Joan Baez sings at opening of Forum 2000 conference in Prague

Prague, Oct 21 (CTK) - The organisers of the Forum 2000 international conference prepared a surprise for participants in the opening evening Sunday having invited U.S.legendary singer Joan Baez, a friend of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, the conference's spiritual father.

Baez sang Sunday like she sang at the conference in 2006. Three years later, Havel invited her to the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that toppled the former Communist regime in then Czechoslovakia.

Baez Sunday sang three songs, including the one called We Shall Overcome.

She came to the conference after a short documentary on Havel who died last December aged 75 and on the previous issues of Forum 2000 in which Havel took part.

Baez was a protagonist of the U.S. protest movement in the 1960s and she was even imprisoned for her resistance to the Vietnam war.

The whole opening of the 16th Forum 2000 was marked by recollections of Havel.

Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa, another conference founder, said Havel's legacy lives on.

Havel's brother, Ivan, said his deceased brother would be happy to see that the conference continues even after his death.

Former Slovak prime minister Iveta Radicova took a critical view of the role of media in society and reflected on what the current crisis will bring.

Media and democracy are in focus at this year's Forum 2000 taha will last until Tuesday.