The Vaclav Havel Civil Society Symposium

About the Václav Havel Civil Society Symposium

The Scholar-in-Residence program brings to the Twin Cities a well-known scholar for a week-long visit to engage students, church and community in a consideration of the importance of strong community groups in maintaining and furthering democracy, and to involve them in society building.

Activities include:

  • Classroom presentations at the University of St. Thomas and adult education programs at the House of Hope Church
  • Public presentations at the University of St. Thomas and the House of Hope, including a sermon at the House of Hope
  • Outreach to the community suitable to the interests and experience of the scholar-in-residence
  • Work with faculty involved in developing or carrying out service-learning projects

Background of the Havel Symposium:

The Havel Symposium, a partnership between the University of St. Thomas and the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in cooperation with the Minnesota Czech and Slovak communities, will be exploring civil society in the Twin Cities community this fall. This year’s Havel Scholar is Professor Harry Boyte, Director of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship (CDC), a research and training organization that collaborates with a variety of partners to promote active citizenship and public work by people of all ages. The CDC is founded on the idea that a healthy democracy requires everyone's participation and that all citizens are capable of contributing to the larger social good.

The Concept of Civil Society:

The 2011 Havel Symposium will explore the concept of Public Work in the Twin Cities community – ranked the most civically engaged community in the nation by the National Conference on Citizenship – to see if we have the potential to help lead the nation in crucial processes of civic revitalization.  In partnership with a variety of internal and external constituencies, this year’s Symposium will explore innovative ways to revitalize citizenship; renew the public purpose of schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions; reconnect citizens and government; and reinvigorate a sense of the commonwealth.

Previous Symposium Speakers:

  

 

Vaclav Havel - 1999
Madeleine Albright - 2001
Dr. Benjamin Barber - 2003
Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum - 2005
Martin Palous - 2006
Dr. Thomas Gouttierre - 2007
Martin Bútora - 2008
Zora Bútorová - 2008
David Bornstein  -2009
Dr. Lisa Schirch - 2010
Harry Boyte - 2011

 

To nominate a scholar-in-residence, please contact Teddy Altman at teddyz@hohchurch.org.