Blog
STORIES
Community
DONATE

Vaclav Havel

by Kelsey from Spokane

<a href=http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/8/82/Vaclav_havel.jpg>Vaclav Havel</a>
Vaclav Havel

My hero is Vaclav Havel, the tenth and last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. Havel was born in Prague to a well-known intellectual family. Because of close political ties that his family had, Havel was not allowed to formally study and was not accepted into any college-level schools with the humanities programs that he longed for. In addition to humanitarian work, Havel had a passion for theatre, working as a stagehand in Prague as well as performing in many full-length stage productions.

<a href=http://www.imf.org/external/photo/allphoto.asp?g=12>Havel speaking at a World Bank ceremony</a>
Havel speaking at a World Bank ceremony

When Havel was banned from the theatre in 1968 during Prague Spring (the title for a communist invasion in the country following political liberation), he began to get more involved politically. As a result he was put into prison several times (once, for four years) and consistently harassed by the government. Once he was released from prison for the final time, Havel wrote a political play discussing the social order of the time. Once he became president in 1989 he spoke frequently about his belief in "the third way" that sought to find balance between Soviet socialism and Western capitalism. Additionally, Havel was a key figure in the Velvet Revolution of 1989, which ended communism in Czechoslovakia. During his presidency, Havel tried to change the countries prisons by reducing overcrowded cells and grant freedom to the many people who were falsely imprisoned during the Communist era. Although he is no longer president of the Czech Republic, Havel continues to promote human rights. In 2003, Havel was a recipient of the Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Although I have just recently learned about Vaclav Havel, I am very passionate about what he has done for the Czech Republic and what he is continuing to do for the world. I will be visiting Prague in January and I am excited to discuss Havel with the Czech people and hear why he is a national hero to them. Former president Bill Clinton said that Havel can be compared to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, a huge compliment which drew me to learn more about him. Incidentally, Havel received The International Gandhi Peace Prize in 2003 for his contributions towards world peace and human right even during difficult times and for doing so in a Gandhian matter.

Page created on 10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Extra Info

Additional Information:
Vaclav Havel by Eda Kriseov, St Martin's Press 1993
Acts of Courage by Carol Rocamora, Smith and Kraus 2004
Vaclav Havel: A Political Tragedy in Six Acts by John Keane, Basic Books 2000
Interpreting Vaclav Havel by Walter H. Capp, a Cross Currents study [2]
Vaclav Havel: Civic Responsibility in the Postmodern Age, by James F. Pontuso, Rowman & Littlefield 2004

http://www.moreorless.au.com/heroes/havel.html