Václav Havel

President, Forum 2000 Founder

Czechia

Former President of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993–2003). Founder of the Forum 2000 Foundation. He was a founding member and one of the first three spokespersons for the Czechoslovak human rights movement, Charter 77 and was a prominent figure in the Czechoslovak dissident movement, as well as a famous leader of the Velvet Revolution (1989). He was also the author of a number of essays and plays. In 2010, he directed a feature film adaptation of his latest play called “Leaving” (Odcházení, 2007). President Havel was a recipient of many awards and honorary doctorates. Together with his wife, Dagmar Havlová, he co-founded the Vize 97 Foundation.