Vaclav Havel’s SONA on my mindJuly 28, 2020Source: Business Insight / https://malaya.com / By Jose Bayani Baylon / …(I)t is a rare speech – one of a leader who dared strip his countrymen of any illusions about their country, in order to lay bare the grim reality that everyone needed to accept in order that everyone could …
Feeling Hopeless? Embrace It. And then take action.July 26, 2020Source: The New York Times / www.nytimes.com / By Eric Utne / I attended a program several years ago at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis that was part of an exhibition called “Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia.” The event was a celebration and reunion for some local countercultural …
Tribute: A Toast To Hagher At 71June 28, 2020Source: Leadership / https://leadership.ng / By Tyover Gum / For three consecutive years now, it has become a ritual for me to roll out drums and celebrate Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher on the occasion of his birthday anniversary. I do this every year not because he is my principal and not …
Letter: George FloydJune 15, 2020Source: The Suburban times / https://thesuburbantimes.com / By Aaron Arkin / This week they buried George Floyd. His death at the hands of the police has galvanized the country. For me the saddest image, and the one that makes me tear up, is that as he was being choked with …
The Havel Spirit, and Its EnemiesMay 21, 2020Source: National Review / www.nationalreview.com / By Jay Nordlinger / The subject of Taiwan is ever interesting, for many reasons, and it is terribly interesting now. Today on the homepage, we have a piece headed “Taiwan: Pariah and Poster Child.” Its subheading is, “An island in the pandemic.” See what …
Czech Senate President may visit Taiwan after all: Think tank directorMay 16, 2020Source: Taiwan News / www.taiwannews.com.tw / By Kelvin Chen / Sinopsis director critical of Chinese influence, predicts trend of pro-Taiwan policies TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the wake of the sudden death of Czech Senate President Jaroslav Kubera, his replacement Milos Vystrcil may schedule a trip to Taiwan, triggering concerns …
A Catastrophe of Exclusion and Obscene InequalityMay 15, 2020Source: The Citizen / www.thecitizen.in / By Ash Narain Roy / Is India becoming a country without citizens? Socrates was born in Athens but he considered himself “a citizen of the cosmos”. H.G.Wells believed borders eventually disappear, and geopolitical gurus have proclaimed the “end of geography”. The protagonists of globalisation …
In the name of the communist idealMay 15, 2020Source: Le Monde diplomatique / www.mondediplo.com / By Catherine Samary / One of the received ideas that became a ‘truth’ after the fall of the Berlin Wall was that the Soviet bloc’s populations cursed communism, yet obeyed it slavishly. In fact, many social movements within the Eastern bloc had long …
A Chinese lawyer criticized the regime’s handling of the pandemic. Then he disappeared.May 15, 2020Source: The Washington Post / www.washingtonpost.com / By Editorial Board / BY NOW, it’s well known that people in China who speak up about the covid-19 epidemic are risking online harassment, arrest or worse from Communist authorities. According to the China Digital Times, between Jan. 1 and April 4, 484 …
The Irish Times view on Government formation: the Greens should take their chanceMay 3, 2020Source: The Irish Times / www.irishtimes.com / The Irish Times View / Politics, we are told, is the art of the possible. But it is also, Vaclav Havel said, the art of the impossible – of making the world a better place The Green Party is in the midst of …
Are We Becoming Eastern Europe Circa 1980?April 26, 2020Source: Slate / https://slate.com/ By Emily Gioielli and Leslie Waters / Lessons from the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Weeks into the coronavirus lockdown, Americans are becoming more and more accustomed to shortages we never would have imagined in the recent past. On Wednesday, another of the largest pork processing …
The European Mayor Who Doesn’t Want China’s Help With VirusApril 3, 2020Source: Yahoo news – Bloomberg / www.news.yahoo.com / By Karen Leigh and Lenka Ponikelska / (Bloomberg) — Since becoming mayor of Prague more than two years ago, Zdenek Hrib has repeatedly irked China by meeting dissidents, criticizing its treatment of ethnic minorities and promoting ties with Taiwan. Now, the 38-year-old …
Young Cuban Filmmakers Withdraw their Works from Official EventMarch 5, 2020Source: Havana Times / https://havanatimes.org / By Lynn Cruz / A true word, spoken by a single man even, is more powerful, in certain situations, than an entire army. Words illuminate, stir and free people. Words also have a power. This is the power of intellectuals. – Vaclav Havel HAVANA …
Have We Learned Any Lessons?February 23, 2020Source: The American Interest / www.the-american-interest.com / By Martin Palous & David J. Kramer / Vaclav Havel’s historic speech to Congress is a reminder that we all bear responsibility for effecting change. Thirty years ago, on February 21, 1990, the new president of Czechoslovakia addressed a joint session of the …
Is Prague trolling Moscow by honouring slain Putin critic?February 16, 2020Source: Aljazeera / www.aljazeera.com / By Tim Gosling / The square on which the Russian embassy stands will be renamed to honour Boris Nemtsov, killed near the Kremlin in 2015. Prague, Czech Republic – The Czech capital risks angering the Kremlin with plans to rename a public square after murdered …
