Natalie Alatriste/Staff Writer
Model United Nations students sat at a roundtable conversation on Friday, April 17 to listen to Simon Panek, the director of People In Need—a large, international nonprofit organization based in the Czech Republic, according to its website.
This meet-and-greet took place at a conference room on the fifth floor of the SIPA building at noon.
The students listened as Panek began the conversation with his experiences in then-Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) and his efforts with children in multiple different countries, including places in Africa, Asia and all around Europe.
Panek was in town for a public discussion, hosted by the University’s Vaclav Havel Initiative for Human Rights and Diplomacy, which took place on Thursday, April 16.
He was one of the panelists for the discussion called “Democratic Transitions in the World of Today: Cuba after the 2015 Summit of the Americas.” He agreed to meet with Model UN students as part of his stay in Miami.
“Simon was a leading student figure in the Velvet Revolution, which overthrew Communism in Czechoslovakia and is the director of the largest international organization in Eastern Europe: People In Need,” said Ethan Roberts, director of the Model UN program, in an email to FIU Student Media.
“I think covering Mr. Panek and his visit to FIU and discussion with students [is worth knowing],” he said.
The conversation enlightened students and covered different democracies and governments of the world, his personal work with People In Need and how war in neighboring areas of Europe—like Syria—affects this organization.
“We encourage people from foreign cultures to come and join us in other countries… but we can’t be in Syria these days,” said Panek at the conversation. “ISIS is looking for foreigners, and we don’t want to put anyone at risk.”
Students each had a chance to ask Panek a question regarding foreign affairs.
One student, Marian Gonzalez, a freshman majoring in international relations, directed the discussion towards Cuban affairs and where they currently stand.
“Cuba is very vulnerable right now due to [economical] intervention… Do you think the U.S. can prevent the shift of economical power from one sector to another sector, [as opposed to helping Cuba gain economic freedom]? Since America is a free market, those in the U.S. need to interact with these elitists [and that can be a problem],” she said.
Panek thinks the U.S. would probably focus more on the economical restitutions. He said that the U.S. could play a part in this, but the ones who should be are the opposition forces in Cuba.
“Hopefully [these opposition forces] will seek some basic coordination and put some of the main principles first,” said Panek. “Yesterday, Manuel Cuesta Morua, another member of the panel, mentioned that this is the plan—to start a roundtable with the members of different groups that are in opposition.”
He thinks it’s also important for them to coordinate basic issues as well as discuss different options for Cuban privatization and investment framework. He said that after some democratization and removal of censorship, they will have “some instrument” to control the current Cuban regime.
Panek further discussed with students about other countries, like Iran, and their current states.
Raul Herrera, another student who is currently a senior majoring in political science and international relations, now sees a new perspective of democratization because of Panek’s discussion.
“I learned that often times during transition to a democratic system, rapid privatization can benefit the former members of the regime if not handled correctly—as opposed to benefitting the people,” said Herrera. “We need to stand for capitalism, not oligarchies.”
At the end of the hour-long conversation, students left the room beaming with more knowledge.
“Meeting someone who was so instrumental in a revolution was very interesting to me,” said Gonzalez after the discussion. “I want to eventually work for a [non-governmental organization], and being able to speak with someone who does and is so knowledgeable about the subject was helpful in understanding what I want to do.”
Herrera also felt the opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
“It was great to meet with someone who is so active in democratic transition. He was so important in such a pivotal moment in history, and it was great to hear his experiences and knowledge on [the subject],” said Herrera.
Photo Credit: “United Nations” Thomas Galvez. 2013.
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