Members' Newsletter
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APRIL 2015 Members’ www.memoryandconscience.eu Newsletter A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT NEWS FROM THE OFFICE Since the last Newsletter hearing as well as a pre-hearing in relation to the Dear friends, Contemporary Art, we staged another in the preparations for our Magnitsky legislation, which is now expanded April 2015 was a month the series of discussions called Searching conference on The Iron Curtain to all countries violating human rights and not only of preparations. With our for the Czech Identity on Earth Day, - Consequences of WWII in Russia. In order to target individuals who are violating Hungarian Member, the 22 April – this time, the topic was “Elites Budapest have been the main basic human rights we need that type of legislation Committee of National versus role models”. The debate was focus; however, simultaneously there is a lot of work in Europe too. At the Hudson Institute, Bill Browder Remembrance, we were communicating broadcast on Czech TV. going on with regards to the legal project that will presented his book about the Magnitsky case; I highly back and forth organizing the Platform’s At the end of the month, director Stefan be presented in Brussels on 27 May. recommend that all of you read the book; it is like annual conference, this time under the title Weinert came to Prague and to the Czech- As I write this I am waiting for my flight from New a thriller, but unfortunately true. The Iron Curtain - Consequences German border for the last days of filming York to Budapest (via Istanbul). I spent a few days in Finally I took part in the conference Baltic Defense of WWII planned for 5-6 May in Budapest. the first Platform documentary film. Our Washington DC where Karl Altau from our member and Security After Ukraine arranged by Please see page 2 for more about the new intern in Prague, Suzie Irglová, a bright organisation JBANC set up a meeting agenda in order the Jamestown Foundation. Also here there was conference. We also sent a letter to student of translation and interpretation, to network, and I also attended every conference on a discussion about the historical connection. Mr Alexei and Mr Oleg Navalny, informing has been collaborating on the film project security to point out the connection between Europe’s Stephen Blank and Paul Goble made very clear the them about their upcoming award of and is quite excited about it. totalitarian past and Russia’s present behaviour. need for more and better cooperation in the field the Prize of the Platform of European Finally, I had also planned to write up My first day in DC started with a visit to the tenth of defence. Blank and Goble are definitely in the Memory and Conscience 2015, and we a 20-page publication for the upcoming conference arranged by Initiatives for China, where top ten when it comes to present clear and accurate found a suitable venue for the ceremony public event in the European Parliament I gave a short presentation about the Platform and analysis of Europe’s security situation; especially in – please see page 2. in Brussels which will take place on the importance of dealing with our historical past. regards to Russia. In the meantime, Gillian Purves flew to 27 May 2015, to present the results The next event was a forum on the Latvian Hopefully this trip will lead to new cooperation and New York to give a presentation of the of the International Justice for Presidency and EU Policy Towards Central Asia, new partners for the Platform; one new contact is Platform Reader for Schools “Lest We Communist Crimes project (please see which featured an interesting discussion on the the Human Rights Foundation, which arranges Forget. Memory of Totalitarianism in more on page 3), but we faced an audit situation in the five Central Asian states squeezed a meeting in Oslo every year; we will take part. Europe” on two evenings, on 2 and 9 of our grant funding in the middle of the between Russia and China, which at the same time The train to New York was an opportunity to digest April, at the Czech Center. We also got month. Two weeks of work went into badly need to get rid of their authoritarian regimes some of my impressions. invited to present the Reader for Schools answering the questions of the auditors. without a takeover by Muslim fundamentalists. On the evening of 1 May I opened our travelling at the annual conference of the European As of now, our responses have been sent. Carl Bildt’s speech on “Europe Surrounded by a Ring exhibition in the Bohemian Hall in New history teachers’ association EUROCLIO in We hope that all went well and that we of Fire” at the Center for Strategic & International York. Around 20 interested people came to the Helsingör, Denmark. I gave a presentation have complied with the requirements. Studies