Rauða borðið - Vikuskammtur: Vika 13

·1 hr 31 min·5 clips

One guest argues that Icelandic parents who switch to English when foreigners are present are undermining the very language they claim to want to preserve.

1. Rauða borðið is an Icelandic weekly discussion programme hosted by Løyvel Híndal Ólastvottir, featuring a panel of guests covering current events, activism, arts, and cultural topics. 2. Week 13's guests are Ægir Máni Bjarnason (artist and activist), Davíð Sól Páls (teacher and activist), Mirjam Petra Ómarsdóttir Ávat (specialist and advisor), and Hjálmdir Heidal (chair of the Iceland-Palestine association, retired). 3. Ægir Máni was originally scheduled for the previous week but was prevented from attending by an orange weather warning in Iceland. 4. The host opens by noting it has been 'a bit of a strange and unusual week' with various unexpected developments, setting an open, reactive tone for the discussion. 5. Hjálmdir Heidal's dual role as Palestine solidarity chair and retired professional is introduced, and Løyvel notes that he also 'has many things to hate' — a recurring format on the programme. 6. Ægir Máni describes attending a performance of 'Where I see you, I see myself' at Borgarleikhusen the week before recording, finding it emotionally resonant in ways they did not expect as someone typically on the other side of the stage. 7. Mirjam Petra also attended a performance at Borgarleikhusen in the same week, and both guests discuss the value of seeing personal experience reflected in cultural work. 8. The Stockfish film festival is mentioned as a venue where a guest saw a photograph by Hind Rajab documenting a scene in Palestine, described as one of the most difficult images they have encountered. 9. The photograph documented an ambulance that Israeli authorities prevented from reaching a scene for 12 days, with passengers in the car described as being 'sent into the air.' 10. The guest questions whether the photograph will be widely circulated and seen, noting the constraints on Palestinian photojournalism reaching international audiences. 11. Hjálmdir Heidal, as chair of Iceland's Palestine solidarity organisation, provides context for the Israeli government actions depicted, framing them within a systemic pattern. 12. The panel discusses Icelandic language preservation, with one guest raising the contradiction of Icelanders who advocate for the language while switching to English the moment they perceive a foreigner is present. 13. A guest describes the frustration of trying to learn and use Icelandic and being met with impatience or automatic switching to English from native speakers. 14. Children are cited as a key indicator: some Icelandic children primarily communicate in English due to device exposure, and native-speaking parents sometimes lack confidence in Icelandic themselves. 15. The guest argues that a language cannot be preserved if people who try to learn and use it are met with irritation or dismissal, and that Icelanders need to create welcoming conditions for imperfect speakers. 16. Davíð Sól Páls, as a teacher, reflects on the significance of being a visible role model for children who ask questions like 'why do you wear glasses?' — reflecting that they rarely encounter adults who look like them. 17. This observation is connected to the broader discussion of representation in arts and activism: who is visible in classrooms, on stages, and in public life shapes what children believe is possible. 18. The panel mentions a show running at Borgarleikhusen in its fourth season since 2022, described as reaching diverse audiences and generating questions from people unfamiliar with its subject matter. 19. The episode closes with mentions of an upcoming Easter break, a two-week hiatus, and a future event with Pétur Egert and Bógir Einarsson. 20. Listeners interested in Icelandic current affairs, Palestine solidarity activism, and intersectional cultural criticism in Icelandic will find this episode most relevant.

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