Czech and Slovak Club of Greater Kansas City 
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Czech and Slovak Club of Greater Kansas City
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Czech Days in Nebraska
February 12-25 Czech Days in Nebraska ( http://www.unl.edu/komenskyclub/czechdays.htm )
February 12 Czech Ambassador Martin Palouš, ( http://www.unl.edu/komenskyclub/palous.htm )
Lecture: “Integration of the Czech Republic into the European Union,”
University of Nebraska Student Union,
14th & R Streets, 7-9 pmFebruary 17 Amy Swoboda (UNL student): “Czech Music in Nebraska,”
Univ. of Nebraska
Student Union, 14th & R Streets, 7-8 pmFebruary 20 Matyáš Zrno (Robitschek Scholar), “The Role of Beer in Czech History, Politics,”
Brown Bag Lecture, University of Nebraska Student Union, 14th & R Streets, 12:30-1:20 pmFebruary 25 Komensky Club 100th Anniversary,
Czech evening, University of Nebraska Culture Center, 333 N. 14th. Dinner Served 6:00-8:00pm; Program 7-9 pm
Czech Ambassador Slated for Banquet in February
Czech Ambassador Martin Palous is the invited speaker at the 3rd Annual Czech Language Foundation Awards and Recognition Banquet to be held February 13, 2004 in the Cornhusker Hotel Ballroom, 13th and M Streets in Lincoln, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The title of his talk is Czech Republic and Czech Ethnic Organizations in North America. There will be a Silent Auction during the evening, entertainment by the Ostry Family of rural Brainard, as well as a polka dance from 9-11:30 p.m. by Sue and the Blue River Czechs from Crete, Nebraska.
The Czech Language Foundation (CLF), founded in 1993, has been instrumental in keeping Czech language classes taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Czech classes have existed at UNL since 1907. Czech classes were moved to the Division of Continuing Education evening schedule in 1993 and they needed to be self-supporting if there were less than fifteen students in each class. This past fall the courses were moved back to the daytime schedule but they continue to need to be subsidized. As part of its program to preserve and promote Czech language and culture, the Board of the Czech Language Foundation has provided this financial support when necessary, and continues to do so to this day. In addition, the Czech Language Foundation provides the money for teaching materials for first year students. Because of the tremendous Czech heritage and culture that continues to thrive to this day in the State of Nebraska, the CLF continues to work hard to raise money to ensure that these classes are available to students. Help us in our efforts by attending this public fundraising banquet.
Martin Palous, doctor of natural sciences, social philosopher, and former dissident against Communist rule, will provide an overview of the current situation in the Czech Republic, which came into being in 1993 as the result of the peaceful division of the former Czechoslovakia into separate Czech and Slovak republics. As a dissident, Martin Palous took part in the 1989 "Velvet Revolution" that overturned the Soviet-dominated Communist government in Czechoslovakia.
Palous was among the first signatories of the Charter 77 document calling on the Communist regime in power in Czechoslovakia to respect human rightist claimed in its own constitution. In November 1989 he became one of the founders of the Civic Forum, which replaced the Communist regime, and in 1990-1992 he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a deputy minister. He was appointed ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States by President Vaclav Havel in the summer of 2001.
Ambassador Palous is the author of many publications, including translations of the works of Hannah Arendt and the chapter on the Czech Republic in the volume "Democratization in Central and Eastern Europe."
Ambassador Palous will meet the public at the fund-raising banquet and dance organized by the Czech Language Foundation to benefit the Czech Language Program at UNL. The banquet is open to the public. Tickets are $65 for the dinner/dance; $25 for students. Tickets for the dance only are $10.00. Tickets can be purchased from Jeanette Smith (402-489-1908) or Bruce Cerny (402-826-2973). Forty dollars ($40.00) of the banquet/dance ticket is a donation to the Czech Language Foundation.