Nobel Prize-Winner Lech Walesa · 2020-04-07 · Lech Walesa Former President of Poland Thursday,...

Check out our latest additions or find in-depth info online at www.salisbury.edu

Nobel Prize-Winner Lech WalesaFormer President of PolandThursday, March 30Holloway Hall Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Walesa burst into the worldspotlight in 1980 during theLenin Shipyard strike inGdansk, Poland. Workers,incensed by an increase inprices set by the Communistgovernment, were demanding the right toorganize free and independent trade unions.Walesa, an electrician whohad long been active in theunderground labor movement, arrived at thebarricaded shipyard just asthe dispirited workers wereon the verge of abandoningtheir strike. Scaling the shipyard walls, he delivereda stirring speech, revitalizingthe strike that spread to fac-tories across the nation.

Christened “Solidarity,”the strike became a socialrevolution. Walesa enteredinto negotiations with thegovernment, convincing it togrant recognition toSolidarity and the right toform independent unions aswell as the right to strike.Through years of politicalturmoil and jail time forthousands of Solidaritymembers—including Walesa—Solidarity planted theseeds of freedom

and democracy that eventually endedCommunist rule in Poland.

For his heroic efforts,Walesa was named “Man ofthe Year” by “Time” magazine, “The FinancialTimes,” “The LondonObserver,” “Die Welt,” “DieZeit,” “L’Express” and “LeSoir.” Walesa was awardedthe 1983 Nobel Peace Prize.

On December 9, 1990,he became Poland’s firstdemocratically elected president, winning morethan 74 percent of the votescast. His term in office setPoland firmly on the path tobecoming a free-marketdemocracy. He now headsthe Lech Walesa Institutewhose aim is to advance theideals of democracy andfree-market reform throughout Eastern Europeand the rest of the world.

“One Person Can Make A Difference”Lecture SeriesIn addition to keynotingthe semester-long “’80s OnOur 80th” cultural eventsseries, Walesa is part ofSU’s Center for ConflictResolution’s “One PersonCan Make a Difference”lecture series. The seriesprovides the communitythe opportunity to beexposed to pioneering individuals in the field ofconflict resolution. The lecture series has hostedsuch notable speakers asUnder Secretary General ofthe United NationsGiandomenico Picco,Ambassador JohnMcDonald and Dr. ArunGandhi, grandson ofMahatma Gandhi.

Thursday, March 30