Activities In Lithuania Research Articles

Analysis Of Audit Market And Audit Firms Activity In Lithuania

The paper presents an analysis of the Lithuanian audit market, its nature and concentrations, audit services amounts and distribution, and audit firms activities and their income based on the results of empirical research. Lithuanian Chamber of Auditors (LCA) maintains the functions of accumulation, summarizing and dissemination information on Lithuanian auditors and audit firms. LCA information is therefore, a rich source of data for researching and studying the development of the Lithuanian audit market. The summary of LCA membership lists was used to address the issue of the Lithuanian audit market concentration. Authors of the paper present the following major attitudes: concentration due to the subject of audit activity, historical grow and development of audit firms, auditors and position held by auditors; regional concentration due to legal forms of audit firms; concentration due to audit services, income from audit services as per legal form of audit clients, time spent on audits, strategies used in audit firms. All these criteria present scheme of the audit market concentrations that provides us with information about how the structures, legal forms and strategies of audit firm are changing and main reasons for this change.

Civil servants' activity regulation in Lithuania 1918-1940

The focus of the article is the legal regulation of civil servants' activity in Lithuania during the period 1918-1940. In the introduction, authors emphasize that this topic received more attention from lawyers. The review of Constitutional statements (1918, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1928, 1938) in regards to civil servants, other laws, and legislation is presented. A short description of the historical situation when the new independent Lithuanian Republic had to create new state institutions, including civil service, based on the model of western democracies and overcome difficulties of Russian empire legacy helps understanding the peculiarities of the situation. For some time, the new Lithuanian and old Russian legislation regulating the activity of civil servants coexisted, and a special State Council had to decide which to take precedence. Civil service in Interwar Lithuanian Republic was built on the broad notion. Not only people with administering functions (real bureaucrats) but teachers, opera's singers, drivers, and others were considered as civil servants. Each of them had their place in the hierarchy. Legislation enacted during that period allows concluding that building civil service was not among the State's priorities. Different laws and rules regulated the activity of civil servants, describing their duties, salaries, social guarantees, and rights. Some aspects of their activity, such as enrolment, admission, career possibilities, and question of responsibility, were skipped in legislation. Despite some shortcomings of legal regulation, the status of civil servant in Lithuanian society was rather highly valued. In addition to salary, they had some social benefits for their families, and later were able to study in special courses. The relationship between qualification and salary was confirmed. The Constitution confirmed in 1938 mentioned that various aspects of civil servants' activity are regulated by Civil Service law. The draft of this law, together with some other legislation (how to prevent illegal enrichment of civil servants), was discussed, but drastic events of 1940 pulled back the realization of these ideas. Not only practitioners but scholars and lawyers participated in public discussions from 1935-1939, trying to find out how to make the work of bureaucrats more efficient, how to better control and organize their work, prevent the creation of new institutions and offices, etc. Public discussion and ideas of scholars were rather modern, progressive, and reminded ideas of famous authorities of management. The authors conclude the article raising the hypothetical question of what would happen if Lithuania adopted a new Civil Service Act as in Belgium and would not be occupied in 1940.

Bronchial asthma and child physical activity in Lithuania

Bronchial asthma and child physical activity in Lithuania

Dalyvavimas savanoriškoje veikloje: situacija ir perspektyvos Lietuvoje po 1990-ųjų

The article is aimed at discussing the major presumptions and tendencies of civil participation in voluntary activities in Lithuania after 1990. Despite the objective conditions for public activism in social and political life, participation in non-governmental sector is still low in Lithuania, as only near 13% of the population take part in the activities of NGOs. Following social capital, social exchange theories, civil participation in voluntary activities is one of the ways to influence social processes. According to the results of qualitative (semi-structured interviews with NGO members) and quantitative (national public opinion survey) research, more than a half of the Lithuanian population do participate in different activities on a grass-root level, including sports, tourists clubs, dwellers associations, committees at kinder-gartens and schools. However, participation in NGOs such as: organizations of human rights, animal care, environmental organizations, support funds, etc. is extremely low. Economic and social problems, including low living standards, high rate of unemployment and poverty, as well as scarce traditions of philanthropy partially explain passive civil participation in voluntary activities. Taking into account the importance of civil engagement in NGOs for the community and the society, more information on the benefits of voluntarism, as well as examples of good practice is needed.

