2013 we wanted to have a sense of belonging,\u00a0 a<\/p>\n<p>tribe, have fun, learn from and about each other without the barriers that age and<\/p>\n<p>background often create.\u00a0 An we found that there are many ways of being Latvian with or<\/p>\n<p>without singing in the choir.<\/p>\n<p>It has been a fantastic experience and a great privilege to be able to be a part of the 3&#215;3<\/p>\n<p>movement from its inception in 1981, and to continue to be the coordinator of camps in<\/p>\n<p>three continents and six countries.\u00a0 It\u2019s great to see that many organizers and presenters<\/p>\n<p>of today started their 3&#215;3 experience in a baby carriage.\u00a0 I am able to relate to them not as<\/p>\n<p>a grandmother but a person with shared goals, values, and activities a colleague, an equal.<\/p>\n<p>3&#215;3 continues to evolve as each new generation adds to the concept of what it means to<\/p>\n<p>be a Latvian \u2013 and why it feels great to be one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; INTRO Do any of you know someone who has to live somewhere other than hia or her native country?\u00a0 Many of us probably do, because these days there&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=799"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":804,"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799\/revisions\/804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3x3.lv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}