AFoCR Leading Project to Reconconstruct Wilson Monument in Prague.
Copies of English language edition of "Nicholas Winton's Lottery of Life" now available.
Nicolas Winton Educational Project
Several years ago, AFoCR decided to establish the Nicholas Winton Educational Project. The two goals of this project were to import from the Czech Republic to the United States, the highly successful Winton Educational Program and to inform all levels of the U.S. government about the actions and achievements of Nicholas Winton in Prague during the years 1938-39. As a 29-year-old private British citizen Winton organized the rescue of 669 mostly Jewish Czech children immediately before the outbreak of WWII. On a visit to Prague in late 1938, Winton saw first hand the plight of refugees, predominantly Jews from Germany and the Sudetenland, and organized the “Czech Kindertransport.” Back in London, he raised funds, recruited foster parents, and obtained entry permits for the children. From March through August, 1939 he arranged for eight trains to carry the children. A ninth train with 250 more children, scheduled to leave on September 3, 1939, was blocked when Britain, that day, entered the war. A documentary about him, “The Power of Good,” directed by Matej Mináč, won the Emmy Award in 2002. Mináč also made a feature film about him called “All My Loved Ones” in 1998. One rescued child was a cousin of former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Since the creation of the Nicholas Winton Educational Project, many goals have been accomplished. The first achievement was the translation into English by AFoCR of the Czech study book “Nicholas Winton’s Lottery of Life”. The book focuses on WWII, the Holocaust and Winton’s heroic efforts in saving the lives of 669 Jewish children. The book also focuses on 20th century history of the Czech Republic and Europe. Next came the effort to raise funds to print sufficient copies of the book, so that it could be distributed to educational institutions throughout the United States, free of charge, except for shipping. Those funds were raised through the generous efforts of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and concerned Americans, so that publication is now underway for 17,000 copies.
AFoCR’s activities in the U.S. on the part of Winton led to a special letter to him from President Bush in July, 2006 and the passage of H.R. 583 by the U.S. House of Representatives in his honor. AFoCR Vice President Peter Rafaeli translated from Czech the book by Matej Mináč, “Nicholas Winton’s Lottery of Life,” and AFoCR is publishing it and distributing 17,000 copies free of charge to educational institutions nationwide.
AFoCR co-sponsored a memorable and highly emotional visit by Sir Nicholas Winton to Prague which took place in October 6-12, 2007. Winton’s achievements had gone unrecognized until 1988 when his wife found lists of the children in an attic. Winton’s visit to Prague, accompanied by his daughter and son, came at the invitation of Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. He was also invited by former President Václav Havel to attend Forum 2000 as the sole guest of honor. In addition, he was received by Czech President Václav Klaus and Prague’s Lord Mayor Pavel Bém and was decorated by the Czech Minister of Defense Vlasta Parkanová.
