What was it about these recently discovered manuscripts that grabbed historian Jiří Suk? And how did David Dušek find this manuscript?

Zuzana Stivínová will read excerpts from the book.    

A reissue of I Hid It Somewhere is coming out on the eve of the 87th anniversary of Václav Havel’s birth.

This autumn marks 16 years since a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which confirmed that the Czech Republic discriminates against Romany children by sending them too often to practical (formerly special) schools. Have we managed to do anything about this in the past 16 years? In that time, have the educational chances of not only Romany children but all disadvantaged children improved? Or do Czech schools today still tend to reproduce disparities in family background? And what does the situation of disadvantaged children tell us about Czech education as a whole? What is the role of systemic measures, and what is the role of the motivation and attitude of the individual, be it a pupil or school principal?

Marie Gottfriedová, director and prevention methodologist at Trmice Elementary School, Jana Straková, an expert on inequality in education, and journalist Patrik Banga will discuss all of this. The debate will be moderated by sociologist Karel Čada.

The discussion held in collaboration between the Václav Havel Library and the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havlová Foundation.

3 women discovering who they could be without the trauma they're identified with, and it’s changing their life and relations, through unconventional healing program. Women whose families were killed in Croatian war for independence; who were tortured and raped but survived kept silent for 25 years. Till now. The slowness of the justice system, the agonizing process of fact-finding in legal proceedings, the inadequate government support and eventual stuffing with tranquilizers– pushed these women to the edge of their physical and mental strength, ruined their marriages, led them to internal isolation and illness. Despite all that and the fact that they still live in the vicinity to their abusers- former friends and schoolmates, these women are getting their power back. Determined to change their lives to better, they've turned to new healing methods, all focused on the solution, not the cause. For 3 years the film follows 3 women connecting with their deepest truths during the unconventional strengthening program, but also in their homes, villages and cities where they live. 

Conference Programme 

A Word about the Conference

Women in war. An association that has been with us forever but still completely new, different. Before it denoted Amazonians, although more often vivandières or women as the spoils of war. For some time this has been an inadequate outlook. There is no difference between women and men in war. Women figure as soldiers, commanders, pilots, reporters, doctors, politicians, leaders and peace negotiators, as well as mothers sending their children into battle, or homeless refugees. It would be wrong not to mention that during wars women, like men, also turn into tyrants, cruel kapos or propagandists.

Ukraine’s struggle against its Russian occupiers, which we have witnessed at close quarters over the past two years, has taken many different forms. However they have one thing in common: women play an important role. Some we meet on the streets, others we watch with bated breath on social media or in television reports, in shelters, carrying weapons on the front line or looking after destroyed farms.

How to face evil? How to control fear and hopelessness? How to deal with the death of loved ones? How to maintain composure and faith in the future? How to provide help and comfort to children? When the conflict ends, how to continue living next to the aggressors, who may never find justice? How to achieve reconciliation? Women impacted by war ask themselves these tough questions, alongside their children and families, perhaps even more intensely than men.

This year’s conference for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize will present the stories of its laureate and finalists, along with the testimonies of a few women at least from the endless list of those affected by the terror of war at various ages, times and places. What unites them all is their courage – despite all kinds of danger – to persevere and not give up. It is a great honour for us to have the opportunity to be with them and listen to them.

All this and more will be discussed by Pavel Hošek, religious scholar and author of the book The Gospel According to Jaroslav Foglar, Roman Šantora (Bobo), head of the Junák scouts archive and the Jaroslav Foglar Scout Foundation, writer Petr Hugo Šlik, Martin Pecina, author of modern “Foglar” book The Destruction of the Lake Basin, and Martin Pecina, the graphic designer behind contemporary Foglar books.

The discussion will be moderated by David Jan Žák, author of Tleskač and the Tromby Foglar adventure trilogy. Representatives of the Albatros publishing house will also be happy to take questions.

The evening will be introduced by Jáchym Topol.

Come meet writers and get them to sign copies of their books released on this day. Two international authors, Hannah Gold and Janne Teller, are due to attend, while other invited writers include Andrea Sedláčková, Josef Formánek, David Bőhm, Pavel Tomeš, Martin Chadima and Milan Jakobec. In addition, foreign titles will be presented by writers via video message, as well as by the translators Pavel Pecháček and Tomáš Havel.

The programme is hosted by Jiří Svoboda, a Czech Television arts news editor.

These questions and more will be answered by historian Dana Hašková from the Institute of Slavonic Studies of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and historian Petr Hlaváček, who is director of the Research and Education Department at the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.

Týdeník Echo’s Lukáš Novosad will chair the talk.

The biographical dictionary Osobnosti emigrace z území Ruské říše v meziválečném Československu (Notable Emigres from the Russian Empire in Interwar Czechoslovakia), the culmination of 30 years of historical research, will be “baptised” during the event.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, SZ has focused mainly on helping those arrested for anti-war activities, often militants who are not in the sights of human rights organizations.

From an SZ declaration: “Any form of resistance against the authoritarian regime in imperialist Russia is legitimate. Everyone deserves defence and solidarity. We stand in solidarity with all those who speak out in word and deed against state violence.”

Who are the activists and partisans imprisoned in Russia today? What form does aid for the persecuted and imprisoned take? What is the power of international solidarity? And what is the face of Russian anarchism today?

These and other questions will be answered by Solidarity Zone activists Ania Kurbatova and Ivan Astashin.

Interpretation from Russian provided.

His friends and colleagues John Bok and Vladimír Lábus Drápal will talk about Krejcar, while the evening will also include a projection of live recordings of the band Tamers of Flowers.