Geometry.Net - Basic_I: Iceland Government

NRDC: OnEarth Magazine, Spring 2005 - Frontlines
The Icelandic government sees this as a marathon, not a sprint, says Chris deKoning, a spokesman for Shell Hydrogen. The corporations take a similarly
http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/05spr/frontlines.asp

Extractions: How Iceland's abundant natural wonders spouting geysers and turbulent rivers are turning one tiny country into a world leader in clean energy. Nearly 30 years ago, Iceland was looking for ways to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels and replace them with local, renewable sources geothermal and hydroelectric power. But a chemistry professor named Bragi Arnason outlined a more ambitious goal. From his study of Iceland's hot-water reserves, Arnason realized that the country was planning to tap only a small fraction of the energy resources that lay hidden beneath its volcanic surface. That convinced him that Iceland could become the first nation in the world to power its economy entirely with what is now widely seen as the energy of the future: hydrogen. The response was polite. People told Arnason, "Of course it would be nice if you could do that, but it's a very long-term vision."
Iceland_CBC_1
In 1995, however, the Icelandic government gave asylum to 30 refugees from the The questionnaire was sent to the Icelandic government on 13 July 1994.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/human_rights/Ecri/5-Archives/1-ECRI's_work/1-Country_by_c

Extractions: BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) was set up in 1994, at the instigation of the first Summit meeting of Heads of State and Government of the member States of Council of Europe, to combat the growing problems of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance threatening human rights and democratic values in Europe. The members of ECRI were chosen for their recognised expertise in questions relating to racism and intolerance. The task given to ECRI was to: review member States' legislation, policies and other measures to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance and their effectiveness; propose further action at local, national and European level; formulate general policy recommendations to member States; and to study international legal instruments applicable in the matter with a view to their reinforcement where appropriate. One aspect of the activities developed by ECRI to fulfil its terms of reference is its country-by-country approach, which involves carrying out an analysis of the situation in each of the member States in order to provide governments with helpful and concrete proposals.
Jews And The North
the senselessness of the Icelandic government in the late 1930s can hardly bebelieved. The conduct of the Icelandic government towards Jews and their
http://artemis.centrum.is/~snorrigb/jews.htm

Extractions: Preface This Internet version is a replica of a short thesis I wrote last year, while residing at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Unfortunately, these chapters are void of footnotes and thus no sources are mentioned. For those who are interested, the Microsoft Word version will probably be available through email Introduction In 1655 Menasseh ben-Israel approached the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell with an appeal for the re-entry of Jews to England. He somewhat based his motives on prophet Isaiah's words: "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isaiah 11:11.) Both the Puritan Cromwell and the Jewish Ben-Israel agreed on the basic interpretation of this prophecy: The Jews would be scattered to the four corners of the earth and later brought back to the Promised land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For Jews, that would mean the imminent appearance of the Messiah, and for Puritans the Second Coming of Christ. Such an understanding was reasonable enough in this context, but not very logical. Medieval geography considered the far north of Europe as one of the earth's four corners but there is no need to complete the journey at the British Isles.
Greenpeace Oceans Campaign: Dead Or Alive
Whale hunt gets go ahead from Icelandic government. Greenpeace today stronglycriticised the Icelandic government s decision to issue quotas to hunt whales
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/oceans/media/pressrelease.cfm?ucidparam=20050705151
TCS: Tech Central Station - Putting Taxes On Ice
And, since he became the head of the Icelandic government in 1991 he has also In 1990, the 48 percent rate allowed Icelandic government to collect 0.97
http://www.techcentralstation.com/062304C.html

