7 January 2008

On 7 th October 2007 Sir Nicholas was invited by President Vaclav Havel as guest of honour to attend Forum 2000 in Prague , Czech Republic , a yearly conference whose theme this year was "Freedom and Responsibility".

Sir Nicholas Winton Speech at Forum 2000 - Monday 8 th October 2007

Ladies and gentlemen, I know that this is not the correct way to address such an incredibly elite audience but it is the easiest way for me and at least by saying ladies and gentlemen I could be quite certain that I have left no-body out.

I think its fantastic that Vaclav Havel started this some 10 years ago and that he still keeps active in organising it. He is after all addressing perhaps the most important issue of our time and that is - how we are all going to exist for the next few hundred years, taking it that this planet of ours perhaps is beset by more and greater dangers than it ever has been.

I had a number of meetings in England and most of them spend their time in discussing the past, rehashing the past, thinking how it is that everybody should know everything about the past and they spend little time in talking about the present or the future. As one of the great philosophers once said "The only thing that one learns from the past is that one never has learnt anything from the past" and I think if one thinks about it in broad terms this is very likely true.

Everything that is bad that has happened over the ages is exemplified and continued and not enough time is given as to how we should organise our future and this is very difficult today with all the various difficulties which confront the human race; a number of which are being confronted, a number of which nobody as yet has attempted to deal with. My task is going to be more difficult because I have been asked to make it brief but anyone who is asked to speak knows its much more difficult to make a short discussion than a long one.

But what I would say is that it is to the future which Mr Havel and other people are trying to address themselves and the thing is to find out some common factor in the future under which it might be possible, if greater efforts were made, to unite everybody. I talk of course about the ethical problems, problems which are common to all religions, to all races alike and which it should be possible to create some message for the future. Certainly it is not going to be easy.

But surely there is a message which was delivered some 2000 years ago which should at least form the background of what we have to do in the future. I talk of course, it must sound rather pompous and I excuse myself for that, I'm talking just about ordinary kindness, decency, humanity, help and goodness, which people could aspire to, which I think are common to all religions and to all races and it is just as common to those religious people as it is to the agnostics. So that this is something surely under which one could somehow build a better future.

Some 2000 years ago of course this was tried, a Jewish preacher talked about ethics and how we should live and at that time the world, so statistics tell me, consisted of 300million people. When I was born nearly 100 years ago there were 1 ¼ billion people on this planet. Today nearly 100 years later there are 4 ¼ billion and, so those people who can work out these things tell me , by the time my grandchildren have grown up, there will be 9,000 million people on this earth.

So there is a formidable task ahead and all one can say, all I can say, is that whereas the message originally never fulfilled itself, this time we have much better means of communication and one can only hope somehow or other, goodness, kindness, truth, honour will prevail and people will realise its not good enough just to say "Today I have done no harm , I've been a good person" but should have been able to say "I was given the opportunity today and I did do some good." Thank you.

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30 October 2007

Sir Nicholas returned to UK on 18 th October and since then has been assessed in hospital before being discharged to Winton House, Abbeyfield Care Home in Windsor for a week's convalescence. He is feeling much better and due to return home on 1 st November.

SIR NICHOLAS WINTON'S FAMILY PRESS STATEMENT

Prague. 17 October 2007

Sir Nicholas Winton developed acute bronchitis while fulfilling a range of engagements in Prague .

He has now recovered sufficiently to return home and will leave on Thursday 18th October.

The family would like to thank Dr Jan Dudra and the paramedics of ambulances 144 and 213, the staff at the Coronary Care Unit of the 3rd Dept. of Internal Medicine, General University Hospital especially Dr J. Malik, Dr T. Janota and the nurses and assistants. Their treatment and kindness have been fantastic.

We would also like to thank Mr Clemens Hoerth and his excellent staff at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for their care and support during our prolonged stay.

Also our thanks go to others who helped us support Sir Nicholas during his illness including Matej Minac and his wife; Vera Egermayer; Elizabeth Lobkowicz; the British Ambassador, Linda Duffield and her team and Mr.Jason Le Gear of the Little Whale restaurant.

Sir Nicholas had a wonderful time during his visit, being delighted to meet his Czech "children" on several occasions. He was also pleased to participate in other events including: being the guest of President Vaclav Havel at Forum 2000, a conference whose aims of dialogue and understanding between people he shares; meetings with President Klaus; Foreign Minister, Mr Karel Schwarzenberg; Minister of Defence, Mrs Vlasta Parkanova and the Lord Mayor of Prague, Mr Pavel Bem.

Unfortunately due to his illness his programme was cut short and although he met the US Ambassador, Mr Richard Graber on Sunday, Sir Nicholas was unable to attend the reception at the US Residence held in his honour later that week.

His safe return to the UK was facilitated by the Czech Ministry of Defence who arranged the transportation and paramedic support .