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With the participation of Petr Kopriva, Ambassador of Czech Republic in Argentina, the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL) presented the Vaclav Havel Institute for international democratic solidarity at Centro Cultural Recoleta. On the birthday of Vaclav Havel the institute of Puente Democratico Program from CADAL that bares his name was launched with the aim of training the youth in the values of democracy, peace and international solidarity in defense of human rights.
The opening of the event was in charge of Gabriel C. Salvia, General Director of CADAL, who highlighted that the task in the international promotion of human rights is among the most important objectives of this organization created in February 2003. At the same time Salvia stated that since the beginning of the implementation of Puente Democratico Program, its website has a quote by Václav Havel that sums up its objective in the best possible way: “I know how important it is for a person to know that there are people out there who are not indifferent about our future”. The head of CADAL added that after the sad news regarding Havel’s death on December 18, 2011, the Executive Committee of CADAL started to analyze the possibility of having an activity with the name of former president of Czech Republic and Czechoslovaquia.
After a few opening words some videos were shown in tribute to Václav Havel, among them, images from the three days of mourn in Prague and a message from the President of Amnesty International.
Also a video was shown with a moving message from the Nobel Laureate for Peace 1991, the human rights activist from Burma, Aung San suu Kyi.
The last video was the trailer of the documentary “Citizen Havel” about which the critic Pablo De Vita stated: “The film, a backstage of the presidential role, was only exhibited after he left power and it is the exact approach to the literary man who faces the collective challenge, but also the intimate view about the construction of a political leader. In the austerity of his office and in the magnificence of the Prague Castle, Havel has to assume his role of undoubted figure and face the course of everyday politics and the remaining of authoritarianism”.
The closure of the event was in charge of Petr Kopriva, Ambassador of Czech Republic in Argentina, who highlighted the importance of the relationship between CADAL and the embassy and Foreign Affairs Department in his country, and informed that from that day on the International Airport of Prague would bare the name of Václav Havel. (Read his words in spanish)
The Institute has the support of Vaclav Havel’s wife, Dagmar Havlova, and will include among its activities the projection in schools and universities of the documentary “Power of the Powerless”, a series of conferences and documentaries on current issues in foreign affairs and human rights named International Civic Forum, the Program Good Bye Lenin: The social experience in Central and Eastern Europe and the transitions to democracy”, and the conformation of a Documents Center with a library and videos on dictatorships, the struggle for democracy, international law on human rights and transitions.
Ambassadors of Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia: S.E. Petr Kopriva, S.E. Manuela Breazu y S.E. Pavel Sipka.
