Kanados lietuvių bendruomenės politinės veiklos kryptys 1954-1990 m

Abstract

The Canadian Lithuanian Community (CLC) began its activities in 1952 as an organisation joining together Lithuanians living in Canada. The fact that its work was based on the Lithuanian Charter and the temporary bylaws of the World Lithuanian Community suggested that the CLC would be oriented toward cultural and educational activities. But it soon became clear that the Lithuanian Diplomatic Service and the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania would not be able to fulfil the tasks they had set for themselves in Canada without the assistance of the CLC. Therefore, on January 11, 1954, the Political Committee of of the CLC Executive held its first meeting. These leaders thought that the Lithuanian General Consulate in Toronto had insufficient opportunities available for action in Canadian political life. This realization that the Honorary Consul General could not exercise a leadership position with respect to Lithuanian political activities in Canada hastened the formation of an appropriate structure that began to exert centralized pressure on Canadian government officials on behalf of the Lithuanian cause of freedom. In this paper we will trace the political activities of the CLC from the establishment of the Political Committee up to the re-establishment of Lithuanian independence. In this process two stages may provisionally be distinguished. During the first stage (1954-1969) the vision of CLC's political activity began to take shape, whereas during the second (1970-1990) it was being implemented in response to changes in the international situation. Upon the establishment of contacts with the highest officials of the Canadian government mutually beneficial results were ultimately achieved. Finally, we will provide support for the following conclusions.[...]