Extractions: According to the Iceland sagas and chronicles, Iceland was the world's first tax haven. When King Harold unified Norway in the 870s, his first ruling was to impose a new tax on its people. The Vikings refused to pay the new tax and took off. According to the Saga, they set sail to Iceland because "there men are free from assaults of kings and criminals." Prime Minister of Iceland David Oddsson is the direct descendant of these Vikings. And, since he became the head of the Icelandic government in 1991 he has also proven to be a very wise ruler. He learned the lesson that King Harold never understood and that is: "Overtax your people and they will fly away. Implement low tax rates and your country will become rich and prosperous." After years of economic stagnation, unemployment and fiscal disarray, an Icelandic government led by Prime Minister David Oddsson implemented a series of Reaganesque reforms that have turned the economy around. In the 1990s, he reformed the income tax moving it towards a simpler and flatter structure. He also lowered the corporate marginal tax rate from 48 percent to 30 percent. And he also managed to contain spending, got rid of inflation, privatized large public companies and got the government out of the banking industry.
How A Big Company Can Distort And Manipulate A Small Gullible Society
The Icelandic government did all this to promote the company in spite of the The Icelandic government would never have proposed a biobank bill if not
http://www.raunvis.hi.is/~steindor/gagn.html

Extractions: How a big company can distort and manipulate a small gullible society ©Steindor J. Erlingsson This is a paper I delivered on 6 February 2001 in Paris at a conference on biotechology that was organised by L'Association Diderot. My presentation met some media interest: On February 16 an article by Antoine Reverchon on the front page of Le Monde described me - slightly exaggeratingly - as a "refugee": Steindor Erlingsson, réfugié à Manchester, fuit le fichage génétique islandais Þetta er fyrirlestur sem ég hélt í París 6. febrúar 2001 á ráðstefnu um líftækni sem L'Association Diderot skipulagði. Þann 16. febrúar birtist á forsíðu Le Monde frétt um fyrirlesturinn, sem nefnist Steindor Erlingsson, réfugié à Manchester, fuit le fichage génétique islandais , þar sem mér var lýst sem "erfðafræðilegum flóttamanni". In the decades following the war the Icelandic economy was very centralised, being basically controlled by the politicians, which did not change until in the early 1980s. Then the Icelandic economy was opened up, a change that peaked in the early 1990s with the establishment of the Icelandic stock market, which became a possibility because Icelanders managed to control the inflation that had plagued its economy for decades, and Iceland joining the European Economic Area (EEA) along with members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Today the Icelandic economy is a typical northern European capitalistic market with a strong social emphasis, which is though declining in Iceland.
ISO ISL
The Icelandic government is greatly concerned by the high proportion of In general the Icelandic government main concerns in this field are to promote
http://www.un.org/esa/gopher-data/conf/fwcw/conf/gov/950913182626.txt

