Topic Archive Society
Internet brings major advantages for the blind and visually impaired
Internet banking, online shopping, google searches – the internet has
made our life much more convenient. And despite the fact that it is a
highly visual medium, blind people, too, are increasingly taking advantage
of the internet. But how do they perceive it and what are some of the
difficulties of mastering the World Wide Web for those without eyesight? More
Prague court delivers landmark ruling in home births advocates’ battle with the state
A ruling on Thursday by a Prague court might lead to a breakthrough in the
ongoing Czech debate about home births. While state officials and health
care providers have consistently opposed the practice over safety concerns,
the court decided that mothers indeed have the right to choose the place of
their child’s delivery, and the state has to provide all necessary
assistance. More
Teachers seek to revive Latin at Czech schools
Latin once used to be the cornerstone of classical education. Until the
middle of the 20th century, some knowledge of the language was a
prerequisite for any career in the academia, and Latin was taught at every
grammar school. But the numbers of students taking up the language has
dropped by a half over the past decade. That’s why a group of Latin
teachers launched a campaign to revive the teaching of Latin at Czech
schools. More
Pig slaughtering feasts on their way out
A centuries old tradition –the pig-slaughtering feast – will soon be a
thing of the past. Those who consider the gory ritual an act of barbarism
are cheering, others for whom it is an important part of village folklore
are determined to maintain it at any price. More
Snowmobiles ‘a must’ for locals in Czech mountains
With snow in mountainous areas and resorts in the Czech Republic averaging
140 centimetres, it’s no surprise locals have been hitting the trails on
their snowmobiles in recent days and weeks. The number of skidoos on Czech
trails has only continued to grow in recent years and with increased
traffic have come greater concerns and greater risk – one reason why
officials from the country’s Road Transport Services Centre conducted
checks in the area of Špindlerův Mlýn last week. More
Oldřich Černý – Head of the Forum 2000 Foundation
Oldřich Černý is executive director of the Forum 2000 Foundation, which
every year invites some of the world’s leading thinkers to a conference
in Prague. Forum 2000 was cofounded by Václav Havel, with whom Mr. Černý
was closely involved for many years. Indeed, he organised what was to be
the former president’s final public appearance, a meeting with the Dalai
Lama, a week before his death last month. More
A heart from melted candles: an unusual memorial for late Czech president Václav Havel
After the death of the late Czech president Václav Havel, thousands of
people laid down wreaths and lit candles at impromptu memorial sites across
the country. Now, two artists have decided to recycle those candles for an
unusual memorial – a wax heart. Dozens of volunteers are currently
working on the “A heart for Havel” initiative at a Prague cultural
center. More
Stinky cheese sweetshop opens in Loštice
It is the country’s most smelly specialty – Olomoucké tvarůžky –
dubbed by foreign visitors as “the stinky cheese of Olomouc” is not
something you can easily overlook. Its pungent odor hits you the minute you
open the fridge and will render you a social outcast several hours after
consuming it. However many consider it to be one of the country’s biggest
delicacies and the Czech Republic fought and won a six-year war with
Germany and Austria over a protected geographical status trademark.
More
Police arrest two men in series of appalling tomb robberies
The Czech police have arrested two men suspected of robbing more than 70
graves in northern Bohemia. The men mainly targeted older, unkempt tombs in
the region in search of gold teeth, medals and other relics. The
investigators were shocked by their callousness; one of them said he was
more interested in the thrill of tomb raiding than the actual loot. More
Survey finds garbage, graffiti and poor system of cycling routes negatively impact Prague life quality
Air quality, the unemployment rate and the cost of public transportation
– many factors influence the perceived quality of life in urban spaces. A
fresh survey suggests that there is much left to improve when it comes to
the quality of life in the Czech capital, with the most-cited nuisances of
Prague residents being garbage and graffiti. By contrast, public
transportation is viewed as adequate and fairly priced by most. More
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