Lech Walesa Institute Foundation

Our Mission

The "Lech Walesa Institute" Foundation is an apo¬litical non-profit non-governmental organization founded by President Lech Walesa in December 1995 as the first such institution in Poland. It has been focusing on the following goals:

• to protect national heritage, the tradition of inde¬pendence and Solidarity,
• to record the life and activity of Lech Walesa,
• to carry out research and studies in the most re¬cent history of Poland, this including mainly social movements and concepts of modern patriotism,
• to promote a positive image of Poland and the Poles abroad,
• to advocate clear and transparent rules in politics and public activity,
• to support the state decentralization process and development of various forms of local governments,
• to promote dialogue between different cultures and different religions,
• to support young people in acquiring the highest possible education,
• to stimulate entrepreneurship among young peo¬ple and to support their initiation into professional careers and social activity,
• to promulgate information on European integra¬tion and European structures, as well as on the functioning of particular social groups within that framework

Programs

Promoting Poland's Conscious EU Membership

The Institute initiated a debate and an educational program focused on Poland's EU membership based on investigating social awareness and knowledge of the EU institutions. Eventually, the results were presented at a conference held at the Polish Parliament, followed by the debate on fears and hopes of the Polish people in view of Poland's membership in the EU.

Poland in the World

One of the Institute's main goals is to promote Poland worldwide and to advocate for the ideals of solidarity and freedom that have always been followed by Lech Walesa. We have been consolidating the positive image of Poland while cooperating with other NGOs and developing international contacts or in the course of frequent international visits of the Institute's representatives. We are strongly convinced that Lech Walesa - as our trade mark - is one of the most recognizable symbol of Poland and we try to use it carefully in a responsible way.

The Lech Walesa Library

In response to the need to collect records of the most recent history of Poland and of the independent movements in the second half of the 20th century, the Institute has been striving with much determination to establish an academic and research institution featuring a modern conference room with ample reference backup enabling education of the young.

International Conference: From Solidarity to Freedom, August 29-31, 2005

The Institute's main goals are to promote the ideals that Lech Walesa struggled for and to consolidate the memory of the time of Polish fight for freedom. The Conference on the 25th anniversary of Solidarity's foundation brought together the most illustrious individuals from Poland and the world and was also a great chance to say thank you to all, who supported Solidarity from abroad in 1980s. It allowed to recapitulate Poland's contribution to the history of Europe and the world.

Poland in Solidarity with Cuba

The Project was launched in order to demonstrate solidarity with the Cuban people; it shows the independence opposition in Cuba as seen from the Polish perspective. Our intention is to support and inspire Cuban society in their pursuit of democratic values. We operate the In Solidarity with Cuba website (http://solidarnizkuba.pl/) speaking of the current situation in the country, while also establishing a media and public exchange platform for the Cuban fighters for freedom.

The Lech Walesa Award

This Award will be given every year to people or organizations acting for agreement and cooperation of the nations, freedom and promotion of those values that were basic for the Solidarity movement. The Award is meant to promote attitudes of solidarity among people and a non-violent struggle for freedom, equality, and pluralism and to become a symbolic and a financial support for those who give hope for political and social changes. The Award is a sign of solidarity with all who fight for better future of their own country and world community.

Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Lech Walesa, September 29. 2008

Together with the Municipality of Warsaw, the Institute held at the Royal Castle a ceremony commemorating Lech Walesa being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and attended by representatives of cultural, academic, and political circles. During the solemn ceremony we were honoured to listen to laudations of Speaker of Polish Parliament - Bronisław Komorowski, President of Warsaw - Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, His Excellency Archbishop Tadeusz Gocłowski, former President of High Council of Belarus professor Stanislav Shushkievich and professor Norman Davies. The event was followed by a concert "Nobel 1983 ProMemoria" held at Warsaw's Grand Theatre to commemorate the way of Solidarity leader.

"Solidarity for the Future"

The Project launched by the Institute is to promote education among the young generation and to consolidate the memory of the role played by Solidarity in the struggle for freedom and sovereignty among international public opinion; its goal is also to promulgate the ideals of Solidarity founders among the world political elites. We believe that the ideals of Solidarity - the way of achieving aims that this peace movement used to present in 1980s - are still current and could become an inspiration and a mean of solving problems of today.