Vaclav Havel’s SONA on my mind July 28, 2020 Source: Business Insight / https://malaya.com / By Jose Bayani Baylon / …(I)t is a rare speech – one of a leader who dared strip his countrymen of any illusions about their country, in order to lay bare the grim reality that everyone needed to accept in order that everyone could …
Feeling Hopeless? Embrace It. And then take action. July 26, 2020 Source: The New York Times / www.nytimes.com / By Eric Utne / I attended a program several years ago at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis that was part of an exhibition called “Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia.” The event was a celebration and reunion for some local countercultural …
Tribute: A Toast To Hagher At 71 June 28, 2020 Source: Leadership / https://leadership.ng / By Tyover Gum / For three consecutive years now, it has become a ritual for me to roll out drums and celebrate Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher on the occasion of his birthday anniversary. I do this every year not because he is my principal and not …
Letter: George Floyd June 15, 2020 Source: The Suburban times / https://thesuburbantimes.com / By Aaron Arkin / This week they buried George Floyd. His death at the hands of the police has galvanized the country. For me the saddest image, and the one that makes me tear up, is that as he was being choked with …
The Havel Spirit, and Its Enemies May 21, 2020 Source: National Review / www.nationalreview.com / By Jay Nordlinger / The subject of Taiwan is ever interesting, for many reasons, and it is terribly interesting now. Today on the homepage, we have a piece headed “Taiwan: Pariah and Poster Child.” Its subheading is, “An island in the pandemic.” See what …
Czech Senate President may visit Taiwan after all: Think tank director May 16, 2020 Source: Taiwan News / www.taiwannews.com.tw / By Kelvin Chen / Sinopsis director critical of Chinese influence, predicts trend of pro-Taiwan policies TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the wake of the sudden death of Czech Senate President Jaroslav Kubera, his replacement Milos Vystrcil may schedule a trip to Taiwan, triggering concerns …
A Catastrophe of Exclusion and Obscene Inequality May 15, 2020 Source: The Citizen / www.thecitizen.in / By Ash Narain Roy / Is India becoming a country without citizens? Socrates was born in Athens but he considered himself “a citizen of the cosmos”. H.G.Wells believed borders eventually disappear, and geopolitical gurus have proclaimed the “end of geography”. The protagonists of globalisation …
In the name of the communist ideal May 15, 2020 Source: Le Monde diplomatique / www.mondediplo.com / By Catherine Samary / One of the received ideas that became a ‘truth’ after the fall of the Berlin Wall was that the Soviet bloc’s populations cursed communism, yet obeyed it slavishly. In fact, many social movements within the Eastern bloc had long …
A Chinese lawyer criticized the regime’s handling of the pandemic. Then he disappeared. May 15, 2020 Source: The Washington Post / www.washingtonpost.com / By Editorial Board / BY NOW, it’s well known that people in China who speak up about the covid-19 epidemic are risking online harassment, arrest or worse from Communist authorities. According to the China Digital Times, between Jan. 1 and April 4, 484 …
The Irish Times view on Government formation: the Greens should take their chance May 3, 2020 Source: The Irish Times / www.irishtimes.com / The Irish Times View / Politics, we are told, is the art of the possible. But it is also, Vaclav Havel said, the art of the impossible – of making the world a better place The Green Party is in the midst of …
Are We Becoming Eastern Europe Circa 1980? April 26, 2020 Source: Slate / https://slate.com/ By Emily Gioielli and Leslie Waters / Lessons from the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Weeks into the coronavirus lockdown, Americans are becoming more and more accustomed to shortages we never would have imagined in the recent past. On Wednesday, another of the largest pork processing …
The European Mayor Who Doesn’t Want China’s Help With Virus April 3, 2020 Source: Yahoo news – Bloomberg / www.news.yahoo.com / By Karen Leigh and Lenka Ponikelska / (Bloomberg) — Since becoming mayor of Prague more than two years ago, Zdenek Hrib has repeatedly irked China by meeting dissidents, criticizing its treatment of ethnic minorities and promoting ties with Taiwan. Now, the 38-year-old …
Young Cuban Filmmakers Withdraw their Works from Official Event March 5, 2020 Source: Havana Times / https://havanatimes.org / By Lynn Cruz / A true word, spoken by a single man even, is more powerful, in certain situations, than an entire army. Words illuminate, stir and free people. Words also have a power. This is the power of intellectuals. – Vaclav Havel HAVANA …
Have We Learned Any Lessons? February 23, 2020 Source: The American Interest / www.the-american-interest.com / By Martin Palous & David J. Kramer / Vaclav Havel’s historic speech to Congress is a reminder that we all bear responsibility for effecting change. Thirty years ago, on February 21, 1990, the new president of Czechoslovakia addressed a joint session of the …
Is Prague trolling Moscow by honouring slain Putin critic? February 16, 2020 Source: Aljazeera / www.aljazeera.com / By Tim Gosling / The square on which the Russian embassy stands will be renamed to honour Boris Nemtsov, killed near the Kremlin in 2015. Prague, Czech Republic – The Czech capital risks angering the Kremlin with plans to rename a public square after murdered …