Extractions: ISO: ISL *************************************************************************** The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women Secretariat. *************************************************************************** AS WRITTEN Statement by H. E. Mr Halldór Ásgrímsson Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland Madam Chairperson, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, May I begin by expressing our thanks and appreciation to you, Madam Chairperson, and to the Government of China, for hosting this Fourth World Conference on Women, the largest UN conference ever. There is no doubt that the UN Conferences on Women have contributed enormously to the advancement of gender equality. They have greatly advanced the on-going international exchange of information and ideas about women, their status and rights, leading to legal reforms and changes in international standards. Last but not least they have accelerated changes in norms regarding women's rights. On October 24th, 1975, in the wake of the first UN Women s Conference in Mexico, Icelandic women took a day off, spotlighting in a memorable way the dimensions of women's work in our society. Work which had often been neither recognised nor valued became noticeable by its absence that day. It is the case world-wide, that much of the work of women does not appear in national and international data This affects both the status of women and their own sense of identity, obscuring the importance of women s contribution to society and to the well-being of humanity. When we overlook, in our decision making, the hidden resources of women's work, experience and ideas, we risk taking the wrong course into our common future. Madam Chairperson, Icelandic law prohibits all discrimination on the basis of gender. Even so, certain temporary affirmative action measures, intended to improve the status of women and promote equality of the sexes, are accepted as legal. Similarly, special consideration paid to women in connection with pregnancy and maternity is not seen as discriminatory. Icelandic law also ensures women and men equal rights to property and inheritance. Furthermore, in accordance with the Icelandic Personal Names Act, a child's surname is generally his or her patronymic or matronymic, and women do not change their names when they marry. But although the legal rights of women are generally well-established in Iceland, a closer look at facts and figures on their status in society reveals that the legislation has not in fact achieved gender equality. Progress has been made in some areas but in others it still seems to be an uphill battle. Icelandic women have, for example, had the right to vote for eighty years, but have still not broken the glass ceiling, being only 25% of politically elected representatives. Moreover, despite equal-pay legislation, there is still a considerable genderbased wage differential in men s favour, a differential which has increased rather than decreased over the past decade. This is not due to a lack of education among women. Icelandic girls are now the majority of students graduating from the University of Iceland. They have taken to heart the underlying meaning of the Icelandic word for education, which is "strengthening ones ability as a human being". The Icelandic government is greatly concerned by the high proportion of illiteracy and lack of education among women in the world. Education is the key to equality even though the doors to economic and political opportunities have been opening slowly so slowly, in fact, that it sometimes seems that while women have been increasing their standard of education, the locks on the doors of opportunity have been changed. As we have seen equal rights legislation does not guarantee equality but it does acknowledge inequality and at the same time facilitate and accelerate changes towards equality. In order to strengthen and implement the Icelandic laws on equality the Government presents an action plan every four years stating what measures it intends to lake to achieve greater equality between men and women. This covers most areas of administration, for example employment and wages, education, representative functions and positions of responsibility as well as various social improvements. The current action plan adopted by Parliament in May 1993 and expiring at the end of 1996 emphasises the need for Ministers of state and their Ministries to advance gender equality. In general the Icelandic Government main concerns in this field are to promote gender equality on the labour market, bridge the wage gap between the sexes, and make it easier for men and women to share family responsibilities. Finally the Icelandic Government has decided to give priority to direct measures implementing existing legislation to improve the status of women. It has become increasingly evident that gender equality will not become a reality until the work, experience, knowledge and attitudes of both sexes are recognised as being of equal value in all areas of society; that is, when women and men enjoy equal rights and fulfil their commitment jointly, as members of society and as family members. Gender equality has, not surprisingly, been seen as a women s issue. They have set the agenda. But we must keep in mind that they do not exist in isolation. Changes in the roles of women must be accompanied by changes in the roles of men changes they must define for themselves. If we are to achieve gender equality men must be active partners, and there is an increasing need for them to alter their traditional male image. I wish to emphasise, here, that our need for change does not override our need to mutually respect differing customs, values and opinions. We must avoid forcing our values on other cultures which may well have totally different attitudes and traditions. Tolerance is the key. This, however, does not mean that we can accept compromise in the matter of human rights. Our cultures differ and we should appreciate the variety and learn from it, but we can not accept that such differences be used to systematically undermine human rights Whatever our differences, we all have in common our dignity as human beings, the core of which is our fundamental human rights, Madam Chairperson, Human rights are neither a privilege nor a goal; they are every human being's birthright. We know that these rights can be violated, as when violence is used against women in the home or in society as a whole, and we must fight such violations with all our strength. The fundamental idea must be respect for each and every individual, respect for ourselves and for our neighbours. This UN Conference, the fourth on Women, is also one in a chain of international conferences on issues of key significance to human kind. It is vital that we keep this context in mind and ensure that the international community makes progress towards gender equality here in Beijing. In the draft Platform for Action, to be finalised during the next two weeks, there are important portions of the text which are still in dispute. These include those relating to women's human rights, such as their right to control of their own body, to equal partnership in decision making, to equal access to the economy, to ownership of land and property and to inheritance. Even the right of girl-children to equal opportunities in life is in dispute. As we work to confirm the human rights of women, it is our duty to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girl-children. The international community and all the governments of the world have an obligation to ensure girl-children equal rights to life and to grant them the same opportunities as boy-children have. It is beyond doubt that equality between women and men, girls and boys, is urgently needed, indeed vital, for the well-being of all human beings. Let us keep this in mind as we finalise the Platform for Action. If we do, the conference could realise its potential by giving us a practical programme of action, a programme that the governments of the world will recognise as one they should fund and can usefully implement. Madam Chairperson, "Womankind is weaker than mankind" has become proverbial in Icelandic it comes from a novel by our Nobel-winning author Halldór Kiljan Laxness. "Womankind is weaker than mankind" has been used to express the weakness of women as compared to men. I think this is an opportune time to revise its meaning, thus: "Woman-as-a-kind is weaker than mankind. Man-as-a-kind is also weaker than mankind" but women and men together can constitute a powerful whole built on equality, development and peace.
ISO ISL
The Icelandic government is greatly concerned by the high proportion of In general, the Icelandic government s main concerns in this field are to
http://www.un.org/esa/gopher-data/conf/fwcw/conf/gov/950912134415.txt

