AFoCR mourns the passing of Ambassador William H. Luers, a distinguished American diplomat, cultural leader, and lifelong advocate for democratic values. He died on May 11, 2025, at the age of 95. As U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia in the 1980s, Ambassador Luers played a pivotal role in supporting Václav Havel and the Czech dissident movement during the final years of Communist rule.

Photo Credit: The Foundation for a Civil Society. Wendy Luers, Václav Havel, Kveta Dienstbierová, Petr Pithart, William Luers and Karel Schwarzenberg gather at President Havel’s inaugural dinner hosted by the Luers and Miles Glaser on December 28, 1989 – the night before his swearing in as President of free Czechoslovakia.

At this year’s EU Open House, held on May 10, 2025 at the Czech Embassy in Washington, DC, our officers Tom Dine and Jan Smilek, presented the organization’s 30-year history and shared future plans with hundreds of visitors.

Photo credit: Michal Daniš photodanis.cz

On April 24, 2025, our directors, Jiri Maly and Jordon Sims, participated in the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation's 18th Annual Roll Call of Nations Wreath Laying Ceremony. This moving event honored the more than 100 million victims of communism, a stark reminder of the over 1.5 billion people still living under its oppressive rule.

The letter is addressed to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Congressional leadership.

AFoCR is proud to co-sponsor Czech House at SXSW 2025! Join us on March 10th and 11th from 10 AM to 10 PM for an exciting showcase of Czech innovation and culture. Experience a vibrant and dynamic environment filled with the best of Czech creativity and technology, for all SXSW participants!

In the wake of the devastating floods that struck northern Moravia in September 2024, the American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFOCR) is continuing its support for the people of the Czech Republic.

A celebration of the Year of Czech Music at Carnegie Hall in New York City in December 2024 was, per New York Times’ review, “something like a festival”. AFoCR co-organized invitation only event attended by the Czech President Pavel and Maestro Bychkov. AFOCR is proud to be one of the Czech Phil’s key US supporters.

Photo credit: CF Petr Chodura

On November 20, 2024, we commemorated the 10th anniversary of the VÁCLAV HAVEL BUST dedication in the U.S. Capitol.

The event was co-sponsored by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington DC and the American Friends of the Czech Republic. Billy F Gibbons, Marketa Irglova, and Suzanne Vega provided video tributes and special thanks to Blue Oyster Cult’s Buck Dharma #morecowbell 🇺🇸🤘🏻🇨🇿

The event was co-sponsored by the Hudson Institute and our featured speakers are Czech Senator Miroslav Barta and Czech Army Colonel Otakar Foltyn, who discussed the topic of “The Future: On Energy, Change, Innovation and Democracy”. Discussion was narrated by one of our directors, Elliot Berke.