CZECH the NewsNews Newsletter of the Embassy of the Czech Republic Vol. 3, 2007 Holocaust Rescuers Recognized in Congress n July 31, 2007, the Cold War era. Contents: Office of Congressman The Forum OTom Lantos conducted included a 20- Message from the Ambassador..... 2 an open forum in the U.S. minute screening Congress to honor Nicholas of the documentary Visa Waiver Program Modernizing............................... 2 Winton and Raoul Wallenberg, “The Power of two men who saved the lives Good” which Bush Unveils Victims of of thousands of European Jews chronicles the Communism Memorial................ 3 before and during World War story of Nicholas Embassy Adopts Animals.............. 3 II. Mrs. Annette Lantos, wife Winton saving the of Congressman Tom Lantos, 669 Czechoslovak Czech Republic Ranks High in herself a Holocaust survivor children and Photo courtesy of JoAnn Cooper World Democracies...................... 3 Deputy Chief of Mission Jaroslav Kurfurst and Czech saved by Wallenberg, moderated highlights the lives Honorary Consul General Peter A. Rafaeli Wilson Monument Returning to the event. some of them went speak at the forum. Prague Train Station..................... 3 Sir Nicholas Winton was a on to live. It also accomplishments achieved Prague and Chicago Celebrate 29-year-old English stockbroker featured a 7-minute clip from the through Winton’s personal Czech Culture............................. 4 when he saved the lives of television show “60 Minutes” philosophy that anything can be Say It in Czech—Czech Festival 669 Jewish and non-Jewish about Wallenberg’s rescue accomplished as long as it is not in Nebraska................................ 4 Czechoslovak children during efforts that included Mrs. Lantos absolutely impossible. the months before the outbreak recounting her personal story Jaroslav Kurfürst, Deputy Czech Students Intern in of World War II. Mr. Winton and discussing Wallenberg’s Washington................................. 5 Ambassador of the Czech recently celebrated his 98th post-war fate. Several guest Republic, spoke of Winton’s Czechs and Americans birthday in his native England speakers discussed their personal heroism and compassion toward Cooperate on Nanospider where he lives today. Raoul experiences with the two Research.................................... 5 humanity despite that Winton Wallenberg, a Swede, saved an rescuers. does not consider himself a hero. New Diplomat Welcomed............ 5 estimated 100,000 Hungarian Mr. Peter Rafaeli, Honorary Mr. Kurfurst attended the event on Jews over the course of the war, Consul General of the Czech behalf of Czech Ambassador Petr Did You Know?........................... 5 and subsequently perished in the Republic in Philadelphia, PA, Kolar who was unable to attend. Transformation—The Making of an Soviet prison system during the spoke of Winton’s extraordinary Continued on page 12 Artist: Marta Topferova................ 6 Plastics Return, Rendezvous at the Black Cat.............................. 7 Bush Visits Prague Bengas Blends Romany Music in n his way to the democracy around the world Eclectic Soup for the Soul............ 8 June G-8 Summit saying that “every time Czech Organist Plays Dvorak Oin Germany, people are given a choice, for Czech National Day............... 8 U.S. President Bush they choose freedom.” He Czech Wins Art Fellowship........... 8 spent 2 days in Prague praised the Czech Republic this summer meeting and other countries that have Academy Award Winning Czech with President Vaclav “recently felt the shadow Director to Present Washington Premiere..................................... 9 Klaus, Prime Minister of tyranny” for supporting Mirek Topolanek, and the cause of freedom. In Avalon Theatre Partners with other Czech government recognition of the successful Embassy for Second Season....... 10 officials. In discussions return of government Czech Photographer Opens at Prague Castle, both Affairs Photo courtesy of the Czech Ministry Foreign control to the Czech Panorama Exhibition.................. 10 Czech leaders reiterated U.S. President George W. Bush people, Bush highlighted the at Prague conference their support for the U.S. missile Czechs’ historical appreciation Upcoming Czech Events in the U.S........................................... 10 defense system and the plans, requirement, which Topolanek of democracy, saying “People, currently under negotiation, for called “unjust.” your government has returned Fall Fashion Show at Embassy..... 11 the Czech Republic to host a Following his meetings to you,” recalling the quote Embassy Announces Fall Cultural radar component of that system. at Prague Castle, President attributed to the 17th century Season 2007............................ 