| SVU |
CZECHOSLOVAK SOCIETY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES |
The 21st SVU World Congress
Plenary Session: Part I
TRIBUTE TO AMERICA
Miloslav Rechcigl, Presiding
OPENING
REMARKS BY MILOSLAV RECHCIGL
President, SVU
Excellencies,
Magnificences, Spectabiles, Distinguished Guests:
It is with some humility that I am opening this special session in which we offer
"Tribute to America"for all it has done on behalf of our old homeland,
as well for those whom she offered a shelter and new start in the New World, the land of
unlimited opportunities.
The first speaker on our program is H.E. Martin Palous, Ambassador of the Czech Republic
to the USA who will address the general subject. He will be followed by H. E. Craig
Roberts Stepleton, Ambassador of the USA to the Czech Republic who will speak on the
relations between the US and the Czech Republic. The third speaker will be Frantisek
Ruzicka, Minister-Counselor of the Slovak Embassy in Prague who will focus on the Slovak
aspects.
ADDRESS BY H. E. MARTIN PALOUS
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the US
will be provided later
ADDRESS BY H.E. CRAIG ROBERTS STAPLETON
Ambassador of the United States to the CR
I am honored to be here today to participate in the "Tribute to
America" session of this, the 21st Congress of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts &
Sciences. It seems fitting that we gather today in Plzen, a city that represents the
longstanding and strong ties between the Czech and American peoples. Our relationship
dates back to the Colonial period and was enhanced by successive waves of immigration by
Czechs and Slovaks seeking religious and political freedom. His experience with American
democracy and our vibrant civil society inspired the founder of the Czechoslovak state,
Tomaš Garrigue Masaryk, to dream of such a future for his own people. And today, nearly
nine decades later, Masaryk's vision is as relevant as ever.
I will focus my remarks today on the development of democracy and civil
society, given the important role played by the SVU in this process. I will also discuss
areas for improvement, and some of the things that the United States is doing to help
improve the state of civil society in the Czech Republic.
Both of our societies have a long and storied tradition of promoting
education, analytical thought, and challenging the status quo; all of which are essential
elements of dynamic, democratic society. Throughout Czech history one finds courageous
free-thinkers who dared to follow their hearts and minds. Jan Amos Komensky and Jan Hus
leap immediately to mind. Komensky understood the fundamental importance of education for
weaving a strong social fabric. His vision of universal education presaged by nearly 400
years the recognition of the right to education as a basic human right by the United
Nations. Hus dared to challenge the power of the Catholic Church over men's souls long
before the world had heard of Martin Luther. Revolutionary at the time, his belief that
individuals should be free to follow the dictates of their own conscience inspired
generations of reformers who followed and is now a cornerstone of modern democracy.
Though our history is short by comparison to that of the Czech lands,
we have packed a lot into that time. Our founding fathers, men such as George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, pledged their "lives," their
"fortunes," and their "sacred honor" to the idea of a government that
guaranteed basic rights, including education and freedom of conscience, to its citizens.
As early as 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville marveled at the dynamism of American civil society
and the innumerable ways in which its citizens found to associate themselves. In the
intervening years, America has become an economic and political force the likes of which
the world has never seen precisely because it has never stopped questioning, innovating,
improving, and seeking new challenges, new frontiers. The importance of a strong civil
society is so ingrained into American culture that it is a part of our very nature. From
Woodrow Wilson's vision of a peaceful and democratic Europe, the Marshall Plan, and the
Berlin Airlift, to the Peace Corps, Ronald Reagan's bold stand against the "Evil
Empire" of communism, and our current efforts to help the people of Afghanistan
reclaim their country from zealots and terrorists, America has always been there to
support and inspire those who seek to protect democratic ideals.
Having briefly examined the historical traditions of democracy and
civil society in our two countries, it is appropriate to take a look at the current
situation.
The world waited expectantly as Czechoslovakia, and then the Czech
Republic and Slovakia, emerged from the long shadow of communism. We were hopeful that the
deeply embedded democratic and philosophical traditions of the past, stifled by Nazism and
then communist totalitarianism, would re-emerge like a flower after a long winter. I can
say today that the Czech Republic did not let the world down. It is now a
fully-functioning democracy with an active, yet still-growing, civil society. It has taken
its place in NATO and is preparing to host a summit at which the Alliance will welcome
even more new members. Even now, it is in the final stages of negotiation with the
European Union, and stands at the front of the queue of aspirant countries that will soon
join and transform that organization.