Extractions: ISO: ISL *************************************************************************** The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women Secretariat. *************************************************************************** AS WRITTEN Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing China 4 -15 September 1995 Statement by H.E. Mr. Halldor Asgrimsson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland Madam Chairperson, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, May I begin by expressing our thanks and appreciation to you, Madam Chairperson, and to the Government of China, for hosting this Fourth World Conference on Women, the largest UN conference ever. There is no doubt that the UN Conferences on Women have contributed enormously to the advancement of gender equality. They have greatly advanced the on-going international exchange of information and ideas about women, their status and rights, leading to legal reforms and changes in international standards. Last but not least they have accelerated changes in norms regarding women's rights. On October 24th, 1975, in the wake of the first UN Women's Conference in Mexico, Icelandic women took a day off, spotlighting in a memorable way the dimensions of women's work in our society. Work which had often been neither recognised nor valued became noticeable by its absence that day. It is the case world-wide, that much of the work of women does not appear in national and international data. This affects both the status of women and their own sense of identity, obscuring the importance of women's contribution to society and to the well-being of humanity. When we overlook, in our decision making, the hidden resources of women's work, experience and ideas, we risk taking the wrong course into our common future. Madam Chairperson, Icelandic law prohibits all discrimination on the basis of gender. Even so, certain temporary affirmative action measures, intended to improve the status of women and promote equality of the sexes, are accepted as legal. Similarly, special consideration paid to women in connection with pregnancy and maternity is not seen as discriminatory. Icelandic law also ensures women and men equal rights to property and inheritance. Furthermore, in accordance with the Icelandic Personal Names Act, a child's surname is generally his or her patronymic or matronymic, and women do not change their names when they marry. But although the legal rights of women are generally well-established in Iceland, a closer look at facts and figures on their status in society reveals that the legislation has not in fact achieved gender equality. Progress has been made in some areas but in others it still seems to be an uphill battle. Icelandic women have, for example, had the right to vote for eighty years, but have still not broken the glass ceiling, being only 25% of politically elected representatives. Moreover, despite equal-pay legislation, there is still a considerable gender-based wage differential in men s favour, a differential which has increased rather than decreased over the past decade. This is not due to a lack of education among women. Icelandic girls are now the majority of students graduating from the University of Iceland. They have taken to heart the underlying meaning of the Icelandic word for education, which is "strengthening ones ability as a human being". The Icelandic government is greatly concerned by the high proportion of illiteracy and lack of education among women in the world. Education is the key to equality even though the doors to economic and political opportunities have been opening slowly so slowly, in fact, that it sometimes seems that while women have been increasing their standard of education, the locks on the doors of opportunity have been changed. As we have seen, equal rights legislation does not guarantee equality, but it does acknowledge inequality and at the same time facilitate and accelerate changes towards equality. In order to strengthen and implement the Icelandic laws on equality, the Government presents an action plan every four years, stating what measures it intends to take to achieve greater equality between men and women. This covers most areas of administration, for example employment and wages, education, representative functions and positions of responsibility, as well as various social improvements. The current action plan, adopted by Parliament in May 1993 and expiring at the end of l 996, emphasises the need for Ministers of State and their Ministries to advance gender equality. In general, the Icelandic Government's main concerns in this field are to promote gender equality on the labour market, bridge the wage gap between the sexes, and make it easier for men and women to share family responsibilities. Finally, the Icelandic Government has decided to give priority to direct measures implementing existing legislation to improve the status of women. It has become increasingly evident that gender equality will not become a reality until the work, experience, knowledge and attitudes of both sexes are recognised as being of equal value