11 They also urged Bush to do away Bush delivered a speech at Czech philosopher Jan Amos with the visa requirement for the Democracy and Security Komensky (Comenius), and Newsletter Goes Electronic......... 12 Czech citizens wishing to visit Conference, attended by echoed by both Tomas Garrigue the United States. Bush pledged dissidents, academicians, and Masaryk and Vaclav Havel when to continue working with the politicians. There he defended they assumed presidency of a U.S. Congress to remove the visa U.S. efforts to encourage newly free Czechoslovakia. Current Events Message from the Ambassador Dear Friends, With summer vacations behind us and many interesting fall activities starting to demand our attention, I would like to reflect briefly on some of the summer highlights in Czech-U.S. relations. As many of you know, visa equality with the United States has been a top priority of Czech foreign policy and an ongoing issue during my tenure as ambassador. Over the last year, through a campaign conducted by American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFoCR), many of you contacted your members of Congress asking them to include the Czech Republic and the other new European Union member states in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Your efforts have helped. In August 2007 President Bush signed new legislation that changes the requirements for VWP inclusion (see full story below). The majority of these Photo courtesy of Chad Wyatt changes involve modernizing and standardizing travel security measures between countries, although certain stipulations that previously kept some of the closest U.S. allies out of the VWP unfortunately still remain. Overall, this new legislation is a step in the right direction and I am grateful for your ongoing support. Other good news from the U.S. Congress is a congressional resolution to honor Nicholas Winton, the Englishman who saved 669 Czechoslovak children before the outbreak of World War II. Resolution 583, introduced by Congressman Ron Klein of Florida and backed by Congressman Tom Lantos of California, was approved in July by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and will go to the House floor for debate this fall. The same day, Mrs. Annette Lantos, wife of Congressman Lantos and a Holocaust survivor herself, chaired a forum to honor both Mr. Winton and Raoul Wallenberg, the Swede who saved over 100,000 Hungarian Jews during World War II. (see story page 1). Mr. Peter Rafaeli, the Czech Honorary Consul General in Philadelphia, was pivotal in introducing the Winton story to the U.S. Congress and I am grateful for his efforts. Other summer highlights include the unveiling of the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in June attended by President George Bush and Czech Senator Martin Mejstrik, who came to Washington especially for the unveiling and its related events (see story page 3). Prague Mayor Pavel Bem also visited the United States this summer to support and attend the Prague Days in Chicago festival (see story page 4). Looking ahead, our fall cultural season has many wonderful events to offer. Among the highlights are a September concert by the legendary Czech rock band Plastic People of the Universe, and a November concert by the Czech-born, New York-based singer and musician Marta Topferova. Plastic People, who symbolized resistance to Czechoslovakia’s communist regime, will perform their unique style of rock, while Topferova and her band will bring a Latin flavor to the Embassy. Ms. Topferova, described as a “leading light” of the nueva cancíon movement of Latin America, personifies a bridge between the cultures of the Americas and Europe. She and her band will perform a mix of original songs in Spanish combined with selections from her Czech folk music CD, Homage to Homeland (please see Ms. Topferova’s story on page 6). Also this fall, the world-renowned Czech film director Jiri Menzel will attend the European Film Showcase in the Washington metropolitan area to screen his latest film “I Served the King of England.” For a full list of fall cultural events, please see page 11. I look forward to seeing all of you this fall. Warmly, Petr Kolar Visa Waiver Program Modernizing n August 3, 2007, ity with the United States. President George Bush President Bush has said he will signed Homeland Secu- continue to work with Congress O rity Bill H. R. 1, “Implementing to provide more flexibility to sions in H.R. 1, “Implement- global security. Recommendations of the 9/11 bring these closest U.S. allies ing Recommendations of the We will continue to work Commission Act of 2007” that into the program. 9/11 Commission Act of 2007,” for a visa policy that recognizes contains new legislation for Visa In response to the new recently signed by President our common security, economic, Waiver Program (VWP) partici-