Reykjavík City Library now offers a family program where people with children from 0-6 years old are invited to come to the library and enjoy a relaxed time together.

Bridging the Gap is an international group of young people in Iceland, ages 16-25. Coordinators of the Bridge are Ragnheiður Harpa and Eva Funk. We meet once a week on Sunday evenings at Hitt Húsið. Everyone is welcome. 

Over the coming weekend of 24-25th of October the Gerðuberg Cultural Center will host a program under the heading Colorful Culture - Mutual Communication. The program is organized to commemorate the Breiðholt Days and takes place from 13:00 to 17:00 on both days. The goal is to present in particular the services which appeal to citizens of foreign extraction and call attention to the positive influences of people of different nationalities on the cultural scene in Iceland. A flea market has been organized on the premises as well as a program for children.

Service Presentation: Companies and institutions which cater to citizens of foreign extraction and their concerns will offer a presentation of their operations. Among these are The Intercultural Center, The Multicultural Center, service centers, The Breiðholt Junior College, The Organization of Women of Multicultural Ethnicity Network, The Women's Story Cycle and Family Mornings organized by The Reykjavík Municipal Library inter al.

Discussion Workshops: Citizens of foreign extraction have long invigorated the cultural scene in Iceland. In the library discussion workshops individuals relate their experience under the heading Colorful Culture - Mutual Communication. Short talks will be followed by a discussion. Among the participants are music teacher Pétur Jónsson from Austurbæjarskóli, artist Fitore Berisha from Kosovo, store owner and restauranteuse María Priscilla Zanoria from the Philippines. The discussion workshops will be held Saturday and Sunday 15:00-16:30.

A flea market will be organized on the premises 13:00-17:00 on both days. Everyone is free to participate, whether they want to sell handicrafts, homemade jam or stuff from their storage room. There is limited space for wares and it is therefore necessary to register beforehand at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or telephone 575 7700 before Wednesday 21 October. There is no fee for taking part.

For the children: Sóla in the Storymobile Æringi will receive the children at the library Saturday and Sunday at 14:00. The children will be treated to stories and are also invited to inspect the Storymobile which will be located in the Gerðuberg square.

The program is open to everyone and admission is free.

For further information contact Program Director Margrét Valdimarsdóttir, Gerðuberg Cultural Center, tel: 575 7700, 848 0683.

In other languages at: www.gerduberg.is

Due to a widespread misunderstanding we pointout that Alþjóðahús is still open and all our operations fully running, that isthe reception and counselling, the Icelandic teaching and the Translation and Interpration Service.  All those in need of our services are encouraged to visit us.

Dear friends,

We invite you to take part in an event  organized by The Icelandic Devision of Amnesty International, Saturday, Octoberthe 17th, at 16:00 o´cloc in the center of Reykjavík -  Ingólfstorgi  On that day people all over the world will unite to protest against unjust and unnecessary poverty. The fight is just beginning – and we demand justice. We need your help!

AmnestyInternational

The Anthropological Society of Iceland is starting the annual set of lectures titled CHANGES, PARTICIPATION, RECONSTRUCTION.  The first lecture will be hold Tuesday the 13^thOctober 2009 at the Reykjavik Academy (ReykjavíkurAkademían) on Hringbraut 121(above Nóatún).  The anthropologist Guðlaug Björnsdóttir will give her lecture on the participation of immigrants in Icelandic politics, with the title:  “Are there any? Immigrants and their opportunities within the political field in Iceland.”

The lecture consists of Guðlaug´s findings in her final project for the Masters program in anthropology at the University of Iceland. The project was a qualitative research of the access and participation of immigrants in the political field in Iceland.  Guðlaug collected the material through qualitative methods including open interviews and participant observation.  The research aimed at pointing out invisible obstacles which are considered likely to hinder the participation of immigrants in politics supported by Pierre Bourdieu´s theories on social fields. 

The conclusion exhibits that there are various obstacles that go hand in hand with Bourdieu´sideas of how the individual “habitus” influences the social capital.  A lack of certain societal knowledge which is connected to the political landscape in Iceland through the centuries, along with limited linguistic capital makes immigrants marginalized compared to others in Iceland in the political field. Nonetheless, immigrants tend to manifest their own agenda through the informal political field in Iceland on their own accord.