events 2008

Miloslav Vlcek, Chair of the Lower Chamber of Parliament opens the Conference and Summer Institute

U.S. Embassy Gives Auspices to Conference on Prague Spring 1968 and Summer Institute for Educators

September 3, 2008

Between August 17-22 Department of Sciences, Pedagogical Faculty, Palacky University in Olomouc coordinated The Conference on “Prague Spring 1968” as the part of the 15th Summer Institute (SI). Among 200 participants there were representatives of Prague Spring, lectures and social sciences educators/ academics and students. The Conference and Institute were held under the auspices of Miloslav Vlcek, Chair, Lower Chamber of the Czech Parliament, who opened the event, Lubomir Dvorak, President of Palacky University and the Embassy of the United States in Prague.

The conference roundtable was moderated by Vladimira Dvorakova, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Economics, and FY08 post International Visitor alumna, and the roundtable participants were Prague Spring 1968 protagonists, signatories of Charter 77 and after the Velvet Revolution Civic Forum activists and also politicians, among others:

• Jiri Dientsbier, MFA Minister in the 90ies (Charter 77 signatory)
• Valtr Komarek (cooperated with Vaclav Klaus, Milos Zeman  and other economists on the economic reform in 1968)
• A. J. Liehm, Journalist (immigrated to France; lectures at universities in the U.S.A., Britain, Switzerland and German)
• Otakar Motejl, Ombudsman (between 1968-70 Judge, Supreme Court of Justice)
• Jaroslav Sabata, University Professor (main leader of Opposition after 1969; imprisoned between 1971-76 and 1978-80, and signatory of the Charter 77)
• Vaclav Zak, Chair, Council for Radio and TV Broadcasting (activists of the Opposition after 1968, signatory of the Charter 77)
• Frantisek Mezihorak, Former Dean of Palacky University (main leader of the Opposition in Olomouc)