▶ meet Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga in Latvia - YouTube
▻https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njq79P6kSUY&feature=share
In the 17th episode of the #mindpower project, the Latvian ex-president Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga explains the significance of poets Rainis and Aspazija to the Latvian culture. She emphasises their role in the creation of modern Latvian literature and Latvian literary language, Aspazija’s role in the fight for women’s rights and the relevance of Rainis’ ideas on human rights in Latvian, European and world-wide context.
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga is one of the most influential public figures in Latvia since the regaining of its independence. Born 1937 in Riga, she fled with her family from the Soviet army during the World War II first to Germany, then to Morocco and Canada. There she earned her PhD in psychology and became a professor. She served as President of Latvia from 1999 to 2007 and played a leading role in achieving Latvia’s membership in NATO and the European Union. Since 2013, she is the President of the World Leadership Alliance Club de Madrid.