Marking the 80th anniversary of Vaclav Havel’s birth, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in BiH and EU Info Centre organised the screening of the documentary “Life According to Vaclav Havel” and a discussion with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina H.E. Jakub Skalnik, on 21st November 2016, at the University of Zenica.
“Vaclav Havel was a devoted defender of civic and human rights and lifelong advocate of freedom and democracy. Today, the idea of a liberal and tolerant society is under attack and I believe that Vaclav Havel would be on the frontline of the battle to keep the liberal world in place”, Ambassador Skalnik said, emphasising the example of Havel as a role model for the students. Ambassador Skalnik also expressed support of the Czech Republic for the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The Czech Republic is always willing to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina on the EU path. Our experiences can help you in many ways as we can advise on how to overcome some of the challenges during the accession process”, said Ambassador Skalnik.
Dževad Zečić, Rector of the Zenica University underlined universal values that are common for both the EU and Vaclav Havel. “We are very happy to have Ambassador Skalnik here to share Czech experiences in the EU accession process, whereas, in my opinion, Vaclav Havel, and his legacy perfectly embody fundamental European values”, Rector Zečić said.
After the documentary, students engaged in an interesting discussion with Ambassador Skalnik on different topics related to the European Union and Vaclav Havel’s life. Jasmin Kovačević, student of the Faculty of Economics recognised Vaclav Havel’s charisma and the power of youth engagement. “It could be seen in the movie that students and youth have to be involved in all society processes. Young people should be flag bearers of progressive ideas, and that is something we can learn from the Czech and Vaclav Havel”, Kovačević said.
Václav Havel (5 October 1936 – 18 December 2011) was a Czech writer, philosopher, political dissident, and statesman. From 1989 to 1992, he served as the last president of Czechoslovakia. Then, he served as the first president of the Czech Republic (1993–2003). He is known for his plays, essays, and memoirs.
