On Thursday 25 April 2024, the first National Development Day was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was also attended by the representatives of the Faculty of Tropical Agriculture.
The morning session offered a space for a meeting of representatives of the public, non-profit, private sector and the academic community, as well as government and parliamentary representatives involved in the implementation of humanitarian, transformation and development assistance abroad. The session started with the opening speech of the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, followed by words of Minister Lipavsky, who thanked all the implementers of development and humanitarian activities for their long-term support. The opening part was addressed by the Director of the non-profit organization Šimon Pánek, who summarized the current situation in the field of development and humanitarian assistance. The participants of the National Development Day were also greeted by the Belgian Minister for Development Caroline Gennez in the form of an online greeting.
The opening session was followed by a panel on Czech Aid - Results and Prospects. The panel discussion featured presentations by Eva Decroix, Chair of the Subcommittee on the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights Abroad, Pavel Fisher, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, Marek Mora, Deputy Minister of Finance, and Lída Vacková, Programme Manager at Freedom House. Education and Awareness Raising, Climate and Environmental Security, Economic Development and Financial Instruments.
The Faculty of Tropical Agriculture was represented by Petra Chaloupková and Tatiana Ivanová, who participated in the round table on education and awareness. Marie Kalousová and Vladimír Verner participated in the Climate and Environmental Security section.
The afternoon session in the garden of the Czernin Palace was open to the public. The whole afternoon was marked by talks, screenings, exhibitions, interactive presentations and other side events. Visitors could see exhibitions of the successes of development cooperation and the MEDEVAC health programme, screenings of the One World Festival, Memory of the Nation and the travels of the Foreign Minister, and had the opportunity to taste specialities from developing countries and experience the life of an Ethiopian girl or a Syrian refugee. There were also discussions on: What does it mean to help in disasters, How the Czech Republic helps abroad and Protection of human rights in the world. During the afternoon, moderator Vít Pohanka interviewed representatives of rescuers, doctors and reporters from crisis areas and introduced the activities of well-known personalities such as Janek Rubes and Arthur Sniegon.
