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CZECHOSLOVAK SOCIETY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES |
Czech Embassy Conference -
Czech Republic and Czech Americans
on their Way to a Common Future (1997)
The conference „The Czech Republic
and Czech Americans on their Way to the Common Future“ held in Washington over the
weekend of October 18-19, 1997, was undobtedly among this year’s highlights of the
embassy’s activities.
Close to 100 representatives of Czech-American organizations gathered in D.C. for two days
to discuss the ways of preserving the rich heritage of the past generations of
Czech-Americans. Promoting strong relations between the Czech Republic and the United
States also ranked high on the agenda of the conference reflecting the historic moment for
the CR: an invitation to become a member of the NATO marks the return of the Czech
Republic to the family of Western nations. The participants showed strong support for this
cause.
The conference was opened with a speech by its host, Ambassador Alexandr Vondra. Guest
speakers included Jeremy Rosner, Special Adviser on the NATO Enlargement Ratification at
the U.S. Department of State, Julie Finley of the U.S. Committee to Expand NATO, and
members of the Senate of the Czech Parliament led by Senator Michael Zantovsky, Chairman
of the Foreign Relations, Defense and Security Committee of the Czech Senate. The
conference applauded the special guest of honor, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,
for her warm greetings.
The conference approved two resolutions. One calling for the U.S. Senate to give its full
and unequivocal support to the candidacy of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland for
admission to the North Atlantic Alliance. The resolution on the preservation of
Czech-American cultural heritage emphasized a full support for the establishing of the
Cultural Heritage Commission.
The unresolved issues of citizenship a restitution of emigrants were also aired.
Ambassador Vondra mentioned in his speech that both at the Parliament and in some
ministries serious discussions began about the need to complete the rehabilitation with
regard to citizenship of those emigrants whose cases were not addressed by the current
legislation. The Czech Senators present at the
conference confirmed that these changes are underway and promised that they will be
brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Vondra expressed his gratitude for the participants’
active support for the Czech cause. The traditional annual concert by Columbia Pro Cantare
Chamber Singers and their magnificent performance of all-Czech program celebrating the
Czech Independence Day was an acclaimed conclusion of the conference.
Following is the abridged text of the resolution on NATO enlargement adopted by the
Conference participants:
"We, the Americans of Czech descent and Czech birth and friends of the Czech Republic
assembled at the Conference, (...) decided to urge the US Senate to give its full and
unequivocal support to the candidacy of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for
admission to the North Atlantic Alliance. For the following reasons:
"As it was in the interest of the United States after the Second World War to
maintain peace, security, and stability in Western Europe, the long-term national interest
of the United States commands it to participate actively in the maintenance of peace,
security, and stability in Central Europe of which the Czech Republic is a key member;
(...)
"Together with the rest of postcommunist Central Europe, the Czech Republic
constitutes a soft area of the European political and security system and, therefore, it
is not only in the Czech Republic’s interest but to an equal measure in the general
interest of peace and security in Europe to be effectively included in a functioning
system of North Atlantic security;
"Since the Czech people universally share the conviction that they belong to the
Western European and Atlantic civilization, they will not see their liberation from past
traumas and present anxieties as completed until they have been allowed to join the North
Atlantic Alliance;
"Since their painful historical experience has taught the Czech people that they will
not be secure and free unless they bear their share of responsibility for European
security and peace, they are now determined to assume that responsibility as a full member
of NATO;
"Since Russia has nothing to fear from Czech Republic’s membership in NATO and, on
the contrary, will benefit from security and stability in Central Europe, to yield to the
pressure of those forces in Russia and to those in the United States that are opposed to
the admission of the Czech Republic to NATO would only encourage Russia’s imperial
ambitions in the future.
"The ultimate cost of not extending membership to the new democracies may be
difficult to estimate but we are concerned that:
"1) NATO might not survive such inertia, and having shrunk from the challenges of
today and tomorrow, the current configuration of NATO might atrophy and disintegrate.
"2) with such a demise of NATO, the United States would lose its primary link to
Europe and continental security;
"3) European nations would lose their primary bond to collective security, and could
slide backward toward the dangers of pre-Alliance diplomatic and military perspectives;
"4) Central and Eastern Europe
would remain a security vacuum in which freedom and democracy would have far less chance
to prosper, and
"5) the United States might well find itself returning to Europe once again to shed
more blood on the same fields:
"For all these reasons we add our voice to the voice of the overwhelming majority of
the American people who approve of the extension of NATO membership to the Czech Republic
and its two Central European neighbors. (...)
Folowing are excerpts from the resolution on the preservation of Czech-American Cultural
Heritage adopted by the Conference participants:
"... We (...) resolve to support the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences and
the Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas in establishing the Cultural Heritage
Commission. The Commission will aid already existing organizations in gathering and
disseminating information, coordinating and publicizing their efforts to preserve Czech
heritage, and suggesting new strategies
for joint action (e.g., surveying historic sites of particular significance to
Czech-Americans). (...)
"The Washington conference reflected Ambassador Vondra’s commitment to meet and
confer with the guardians of Czech heritage, pride, and culture in the United States with
the goal of strengthening cultural, economic, and political ties between Czechs and
Americans ...
"Like other citizens of the United States, a nation which thrives on cultural and
racial diversity, the members of our organizations realize that there is no conflict
between our loyalty to and love for the country where we live and our desire to preserve
the rich and distinctive cultural heritage of our ethnic origins. (...)
"In this spirit, we will do our best to preserve the Czech cultural heritage in North
America, and we call on all interested men and women to help us in this endeavor
particularly in efforts to encourage our children to learn about their heritage and to
establish and promote cultural and language programs throughout the United States, as well
as educational exchanges with the Czech Republic.
~~~