Jón Gnarr’s letter to President Obama, dated November 19, 2012.
Dear Mr. President,
I sincerely congratulate you and your family on your victory in the U.S. presidential election. The people of Reykjavík followed the elections with great interest and the majority of Icelanders were on your side.
Everything is going pretty well here in the City of Reykjavík after a few difficult years. The city is full of life and the atmosphere is positive. Recently, Reykjavík was designated as a UNESCO City of Literature, the fifth city in the world, and the first non-native-English-speaking city to receive this title. This was a great honor for our city because Icelanders see themselves as a nation of literature.
Iceland is also a peaceful nation, without an army, and I am eager to make Reykjavík a completely military free zone. I have a dream that Reykjavík could, in the future, become a center for peace and human rights in the world. As you know, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held a remarkable meeting here in the Höfði House in the year 1986, which defined the end of the Cold War.
The unique art installation by the Japanese artist Yoko Ono, the Imagine Peace Tower, is located on Videy Island in Reykjavík. Every year, from the 9th of October until the 8th of December, it shines in the sky with the Aurora Borealis, reminding us of Yoko and John’s hope for world peace.
I believe it is important for our city to recognize our obligation and contribute to promoting peace. Reykjavík is in a unique position to be a city of peace, and I’d like to suggest that you have our city in mind if you need a place for a meeting, peace negotiation, conference for peace, etc.
In the year 1972, Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky met in Reykjavík to play chess. The match attracted more worldwide interest than any other chess match before or since. Bobby Fischer moved to Iceland in 2005 and he lived here until his death in 2008. He suffered from personal difficulties during the last few years of his life and is buried at Laugardælakirkjugarður in Iceland.
Reykjavík and the United States have a good relationship. The U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík has truly achieved success in its work. The ambassador, the honorable Luis E. Arreaga, is an active participant in the cultural life of our city and is a very admirable representative of the USA. Seattle and Reykjavík are sister cities, and Seattle was a special guest of honor at our last Culture Night, which is one of our city’s main events. We also received a visit from the city council of Denver last summer, when Icelandair launched direct flights between our cities.
If I can assist you or your great country in any way, do not hesitate to contact me; send me an e-mail or call, and I will be at your service.
I know that you are a very busy man, but if you are ever on the move it would be a pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to meet with you and tell you about my ideas regarding our special city, Reykjavík. Please feel free to drop by for a cup of coffee, we have an airport in the middle of the city. Last year, your grandmother, Sarah, came to Iceland. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet her at that time, but she is doing a very good job indeed.
I hope you are in good health and I wish you every success in the future.
Regards,
Jón Gnarr,
The Mayor of Reykjavík
P.S. I know you’re a big fan of The Wire, and so am I. I had the honor to meet Clarke Peters (Lester Freamon) when he was in Iceland this summer to participate in the Spirit of Humanity Forum peace conference.