While I am enthusiastic about the state of Czech democracy and civil
society, I must also take note of a few items that would benefit from greater attention.
The judicial system is a vital element of democratic society insofar as
it defends the individual and the social order against wrong and ensures equality of
treatment in criminal and civil affairs. The recently enacted reforms of the criminal and
judicial systems are steps in the right direction. The number of people in pre-trial
detention has fallen dramatically and judges, prosecutors, and police have been given many
of the procedural tools they need to deal with the backlog of cases in the criminal
system.
Much, however, remains to be done to reform the civil justice system.
Inadequate resources and antiquated procedures mean that civil litigants must often wait
years for resolution of important contractual and financial issues. This, in turn, acts as
a brake on the influx of capital into the Czech market. Investors are understandably wary
of becoming too exposed in a system that cannot resolve disputes quickly and efficiently.
We understand that the Czech Republic is working diligently with the EU to address these
problems, and we encourage their efforts.
The so-called "special schools" into which Roma children have
long been shunted, have been a source of much consternation over the years, and are the
subject of pending litigation at the European Court of Human Rights. By giving these
children little or no chance of ever escaping the remedial curriculum of these schools,
the system has failed to live up to the ideals espoused by Komensky so long ago. We
applaud the plan announced by the Education Ministry in January to gradually close the
"special schools" and integrate Roma children into standard curricula and
classrooms. This is an important first step toward providing equal opportunity of
education for every child.
That said, it will not be enough to simply close the "special
schools" and integrate their students into mainstream classrooms. There must be a
concentrated effort to modernize schools throughout the country in order to ensure that
future generations will be properly equipped to face the challenges that await them. This
will mean that the next government will have to make many difficult budget decisions, and
I hope that they will have the wisdom to understand that investment in the educational
system is an investment in the future of the country whose dividends will be paid in the
achievements of its citizens.
As I mentioned earlier, the Czech Republic is now a fully-functioning
democracy. Just over a week ago, citizens went to the polls to express their collective
will about how the country should be governed for the next four years. Yet while the
election stands as evidence of the strength of democracy and civil society here, it also
provides some clues about their weaknesses.
73 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the 1998 parliamentary
elections, while a mere 58 percent voted this time around. Such a dramatic decline in
voter participation should be viewed as a symptom that, left untreated, could create real
problems later on. Throughout the campaign, voters indicated a growing sense that their
vote wouldn't count for much, that the major parties would work things out amongst
themselves as they did after the last election. I say this, not to comment on negotiations
over the shape of the new government, but to illustrate the seeming disconnect between the
voters and the politicians. When voters begin to feel isolated from the political process,
and in this case perception is reality, they begin to lose confidence that their voice
will be heard, that their interests will be taken to heart. Over time, the electorate
becomes demoralized and loses the passion necessary to participate effectively in civil
society. Then they become fertile soil for those who would seduce their way into power
through democratic means, only to cast democracy aside when it becomes expedient.
And this brings me to my next point, the 2002 parliamentary elections
seem to have had only one clear-cut winner: the communists. Surprisingly, the communists
gained 18 percent of the vote and 9 seats in the Chamber, actually taking seats from the
other three parliamentary parties. While the Social Democrats, Civic Democrats, and the
Coalition have all ruled out cooperation with the communists, the fact remains that they
will be in a position to exert greater influence over the course of policy in the new
parliament. It should be worrisome enough that the party that unapologetically defends the
"normalization," would withdraw from NATO, block EU accession, and re-orient the
country eastward threatens to creep back into a position of influence in government.
However, what should be at least as troubling is how and why the communists got there.
Some analysts have concluded that the voter apathy I spoke of before
contributed greatly to the electoral success of the communists. I must say that I agree.
When citizens fail to exercise their right to vote, they lose their voice. Then the
electoral system is subject to being hijacked by a well-disciplined and vocal minority
whose votes then represent a disproportionately larger percentage of those cast. This does
not, however, fully explain the communists' success. It appears that many young voters
cast their ballots in favor of the communists, but it is not yet clear whether these votes
were a protest against the mainstream parties, or whether the communists' efforts to
appeal to younger voters were indeed successful. Society as a whole must sit up, take
note, and explore the reasons why its youth support a movement that caused so much harm to
the Czech nation. Should it prove unwilling or unable to address this problem, Czech civil
society will slowly wither on the vine.
For our part, America will continue to work with our Czech partners in
all segments of society to improve the state of democracy and civil society here through a
variety of programs.
