Second Civil Society Vision Awards Dinner – fitting end to an historic day

A memorable day for Americans, Czechs and Slovaks came to a fitting conclusion with the second Civil Society Vision Awards Dinner, which was held at The World Bank on September 19. The evening began with a reception at 7:00 p.m. from which guests moved into a beautiful hall for a formal dinner at 8:00 p.m. with the awards program immediately following at 9:00 p.m.

The Civil Society Vision Award is given to individuals and institutions that have served the world community through efforts to foster civil, legal, democratic societies throughout the world. In light of the horrific terrorist attacks a year earlier, this was a particularly poignant time to emphasize the value of civil societies. American Friends of the Czech Republic was proud to honor the following award recipients for their tireless dedication in supporting civil societies throughout the world: Maurice (“Hank”) R. Greenberg, Chairman and CEO, American International Group, Inc., Frederic V. Malek, Founder and CEO, Thayer Capital Partners, and The World Bank, whose award was accepted by World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn.

As part of his final presidential visit to Washington, Czech President Vaclav Havel participated in the program, concentrating his remarks on the status of flood relief efforts in the Czech Republic and expressing his nation's gratitude for America's help in this time of need. The Honorable Madeleine K. Albright paid tribute to T.G. Masaryk with a speech highlighting the first Czechoslovakian president's important place in history. Sam Donaldson, of ABC News, served as master of ceremonies. William White, President of the C.S. Mott Foundation, Captain Eugene Cernan, astronaut, and Judy Baar Topinka, Treasurer of the State of Illinois, introduced the three awardees. The evening ended with a special musical presentation by Brian Chu, baritone with the Baltimore Opera, who was accompanied by harpist Michaela Trnkova. Mr. Chu performed two Czech-Slovak folk songs by Dvorak and led the guests in singing “God Bless America.”

The Civil Society Awards Dinner was a perfect ending to an historical day for Czech-American and Slovak-American relations. The bonds that T.G. Masaryk formed in the U.S. with individuals such as President Woodrow Wilson are still evident in the relationships that exist today and were ever present throughout the events of September 19.