NEWS
Hordur Torfason inspires Icelandic people

Hordur Torfason inspires Icelandic people

Sian Clement

1 March 2013, 1:44PM

Sian Clement

567 views

This March Icelandic democracy activist Hordur Torfason is visiting New Zealand to undertake a series of nationwide talks on modern democracy.  


Torfason was already in his 60’s when he inspired the Icelandic people to take action after the country’s economic crash in 2008. 

Peacefully, they managed to achieve the resignation of the entire government.  (Another was re-elected with the only stipulation being that candidates are adults and have the support of at least 30 people).  The Icelandic banks were nationalised and at the start of this year, two former senior bankers imprisoned.  The Icelandic constitution (a copy of Denmark’s) was re-written by the people, some providing input via Facebook and Twitter.  Months later the government is still trying to delay accepting the document and Torfason is still doing battle.
 
Meanwhile, the Icelandic economy has improved and two years later was doing better than the European Union.  The IMF and other heavyweight economists agree that Iceland did the right thing.  Nobel prize-winning economist Joe Stiglitz notes:  “What Iceland did was right. It would have been wrong to burden future generations with the mistakes of the financial system.”

Hordur Torfason is currently lecturing on meta modern democracy in Europe.  Now New Zealanders have a chance to hear what he has to say.

Initially funds for the tour were being raised by crowd-funding platform PledgeMe in the hope that all costs could be covered and Torfason would talk for free.  Having not met the target there will be a nominal fee of $10 waged and $5 unwaged at some events while others are entry by koha.

For further information please visit: www.theawarenessparty.com/iceland or www.facebook.com/HordurTorfasonNZTour