Perhaps the most high-profile of these is the Fulbright program. Over
the past 10 years, the Fulbright program has made possible more than 500 scholarly
exchanges between our two countries. Every year, this program allows 6 American high
school teachers to trade places with 6 of their Czech counterparts. Beyond the obvious
academic benefits of this program, it provides excellent opportunities for personal and
cultural understanding. Fulbright scholars return home with a broader perspective on the
world. A student from Kansas will have a greater appreciation for how citizens of another
country view America. While a Czech teacher returning from an exchange in the U.S. might
bring a greater understanding of how to manage an ethnically diverse classroom.
We also support civic education programs aimed at equipping citizens
with the tools they need to be active participants in democracy. Our embassy is
cooperating with the California-based Center for Civic Education, local school officials
from Michigan, and the Czech Society for Education and Democracy on a project to bring
modern teaching methods to Czech classrooms. This program builds upon the "New
Horizons" curriculum project that is changing the way university classrooms operate
by introducing a more open, participatory environment; one in which students ask questions
and interact with the professor, rather than passively absorbing lecture after lecture.
Finally, our Embassy administers what we call "SEED" grants
to support non-governmental organizations working to strengthen civil society in this
country. While "SEED" is an acronym for "Support for East European
Democracies," it is an apt description of how we hope the money will be used. In
reviewing applications for these grants, we attempt to target those NGOs that need a
jump-start in the hopes that they will use our grant to run a project that will attract
other donors. "SEED" money is just that: a seed that we plant and hope will
grow.
In the past, we have funded programs aimed at promoting ethnic and
racial tolerance, assisting the disabled, combating trafficking in women and children,
printing and distributing voter education pamphlets, and community center projects in
several cities, including one in Matični Street in Ustí nad Labem. This year we expect
to distribute 200,000 dollars through the "SEED" program in support of the NGO
sector in the Czech Republic.
In closing, I believe that democracy and civil society are, by and
large, doing well in the Czech Republic and that the country can no longer be termed a
"transition country." It has clearly re-established itself as a full-fledged
democracy in the European tradition. While there still remain a number of areas,
particularly the civil judiciary and the educational system, that need improving, it does
appear that needed reforms are in the works. Of greater concern, is the resurgence of the
communists in the recent election and the reasons behind it. Throughout history
democracies have tended to become complacent when faced with a challenge from undemocratic
forces. It is my hope that Czech society will not respond with complacency, but will work
even harder to educate its youth about the evils of the past regime and instill in them
the ideals espoused by Komensky, Hus, Masaryk, and other defenders of freedom. And you can
be certain that America will stand with you, as we have in the past, as a friend,
compatriot, and ally.
ADDRESS BY HON. FRANTISEK RUZICKA
Minister-Counselor of Slovak Republic to CR
Magnificences,
Excellencies, dear Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen
Thank you very much for this unique and excellent opportunity to be
with you today. I would like to salute your Congress, congratulate your chairman for a
tremendous work to convey this meeting.
Allow me please to share with you some ideas and thoughts about current
world affairs and the place Slovak Republic would like to achieve.
Every day we are witnessing new and new discoveries about our past -
history of mankind is rich, complex and will never be fully recovered. I wonder what will
be a symbol of XXth century? What would future archeologists find the most typical,
symptomatic for period we all are living in. Will it be a microchip or a nuclear bomb? Who
will be in history books and who will perish in the history 50, 100 years from now. Will
it be the Pope John Paul II, or Elvis Presley?
Last century, as many others before, started and ended with wars. That
makes me wonder again - why mankind cannot learn from history? It seems that there are 100
reasons for world peace, but there seems to be always one more reason for war.
It took Europe, in broad sense, and the United States, more than half
of a century to create solid fundaments for equal, mutually beneficial and liberal
cooperation - to strengthen transatlantic relations, to destroy wall between nations,
unite European continent, improve relations between nations in general. Fifty years that
made us understand that through wars and totality no one can secure for himself
prosperity, security, political and economic stability in long term.
Last century was a true age of information - internet, communication
satellites, cellular phones and other means of digital transfer of any kind of information
- brought the whole world closer. Today anybody around the globe can have an instant
information about anything anywhere. Logically - one would guess, that this should give us
more information about life, traditions, history and problems in the most remote spots
around the world. We should be better informed, more tolerant, understanding. But, I
wonder again - does more information create better understanding among nations, races,
religions automatically? Does it solve problems like poverty, starvation, disease
regulation? The answer is not, or not efficiently.