The National Economy and its Efficiency: Specialization, Economic “Oases” and Regional Clusterization

The problems and priorities of increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of national economies are described and analyzed. Regional specialization and development of a network of clusters as the main directions of social and economic development are discussed. The most important problems: development and modernization of national economies under conditions of globalisation and market internationalisation; national economy as a system and as an integral entity of economic activities. The most important priorities: formulation of principles of increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of national economies; formulation of priorities in economic development strategies, especially for transition countries; development of the idea of “oazes” as a system of special conditions for social economic growth; concrete solutions for the innovation activities in Lithuania, other Baltic and other Central and East European countries. The idea of “oases” as a new form of clusterization is described.

Tarp trijų savivokos kraštinių : Eugenijaus Škliaro tapatumo konfigūracija

The present article focuses on the problem of national and cultural identification of Evgenij Shkliar (Eugenijus Škliaras; 1893-1941) and provides a more exact definition of the poetic and journalistic context of his activities in Lithuania. Evgenij Shkliar, a Russian poet, critic and journalist, was Jew by birth. He settled down in Kaunas in November of 1920, made his debut in local newspapers with poems dedicated to Lithuania, and from the very beginning emphasized the Lithuanian ancestry of his parents. He became the main translator of works by Lithuanian poets into Russian and popularizer of Lithuanian literature. The themes and motives peculiar to Russian emigrant poetry with typical weeping for the lost motherland and idyllic national landscape occupy a significant place in his creative works. At the same time, in some texts the Jewish Zionistic position is clearly expressed. The Jewish component of his creative activity became particularly strong in the Riga (1924-1925) and Parisian (1926- 1927) periods of his life. When in 1928 Shkliar went back to Lithuania, he again entered its literary life with translations of Lithuanian poets and essays about Lithuanian poetry. He began to cooperate with the Lithuanian periodicals and, from the middle of the thirties, began to write poems in Lithuanian. His poems with Lithuanian themes reflect the inherent Lithuanian position of the lyric subject and understanding of Lithuania as his mother land. He identified himself as a member of the community of Lithuanian poets. His choice of Lithuanian orientation was condi tioned by the general atmosphere of the formation of a modern national state and the context of the literary life in Kaunas, where Russian literary environment was practically absent. The configuration of self-identity of Shkliar was only superficially similar to the conversion of Aleksej Dolgoshev (Alexis Rannit) into the dominating Estonian culture or the conversion of Lev Gomolitsky (Leon Gomolicki) into the Polish culture. Shkliar did not refuse to use all the three possibilities. That is why we can find a strained and fragile balance between the three national and cultural principles - Russian, Jewish and Lithuanian - in his poetry and journalistic activity.

Veiklos principo istorinė raida

Straipsnyje siekiama apžvelgti ilgą istorinio vystymosi kelią – nuo pirmykštės kultūros ugdymo iki šių dienų. Autorė daugiausiai dėmesio skiria antikinos ir viduramžių ugdymui, klasikinei pedagogikai. Išryškinamos ir naujosios pedagogikos tendencijos. Autorė taip pat atskleidžia veiklos principo Lietuvoje raidą ir “naująjį ugdymą” Lietuvoje.

WINTER PERIOD ORNITHOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF OIL RELATED ACTIVITIES AND SEA TRANSPORTATION IN LITHUANIAN INSHORE WATERS OF THE BALTIC SEA AND IN THE KURŠIŲ LAGOON

