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Cultural Migration in Autobiography Grundtvig Partnerships 2009-2011

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

e-mail: kszia@komesnet.com.pl http://cma.internetdsl.pl

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A few contemplations about the project Andris Kanepejs

The fact that my father was born in Germany had never been discussed in my family. We had never spoken about that. That was the Soviet`s time and in the meaning of that period, it was more like problem, not like an interesting fact of biography. In the beginning there was a question.. Does my story fit with the concept and target of the project? The main person of the story is my father Mārtiņš Kaņepējs. who have lived in Latvia since he was one year old, and facts which were in the deep past. Who is interested in? However, I think without respecting the past there won`t be any future. The time when it is possible to answer the question: „How was it?”, runs very fast, that why I decided to take part. During the project my feelings have changed. It was time of reflection. I meet my father rarely. A lot of things stay unsaid and put off for future. This was an opportunity to turn to my family`s roots. I visited places which are conected with my fathers childhood and youth. The things what I saw made nostalgia and sadness. The time has changed. It seems, that I have changed too. The travel through the time made me appraise my contribution to family`s continuation.The biggest value of the project are people who made it, took part and supported.

Many thanks for everybody who let me feel wonderful in the member`s meeting places. I am proud that I had chance to prove my nation`s cultural values. In this project I have gained my informative and mental richness. I have met many nice people and looked in my country`s future. In my country community had lived locked and sequestered from other world. Twenty years of liberty after USSR`s dectruction are very short time. We have not any experience in living in a multicultural society. We must learn a lot.The world is as big or small as it is in our souls. This idea about cultures` migration, integration and peaceful coexistence is immortal... for place for all of us to live.