Šimon Pánek
Encyclopedia
Šimon Pánek is a former Czech student activist during the Velvet Revolution
in 1989 and today the executive director of the humanitarian organization People in Need
(Člověk v tísni), which he co-founded in 1992. People in Need (PIN) became the biggest non-governmental organisation in Central and Eastern Europe and works worldwide to mitigate the suffering of people in times of crisis. For its international and national effort, PIN has become highly respected in the Czech Republic
and abroad.
were the main organizers of humanitarian assistance in Armenia
, collecting various anecdotal material to help affected people of the earthquake. One year later, in 1989, Pánek became one of "student leaders" during the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, where he was organising anti-regime occupation strikes and became co-chairman of the Central Students Strike Committee.
In 1992, he founded the news agency Epicentrum, which specializes in global conflict reporting. In 1992 Šimon Pánek co-founded Nadace Lidových novin (The Lidové noviny
Foundation), now known as People in Need
(PIN), and has been a foreign policy specialist on the Balkan region and human rights issues abroad in the presidential administration of Vaclav Havel
.
Since 2004, Pánek chaired the Czech NGO development platform FoRS. He received the Czech State Medal of Merit in 2002 and the European of the Year Award in 2003.
However, Šimon Pánek chaired the Board of the Open Society Fund Prague, is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, of the Board of the European Partnership for Democracy and of the Board of Eurostep.
President of Alliance 2015
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in 1989 and today the executive director of the humanitarian organization People in Need
People In Need (Czech Republic)
People in Need is a Czech nonprofit, non-governmental organization that implements humanitarian relief and long term development projects in crisis regions all over the world, while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom....
(Člověk v tísni), which he co-founded in 1992. People in Need (PIN) became the biggest non-governmental organisation in Central and Eastern Europe and works worldwide to mitigate the suffering of people in times of crisis. For its international and national effort, PIN has become highly respected in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and abroad.
Life
In 1988, Šimon Pánek and Jaromír ŠtětinaJaromír Štetina
Jaromír Štětina is Czech journalist, writer and politician. He is most known as war correspondent from conflict areas of former Soviet Union.Štětina studied University of Economics, Prague...
were the main organizers of humanitarian assistance in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, collecting various anecdotal material to help affected people of the earthquake. One year later, in 1989, Pánek became one of "student leaders" during the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, where he was organising anti-regime occupation strikes and became co-chairman of the Central Students Strike Committee.
In 1992, he founded the news agency Epicentrum, which specializes in global conflict reporting. In 1992 Šimon Pánek co-founded Nadace Lidových novin (The Lidové noviny
Lidové noviny
Lidové noviny is a daily newspaper published in the Czech Republic. It is the oldest Czech daily. Its profile is nowadays a national news daily covering political, economic, cultural and scientific affairs, mostly with a centre-right, conservative view...
Foundation), now known as People in Need
People In Need (Czech Republic)
People in Need is a Czech nonprofit, non-governmental organization that implements humanitarian relief and long term development projects in crisis regions all over the world, while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom....
(PIN), and has been a foreign policy specialist on the Balkan region and human rights issues abroad in the presidential administration of Vaclav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
.
Since 2004, Pánek chaired the Czech NGO development platform FoRS. He received the Czech State Medal of Merit in 2002 and the European of the Year Award in 2003.
However, Šimon Pánek chaired the Board of the Open Society Fund Prague, is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, of the Board of the European Partnership for Democracy and of the Board of Eurostep.
Publication
Marek Benda, Šimon Pánek, Monika Pajerová, Studenti psali revoluci (students wrote a revolution), Praha. Univerzum. 1990, ISBN 80-85207-02-8Honours
European of the Year in 2002 by the Reader's Digest magazinePresident of Alliance 2015