Abstract Studies carried out during the last decade indicated that a number of key wintering sites of waterfowl and seabirds of NW Europe arc located in brackish waters of the Baltic Sea. Experience of many industrialized countries shows that human activities are likely to cause harm to waterfowl and seabird concentrations, especially in winter, when these birds aggregate in high numbers and become very susceptible to any human impact. The increase of oil related activities and sea transportation in the eastern Baltic in general and in Lithuanian waters in particular gave rise to concern about the well-being of birds wintering in Lithuanian waters. The current study was carried out in order to assess the magnitude and significance of negative impacts of oil related activities, at present and in the future, on wintering waterfowl and seabirds in Lithuanian inshore waters of the Baltic Sea and in the Kuršū Lagoon. Information about the current level of oil related activities and their prospected development in the future, was obtained from various governmental and literature sources. Data on species composition, abundance and distribution of wintering waterfowl and seabirds in Lithuanian inshore waters and in the Kuršiū Lagoon is presented in this work and is used for identification of the most important wintering sites and most vulnerable bird species. This data was collected by means of bird surveys from the coast and airplanes. Beached bird surveys were performed along the Lithuanian Baltic Sea coast, and their results were used for identification of the areas most affected by oil pollution. Four waterfowl and seabird wintering sites of international importance were identified in Lithuanian inshore waters and in the Kuršiū Lagoon during this study. A considerable proportion of total NW European populations of Steller's Eider, Velvet Scoter, Red-throated and Black-throated Divers, Goosander and Smew were found to concentrate in these wintering sites. Steller's Eider was identified as the most sensitive and the most endangered specics wintering in Lithuanian inshore waters. Operational oil pollution from ships at present represents the greatest threat to waterfowl and seabirds wintering in Lithuanian inshore waters, especially in the wintering site along the Palanga coast. Disturbance by sea traffic was not found to represent any major threat to wintering birds at present, except in the immediate vicinity of the Klaipėda port. Future development of oil related activities in Lithuania is likely to cause a substantial threat to waterfowl and seabirds wintering in Lithuanian inshore waters. Therefore, key bird wintering areas in Lithuanian inshore waters and in the Kuršiū Lagoon, especially the one along the coast of Palanga, are recommended to be assigned a protected status. Strict control of operational oil discharges from ships and development of oil spill combating measures is recommended in order to reduce the threat arising to wintering birds from oil pollution.

Socialinių katalikybės idėjų raiška Lietuvoje

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama XIX a. pabaigos – XX a. pradžios patriotiškai nusiteikusių Lietuvos katalikų dvasininkijos atstovų (J. Dabušio, S. Šultės, J. Vailokaičio, F. Kemėšio, M. Krupavičiaus ir kt.) pažiūros į kooperaciją. Šie ją traktavo ne tik kaip tautos (kaip ūkio subjekto) apsaugą nuo grobikiškojo kapitalizmo apraiškų (kurios asocijavosi su užsienio verslininkų veikla Lietuvoje), bet ir kaip teisingesnės visuomenės kūrimo neprievartinę priemonę, kaip vienintelį patikimą kelią į ekonominę, pilietinę ir galiausiai politinę laisvę. Skleisdama kooperacijos idėjas tarp skirtingų socialinių sluoksnių atstovų, jungdama juos į vartotojų, kredito, žemės ūkio draugijas, dvasininkija siekė skatinti žmonių iniciatyvą, atsakomybės ir pareigos jausmą, žmogiškosios vertės pajautimą. Taip dvasininkai didele dalimi prisidėjo formuojantis darbininkų ir valstiečių klasėms Lietuvoje bei augant jų profesionalumui. Tai savo ruožtu leido 1918 m. nepriklausomybę atkūrusiai Lietuvai (nepaisant Pirmojo pasaulinio karo negatyvių padarinių) per palyginti trumpą laiką atkurti ir plėtoti savo ekonomiką.

From the history of Lithuanian pedagogy (K. Nezabitauskas’ primer “The New Reading…”)

At the beginning of 19th century, in the age of the collapse of feudalism and formation of capitalist relations, enlightenment activity in Lithuania became more intense. The important role in this area was played by Vilnius University: the professors of this university studied the history of Lithuania, collected records, Lithuanian students paid much attention to language matters, literary studies and enlightenment of the Lithuanian nation. One of the most prominent activists of Lithuanian publishing was K. Nezabitauskas (1800 – 1876). In 1824 his primer “The New Reading for Small Children” was published. Following the new basics of pedagogy, the primer contained readings with text illustrations which were a novelty, and Lithuanian proverbs and bibliography list of Lithuanian publications. K. Nezabitauskas sought to attract children’s attention and make learning an easy and vivid occupation. In the introduction to the primer, he spoke against scholastic learning. In his primer K. Nezabitauskas provided practical guidance and popular scientific information. The short articles included in the primer can be considered the first manifestations of the Lithuanian secular literature for children. Proverbs and, especially the bibliography list, witness that the primer was also intended to further education of the readers, mostly the youth. This primer was appraised by its contemporary Lithuanian writer D. Poška, Russian scientist P. Kepen, active culture character L. Rogalskis, Polish newspaper “Kurjer Litewski“, etc. In the second half of 19th century, M. Akelaitis intended to republish it; he was planning to skip the religious part and include folklore songs (the handwriting of this work has preserved).
 Though this primer by K. Nezabitauskas had certain ideological setbacks, its historical value is still very significant. K. Nezabitauskas was the first who started writing secular reading texts to Lithuanian children, who directed children’s education in a practical direction and utilized new principles of book compilation.