EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

September 02, 2015

John Baird, Alexandr Vondra and Pierre Richard Prosper joined FOII

 


The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, John Baird, the former Foreign and Defense Minister of Czech Republic, Alexandr Vondra, and the former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, Pierre Richard Prosper have joined the Board of the Friend of Israel Initiative as Members.

 

In September 2015, three prominent high level leaders have joined the Board of the Friend of Israel Initiative as Members: John Baird, Alexandr Vondra and Pierre Richard Prosper.

 

John Baird is the fomer Minister of Foreign Affaris of Canada. From 1995, Baird has been involved in the top political positions in Canada, bith provincial and federal. Before he was appointed to Foreign Minister, Baird held the posts of Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Environment and President of the Treasury Board. Prior to entering federal politics Baird served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2005 and a cabinet minister serving as the Minister for Children, Community and Social Services, Energy and Francophone Affairs in addition to being the Government’s Chief Whip.

 

Alexandr Vondra is the former Foreign and Defense Minister of Czech Republic. Vondra has a large background in the fight for freedom and human rights in Europe. A dissident in the Communits regime, he was Charter 77 signatory. After organizing a demonstration in January 1989, Vondra was imprisoned for two months. In November 1989, while the Velvet Revolution was underway, he co-founded the Civic Forum. From the 90s, he has held top positions in the Czech governments. Prior to be appointed as Minister of Defense and Foreign Minister, Vondra was foreign policy advisor to President Václav Havel,  Czech Republic’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Czech Ambassador to the United States.


Pierre Richard Prosper has served as the second United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 2001 to 2005, where he played a key role in the war on terror and coordinated US policy responses to atrocities and attacks against civilians throughout the world. Prosper has also been the vice-chairman of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination until 2012, and nowadays is partner at Washington based Law Firm Arent Fox LLP.