"Alongside the word that electrifies society with its freedom and truthfulness, there is also the hypnotizing, deceitful, fanatical, frantic, fraudulent, dangerous, lethal word. The word as an arrow."
— Václav Havel, A Word About Words, 1989
WORDS HAVE WEIGHT.
Words can unite and divide. They can be a tool of freedom and resistance, but also of manipulation, power, and hatred.
What weight do words carry today?
When does a word become a weapon?
And what responsibility do we bear for it?
Registration
Programme
| 13:15 | Registration |
|---|---|
| 13:15 - 18:45 | Accompanying Program: Writing letters to political prisoners in Russia - Gulag.cz - throughout the entire duration of the Conference |
| 14:00 |
Opening Remarks Moderated by Saša Michailidis. Introductory speeches: Prof. MUDr. Martin Bojar, CSc., and Director of the Charter 77 Foundation, Jolana Voldánová. |
| 14:30 |
Keynote Panel – Maryia Kalesnikava: Leading figure of the Belarusian opposition, laureate of the 2021 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, which she was unable to accept at the time due to her imprisonment. |
| 15:15 |
PANEL I DISCUSSION WITH THE FINALISTS OF THE 2026 VÁCLAV HAVEL HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES Masih Alinejad, Iranian-American journalist, author, and women's rights activist who has become one of the most prominent voices of the Iranian opposition in exile. (TBC) Márta Pardavi, Hungarian human rights lawyer and co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee. (TBC) Nasrin Sotoudeh, Leading Iranian human rights lawyer. She has represented activists, journalists, members of minorities, and children facing the death penalty. (TBC) |
| 16:30 |
Keynote Panel – Sofi Oksanen Finnish-Estonian writer, one of the most acclaimed authors in Scandinavia. |
| 16:45 |
PANEL II WORDS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING Pavel Talankin, Russian teacher, author of the Czech-Danish co-production documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, awarded a BAFTA and an Oscar. Sofi Oksanen, Finnish-Estonian writer, one of the most acclaimed authors in Scandinavia. Arpád Soltézs, Slovak political commentator, prominent investigative journalist, and author. Anni Phridonashvili, Georgian philosophy and international relations student, civic activist, and winner of the "Václav Havel 90" essay competition organized by the Czech Centre in Tbilisi in cooperation with the Václav Havel Library. Themes: Authority, power, and the weight of words. Words and technology. Are we truly living in a post-truth era? When does a word turn into a slogan? Why are people imprisoned for words, and how can we curb their misuse? |
| 17:55 | Closing Remarks |
| 18:15 - 18:45 | Musical Program – Allstar Refjúdží Band |
JOIN US!
Attendance is possible only upon registration. The capacity of Prague Crossroads is limited.
Prague Crossroads
Church of St. Anne
Zlatá 211, Prague 1
(entrance from Zlatá or Liliová Street)
If you are unable to attend after registering, please let us know at kratka@vize.cz so we can offer your seat to another applicant.
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