Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights. Bringing Havel’s Wisdom to Today’s World

Martin and Anne Marie will share their insights into the role Art can play in political and social change, and the timeless relevance of Václav Havel’s message of hope, personal responsibility in civic society, values-based leadership, and creating a society that is, in his words, “humane, moral, intellectual, spiritual, and cultural.” This is another version of the recent presentation at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, Missouri.

Anne Marie Kenny, an Omaha native, lived her early adult years in France as a professional singer, performing at the Paris Ritz and on television, radio, and film. When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, she wrote a poem and sent it to newly elected President Václav Havel, who invited her to sing at the Reduta Club. Soon after, she moved to Prague and started a staffing and training company that would be ranked #2 in the Czech market.

She lived and worked alongside Czechs discovering their place in a new democratic society, while coming to terms with their past under totalitarian rule. Her book A Song for Bohemia is a tribute to the spirit of the Czech and Slovak people, and the story of a personal and collective journey to freedom.

Martin Palouš is a sought-after international speaker and commentator in the field of freedom, democracy and human rights. He was one of the original signatories of Charter 77 and served as its spokesperson in 1986. In November 1989, he was among the founders of the Civic Forum. After the Velvet Revolution, he became a member of Parliament, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the U.S. and U.N. Today, he is on the board of supervisors of Václav Havel Library in Prague, director of International Cooperation of the Remembrance Society, member of the Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, and former board president of the Václav Havel Center in New York.