Suid-Afrika na dertien jaar (1994-2007) -- met spesiale verwysing na analogieë met Litoue.

Several analogies exist between South Africa and Lithuania in general and more in particular between the Afrikaans and Lithuanian peoples. The article contains much history in so Jar as it is relevant to the analogies. Therefore it is not a historical treatment of Lithuania's history as such. Although the main point of comparison is the Empire, modern and contemporary Lithuania is also discussed, but then seen in continuity with the Empire. In both Afrikaner and Lithuanian cultures, the important role of heroes in the past is obvious. In South Africa well known examples are Racheltjie de Beer, Piet Retief Paul Kruger, General de la Rey and many others and in Lithuania these include Gedeminias, Jonas Basanavicius and Roman Kalanta, amongst others. In times of crisis convergence of expressions are noted between hortatory expressions of for example, Gedeminias and Voortrekker women. Lithuania is discussed because of its little known qualities. Very few academic studies exist outside Lithuania about Lithuania. This is largely because of the closed Soviet past and a general unfamiliarity with Lithuania. British, Roman, Greek, and other empires are very well known, but very Jew people are even aware of the existence of the Lithuanian Empire. The late usage of Lithuanian in written works may have played a role in this regard. For the same reason as well as background, a short comparison is drawn between the Lithuanian, Latvian, Sanskrit and Latin languages. It is taken into account that the idea of federalism started very early in Lithuanian history. This can be seen in the relative independence of groups or areas. This seemed to get stronger in the Empire. Although there was no federal constitution in a modern sense of the word, the philosophy of relative independence for various cultural groups just seemed to be spontaneously taken for granted. Even today many Lithuanians are keen to speculate on a federation with Latvia, Estonia, Belo-Russia and the Ukraine. The 14th century constituted the culmination of the Empire under the leadership of Gedeminias. Some disanalogies with the two Boer Republics in South Africa, are that Gedeminias occupied large areas of central and Eastern Europe, while the Afrikaners never strived for an Empire. The analogy consists in the multi-cultural realities of both the Empire and later South Africa. Although simple generalizations cannot be made about empires, a significant correspondence exists between such empires and a contemporary multinational state. Both Afrikaans and Lithuanian people have a high regard for the value of their two languages. The role of the Lithuanian language in the Empire and afterwards varied. In the Empire it did not play a strong normative, let alone constitutive role. Lithuanian was appreciated, as becomes clear from the fact that the Lithuanian people continued to speak it. However, in rustic times before World War I, the top echelons spoke Lithuanian, but preferred Polish above Lithuanian in official and important written works -- even in ordinary private correspondence. The analogy with Afrikaners in the Free State Boer republic is striking. Before the Anglo Boer War, in rustic times, the state president, all important officials, and many private citizens, preferred to write and speak English. The moment that oppression and suppression of Lithuanian by the Tsar and the suppression of Afrikaans in the previous Boer republics by British imperialism became evident, a strong awareness of these languages took place among their speakers: the two languages became part of a strong sense of national identity. The Lithuanians were remarkably tolerant in cultural, political and religious matters. Although the Convention of Geneva was still far-off in the future, Gedeminias and many followers applied the rules and spirit of Geneva. The Lithuanians besieged Berlin, and several times Moscow. It was in their power to destroy the cities and people, but they did not do so.… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die Ryk van Litoue sowel as kontemporêre Litoue toon talle analogieë met Suid- Afrika en die Litouers met Afrikaanses. Beide het die afgelope tyd transformasie ondergaan en beide word gekenmerk deur 'n verskeidenheid van kulture. Die Litouse ryk se beleid van verdraagsaamheid ten opsigte van diverse kulture was suksesvol. Die Litouse situasie beklemtoon die belangrikheid van taal en kulturele selfbewussyn. Dit het duidelike parallelle in Suid-Afrika. Sowel Litous as Afrikaans was by tye op die agtergrond, maar albei kulture bly behoue. Die betekenis van 'n nie-outentieke bestaan van Litoue in die Sowjet-era word behandel. Die geldigheid van sowel nasionale as internasionale waardes is by sowel Litouers as Afrikaanses van belang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]