was very inspiring, and at the same time scary. opening. Hopefully the exhibition will continue there on 23 April – please see more on A couple of blackbirds have built a nest on Carl did also touch on the historical connection to Washington DC; our members are working on page 2. the roof of the Prague office and the rose and the need to know our recent history in order finding the right venues. In April, we also submitted two large bushes on the terrace have sprouted fresh to understand and deal with Russia, but also the After a week filled with conferences I embarked on grant applications for future funding of greenery. Spring is here :-). history of the Middle East leading to the current my trip back to Europe and the conference Platform activities – please see page 3 for Please plan to come to Brussels on 27 May! situation where they are in a similar state as Europe in Budapest. more details. Wishing you a lovely time until then, during the 30 Years War in the 17th century. Göran Lindblad In cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer Neela Winkelmann Bill Browder was in town for a formal committee President Stiftung and DOX, the Centre for Managing Director 1 Members’ APRIL 2015 Newsletter www.memoryandconscience.eu Platform PRESENTATION OF THE PLATFORM PRESENTATION OF THE News READER FOR SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK PLATFORM READER ANNUAL PLATFORM CONFERENCE: ON 2 AND 9 APRIL 2015 AT THE ANNUAL “THE IRON CURTAIN - CONSEQUENCES On 2 and 9 April 2015, the Platform Reader for schools “Lest We EUROCLIO CONFERENCE OF WWII“ ON 5-6 MAY 2015 Forget. Memory of Totalitarianism in Europe” was presented by the IN ELSINORE, DENMARK editor of the book Gillian Purves at the Czech Center New York, as IN BUDAPEST part of the Czech Center’s Acts of Courage programme. The screening ON 23 APRIL 2015 of a documentary about Czech war pilot Josef Bryks: A Man Who The purpose of the annual Platform conference was to contribute Overestimated the Czech Soul on 2 April was followed by a discussion The beautiful Konventum Centre in to the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII with Brigadier General Jiři Verner and a brief presentation of the reader Helsingör, or Elsinore in English, was the by demonstrating that, for half of Europe, it meant a transition by Gillian Purves. The reader was presented in more detail on 9 April, venue of the annual conference of the into another violent totalitarian system concealed behind the Iron following a screening of director Jan Mudra’s documentary The Case European history teachers’ association Curtain. The Committee of National Remembrance procured the of Dr. Horáková about the show trial of Milada Horáková and her EUROCLIO. About 160 participants from Delegates’ Hall in the beautiful Parliament building on the Danube colleagues. As the life stories of both Josef Bryks and Milada Horáková several continents attended the week-long as the conference venue. Platform representatives and Member are included in the Reader, these screenings were an ideal opportunity event with various visits, presentations and organisations were invited to give presentations in Budapest. We to present the publication to an interested and engaged audience. discussions. Thanks to liaising work by Johann even addressed the office of the President of Hungary, inviting Grünbauer from the Netherlands, the new Mr János Áder to open the event. Agnieszka from the Platform’s EUROCLIO Director, Mr Jonathan Even-Zohar Brussels office took care of the registrations. offered us a slot in the programme to present the Reader – an evening called “Political cafe” on 23 April 2015. Neela Winkelmann presented the pdf version of the Reader on PREPARING THE AWARD OF THE PRIZE screen to about 30-40 history educators from OF THE PLATFORM 2015 ON 6 MAY 2015 Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East. There was a lively discussion about the book, In cooperation with the office of Mr Zsolt Németh, Chairman of which was well received by the teachers the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian Parliament, we including representatives from Greece, Spain, found a nice location close to the Parliament in Budapest to present Denmark, Iceland and India. The approx. 40 the Prize of the Platform 2015 to the Navalny brothers – the Duna free copies of the Reader disappeared quickly. Palota hall near the embankment. The prize-giving ceremony would There is no similar publication on the market. take place after the closing of the conference in the Parliament. We There was even a suggestion to translate the got in touch with Mr Alexei Navalny. Unfortunately he cannot travel book into Icelandic! because of charges pending against him, so we asked for a person P.S.: Currently, a fifth language version of who could accept the Prize on the brothers’ behalf.