On the other hand - information, communication, last discoveries and
new technologies, including the destructive ones, can be obtained and spread quicker. At
the merge of the new century we found out, that everything, that is meant to improve our
life, can be as well used to destroy it.
On September 11th we were confronted with the worst face of evil.
The war against terrorism will be extremely difficult, will demand
creation of a new strategy, new means and ways how to defeat it. It will require from all
of us - states, alliances, politicians - more flexibility. Terrorism is, unlike wars of
the past - less predictable, strikes from darkness, is not limited by territory, is not
limited by means, takes innocent lives without any warning. After striking it goes back to
darkness and waits silently for another opportunity.
September 11, 2001 got us all by surprise. It was a shock to all people
who till that very day, till that fatal minute dedicated their lives to build a better,
safer world on both sides of Atlantic, to all with deepest respect for human life and
freedoms. Democracy, stability and values that were born and built, developed and fought
for in Europe and in the United States of America throughout centuries were deeply
wounded.
That day was longer than life - for those, who perished in the ruins of
World Trade Center, in ruins of the Pentagon and in the plane over Pennsylvania, and for
their families painful memories will last forever. We can - we have to - recover, we will
continue building and improving civil society on principles we believe in, but we must not
forget the tragedies like that one.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist, poet stated "The only
way to have friends is to be one".
Our world is still not a safe place to live - there are latent and
hidden dangers that should be better identified, known and finally eliminated. Democratic
world, all sovereign countries, regardless where they geographically are, have the only
opportunity to prove their leadership - by using all achievements - in science, economy,
philosophy - for peaceful means, for benefits of all mankind. Prevention is the essence -
we have to put more efforts to look and find out means and ways how to eliminate factors
that contribute to the existence of hatred, any kind of intolerance, xenophobia and other
factors that as such may create a favorable environment for extremism of any kind.
We should take systematic and effective steps, that must be directed
and carried out against those - individuals or groups - who are not respecting the basic
principles of peaceful coexistence of different cultures around the world. For these
operations we need to improve transatlantic and European security cooperation. This
cooperation is crucial for our common security and, to our opinion, should be more
flexible, less influenced by individual interests, more dedicated to common goals, with
more tolerance and more pragmatism, based on mutual trust and respect.
That is why Slovakia would like to be a friend
We think that the NATO enlargement is not a question of fear, or
instant danger applicant countries, including Slovakia, have. This goal does not come from
the necessity to stand "against somebody", the fundamental philosophy is the
feeling to "be with somebody." Winston Churchill said "There is only one
thing worse than fighting against allies, and that is to fighting without allies".
Slovak Republic is among leading candidates, it is our ultimate goal
and task to participate at the Prague summit and be a part of next round of enlargement.
It is not anymore a sole military question. It is an expression to be a part of the world
we belong to - the world which values and principles we truly respect.
Today we can say that Europe and the United States took some lessons
from painful and suffering past. Tendencies to improve American-Europe relations, better
involvement of Russia in building security, further consolidation and unification of
Europe are good steps in this direction. These are "global tendencies", high
tech of foreign policy. But this political "high tech" will never work without
the contribution of all members of democratic community - it is like in economy - no large
company can exist without supplies from small and medium enterprises. This is, by the way,
one of the fundamentals of American economy. Every country, including the smallest one,
should be involved, everyone should have a right to participate.
Slovak Republic, even not being a member yet, acts as a true ally.
Instantly after September attack not only politicians, but many citizens expressed their
sympathy and support for American people. After campaign in Afghanistan had started Slovak
government took immediate steps offering air space, cooperation in the field of
information and other assistance if required. As far as the NATO membership attitude among
population is concerned, more than 60% of citizens support this effort. Currently Slovak
government approved a plan to offer engineering unit and medical personell for operations
in Afghanistan. The move should be approved by National Council. Among a steps taken is as
well an amendment to Criminal code against terrorist activities of individuals or groups.
French politician and brilliant diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
once said: "Alliances, if they are to endure, require care, respect and shared
advantages". The best tribute to American people, to all democratic nations, is to be
ready to contribute to safer and economically stronger world. To eliminate reasons for
hatred, to assist in creating conditions all around the world, that let any nations, any
man and woman feel their own dignity, freedom and perspective. This is only possible when
the Europe and USA, Russia, China, India, other nations cooperate. Slovakia is ready to
take part in this effort, to take its share of responsibility for the future. That is a
true reason for our ambitions to be a valuable member of NATO an the European Union.
God bless America
God bless us all
Thank you for your attention
~~~