Lithuanian foreign minister honours diaspora members and organisations

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Kęstutis Budrys, awarded honorary medals to members of the Lithuanian diaspora and diaspora organisations on Monday, to mark World Lithuanian Unity Day and Lithuanian Heritage School Day, the foreign ministry said. 

„You are the ones who not only preserve our language and traditions, but also help chart Lithuania’s course on the international stage – whether through safeguarding cultural heritage, civic engagement, or the sense of responsibility that brings people together in shared service. Through your efforts, Lithuania stays alive wherever a Lithuanian may be, and your initiatives contribute to our country’s resilience and growth,” Budrys said.

The ministry’s medal was awarded for outstanding contributions to promoting Lithuanian identity abroad, encouraging the involvement of diaspora Lithuanians in the country’s life, and building prosperity in their homeland.

Among this year’s recipients are Sigita Balzekas, president of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture (US); Beatričė Beliavciv, a longstanding advocate of Lithuanian-Ukrainian ties (Ukraine); composer Kęstutis Jonas Daugirdas, director of the Chicago Lithuanian youth choir Polėkis (US); Dalia Doniela, long-time editor of the weekly newspaper Mūsų Pastogė (Australia); Janete Jakatanvisky, one of the leaders of the Lithuanian community in Brazil; and Romas Jonušonis, director of the Toronto Lithuanian folk dance ensemble Gintaras (Canada).

Other recipients include Nikolajus Juozeliūnas, commander of Norway’s 316th Sea Scout Company; Renata Kanarskaja, a member of the Kyiv Maironis Lithuanian community and one of the first teachers at its heritage school (Ukraine); Viktorija Kašubaitė Matranga, an independent researcher and curator of Lithuanian émigré cultural heritage (US); Ramutė Kemeža-Kazlauskas, a member of the Lithuanian American Community council and of the US Lithuanian charity Saulutė; Rita C. Kliorys, a longstanding promoter of Lithuanian musical culture both at home and among the diaspora (US); Rasa Irena Kuras, a longtime figure in the Canadian Lithuanian community and champion of its heritage; Antanas and Lilija Kušeliauskas, longstanding patrons and volunteers of the US Lithuanian community; Ramunė Lapas, former longtime editor-in-chief of the newspaper Draugas (US); community figure Juozas Liubinskas (US); and Audrė Lukoševičiūtė, longtime teacher and director of the Maironis Lithuanian Saturday School in New York.

The list also includes Nerija Orentas, a longstanding activist, volunteer and supporter of the US Lithuanian community; Zita Elisabeth Petkus, a longtime board member of the Lithuanian community in Washington State and founder of the newspaper Tulpė Times; Gintaras Alfonsas Placas, a longtime member and former chairman of the Lithuanian Scouts Association in the US; Antanas Rašymas, chairman of the council of the Lithuanian Youth Centre in Chicago; Rasa Maria Silkaitis, head of the Los Angeles charity Lithuanian Children’s Hope; Eglė Šležienė, longtime teacher at a Lithuanian heritage school in Boston and founder of the folk dance group Sambūrėlis; Milda Marija Trinskytė, one of the founders and first chairwoman of the Lithuanian community in Estonia; Rita Maria Venzlov-Lukash, educator and founder of the US organisation Vaiko Vartai į Mokslą („Children’s Gateway to Education”); and Jonas Zmuidzinas, a physicist of Lithuanian descent and professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Honorary medals were also awarded to several organisations, including the Lithuanian Opera of Chicago; the Chicago Mothers’ Foundation, which funds charitable children’s health and welfare projects in Lithuania; the Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore; and the Lithuanian Heritage Museum in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.

At a ceremony held at the foreign ministry on Monday, awards were presented to recipients currently visiting Lithuania, while others will receive their honours through the country’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad.

The „For Merits of World Lithuanians to Lithuania” medal has been awarded since 2019 to mark World Lithuanian Unity Day. It recognises members of the diaspora and diaspora organisations for outstanding work in promoting Lithuanian identity, uniting communities around the world, and strengthening ties with their homeland.

Original article published LRT.lt