The Sound of Freedom is the Jingling of Keys

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Prague, Czech Republic:
Though it is three days until the anniversary of the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, the streets of Prague already ring with the sounds of celebration. Cheering groups of Czech natives, accompanied by musical instruments, are getting a head start on the planned celebrations by demonstrating the difference 20 years of freedom have made.

November 17th, 1989 marked the beginning of the Velvet Revolution in Prague. 20 years ago a peaceful student protest was suppressed by Communist riot police. The number of demonstrations following November 17th increased until November 20th, when a demonstration involving 500,000 people was held in Prague. On November 27th a country-wide general strike was organized by students and for two hours Czechoslovakia and its Communist oppressors stood still. These acts took power away from the Communist regime and placed it in the hands of the Czech people, who celebrate the 20th anniversary of these acts this week. The Sametová Revoluce, the Gentle or Velvet Revolution, is described as one of the most successful, peaceful revolutions in history.

Vaclav Havel, the last president of Czechoslovakia, the first president of the democratic Czech Republic and leader of the Velvet Revolution, spoke to an audience of International Leaders last week to accept an International Leadership Award for his work and sacrifice for the people of the Czech Republic. This is just one of the many honours received by Havel; he is also a recipient of Canada’s most prestigious award, the Order of Canada.

Havel, healthy and still very active at 73, addressed the international conference by video from Brussels where he will urge the European Parliament, on the eve of the Velvet Revolution’s 20th anniversary, to make a commitment to people and places in the world still struggling with problems similar to the communist oppression he helped end in Czechoslovakia. Educated as a playwright, Havel’s view of his own leadership in the Czech Republic is humble; “I think leaders are pushed by circumstance and necessity into their roles; I was simply open to it,” he said.

The celebrations in Prague will be spectacular, a representation of 20 years of freedom; however, celebration is not the only purpose of this anniversary. Monica Pajerova, President of Yes For Europe! and a student who helped organize the demonstrations in 1989, talked about the need for Czech people to commemorate as well as celebrate the revolution. “The anniversary will be meaningless with just celebration. We must reflect on the change and the spirit of the revolution in 1989; it was a vindication of values”, she said. She highlighted the necessity of commemoration by talking about reflection on the past, present and future.

Among these reflections, Pajerova called attention to the “power of the powerless”, the title of a book by Havel. “Normally, we do not think of a revolution as people writing statements, reading books, giving speeches or having discussions. But, these are the people who ran the Velvet Revolution”, she said, drawing attention to the ways in which revolutionaries chipped away at the power of the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia.

For many Czech people, memories of the Communist era of oppression are still very vivid. Pajerova recalled a personal experience when she was very young about the death of a student named Jan Palak who burned himself alive in demonstration: “I always wondered why, in pictures of my Aunt and Uncle’s wedding, no one was smiling. I now understand that it was the same day as Palak’s funeral. Some people were even wearing black armbands in commemoration”.

Pajerova also highlighted the fundamental importance of students to the revolution, and their importance today in dealing with problems of oppression around the world. “Not many groups are given less power than students. We had to take it, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice. Students are passionate and able, they are capable of incredible things, as we saw in the Sametová Revoluce; students organized the first demonstration in the Velvet Revolution“.

In peaceful protest during the Revolution, huge numbers of people flooded Wenceslas Square in Prague’s old city and jingled their keys to represent the unlocking of doors. This week, think about the present and future of freedom in the world and the importance students played in creating a great revolution which ended in the fall of an oppressive regime. Take some time , join your fellow students in the Czech Republic and jingle your keys to commemorate and celebrate one of the most successful revolutions of all time.