Vaclav Havel Center

VHLF is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that promotes democratic freedoms, universal human rights, and the power of the arts to uplift and transform our lives in the spirit of Vaclav Havel. Havel, a Czech playwright, dissident, and president of Czechoslovakia (later the Czech Republic), is known for his plays satirizing the Communist period and his writings on democracy, human rights, and civic engagement, which continue to inspire human rights activists around the world. Our programming includes an annual theater festival, prestigious annual human rights/literary award, public lectures and panel discussions, student exchanges, special cultural events, and the development of archival resources. For more information, see vhlf.org.