in all areas of society; that is, when women and men enjoy equal rights and fulfil their commitments jointly, as members of society and as family members. Gender equality has, not surprisingly, been seen as a women's issue. They have set the agenda. But we must keep in mind that they do not exist in isolation. Changes in the roles of women must be accompanied by changes in the roles of men changes they must define for themselves. If we are to achieve gender equality men must be active partners, and there is an increasing need for them to alter their traditional male image. I wish to emphasise, here, that our need for change does not override our need to mutually respect differing customs, values and opinions. We must avoid forcing our values on other cultures which may well have totally different attitudes and traditions. Tolerance is the key. This, however, does not mean that we can accept compromise in the matter of human rights. Our cultures differ and we should appreciate the variety and learn from it, but we can not accept that such differences be used to systematically undermine human rights. Whatever our differences, we all have in common our dignity as human beings, the core of which is our fundamental human rights. Madam Chairperson, Human rights are neither a privilege nor a goal; they are every human beings birthright. We know that these rights can be violated, as when violence is used against women in the home or in society as a whole, and we must fight such violations with all our strength. The fundamental idea must be respect for each and every individual, respect for ourselves and for our neighbours. This UN Conference, the fourth on Women, is also one in a chain of international conferences on issues of key significance to human kind. It is vital that we keep this context in mind and ensure that the international community makes progress towards gender equality here in Beijing. In the draft Platform for Action, to be finalised during the next two weeks, there are important portions of the text which are still in dispute. These include those relating to women's human rights, such as their right to control of their own body, to equal partnership in decision making, to equal access to the economy, to ownership of land and property and to inheritance. Even the right of girl-children to equal opportunities in life is in dispute. As we work to confirm the human rights of women, it is our duty to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girl-children. The international community and all the governments of the world have an obligation to ensure girl-children equal rights to life and to grant them the same opportunities as boy-children have. It is beyond doubt that equality between women and men, girls and boys, is urgently needed, indeed vital, for the well-being of all human beings. Let us keep this in mind as we finalise the Platform for Action. If we do, the conference could realise its potential by giving us a practical programme of action, a programme that the governments of the world will recognise as one they should fund and can usefully implement. Madam Chairperson, "Womankind is weaker than mankind" has become proverbial in Icelandic it comes from a novel by our Nobel-winning author Halldor Kiljan Laxness. "Womankind is weaker than mankind" has been used to express the weakness of women as compared to men. I think this is an opportune time to revise its meaning, thus: "Woman-as-a-kind is weaker than mankind. Man-as-a-kind is also weaker than mankind" but women and men together can constitute a powerful whole built on equality, development and peace.
Comprehensive Report: Luo Gan Charged With Torture And Genocide In Iceland; Inte
The answer is that the Icelandic government didn t send an invitation. According tothe Icelandic government, Luo Gan s twoday visit was initiated by Luo
http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200309/15172.html

Extractions: September 10 report: Recently, Falun Gong practitioners in Iceland filed a lawsuit against Luo Gan, the head of the Chinese police and legal system, the Political and Judiciary Commission and the "610 Office." Luo requested to visit Iceland without an invitation. Luo Gan has been referred to as the "Chinese Beria" [Beria was the head of the Secret Police/Committee of State Safety in the former Soviet Union] for his fanatical persecution of Falun Gong. On Tuesday September 9 2003, Ragnar Adalsteinsson, a renowned Icelandic human rights lawyer, filed the action with the State Criminal Prosecutor, Bogi Nilsson. The legal complaint against Luo Gan is based on the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which Iceland signed in November 1996. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Falun Gong practitioners from Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain, Italy, Holland, Denmark and Ireland. It is the twelfth international lawsuit in nine countries to emerge in the past two years against high-ranking Chinese officials or government bodies for their roles in persecuting Falun Gong. The major media, including

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