SOLIDARITY AND THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRATIZATION

May 19, 2009 | Georgetown University



This conference commemorates the 20th anniversary of Poland’s Round-Table Talks between the communist government and the Solidarity-led opposition. Held in 1989, these talks led to semi-free elections in Poland and precipitated the Fall of Communism the entire Eastern Bloc. The aim of this conference is to re-examine the history, nature and achievements of the Solidarity movement from the perspective of 20 years of democracy in Poland, and to consider what lessons Solidarity can lend to contemporary struggles for democracy.



3:00 Welcoming Remarks
3:05 Introduction of APF and the opening speaker, Artur Orkisz, President, APF
3:10 Opening Remarks, Daniel Fried, former US ambassador to Poland

3:30 Panel I: Solidarity’s Legacy
--History and Background of Solidarity Marek Konarzewski, Polish Embassy
--Moral and Cultural Roots of Solidarity George Weigel, Ethics and Public Policy Center
--Solidarity as Performative Democracy Elzbieta Matynia, The New School

4:45 Break
5:00 Panel II: Solidarity’s Lessons and the Future of Democratization
--Re-imagining Democratization Irena Lasota, Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe
--Giving Solidarity to the World Carl Gershman, National Endowment for Democracy
--Solidarity and US Foreign Policy Jakub Grygiel, SAIS

6.15 Reception (Location TBD)

Sponsored by the Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy, the Political Theory Colloquium in the Department of Government at Georgetown University, and the American Polish Forum.