Conference “From Solidarity to democracy. Can Cuba achieve freedom?”
On December 11, 2006 the conference “From Solidarity to Democracy: Can Cuba Achieve Freedom?” took place in Warsaw. Hosted by President Lech Walesa, the seminar gathered eminent figures from the political and cultural milieus from Poland as well as from abroad. In the context of the recent occurrences in the island the participants focused on the topic of a possible future of Cuba after the departure of Fidel Castro. The intention of the organizers was to show, on the example of Poland, the ways of peaceful transformation from communism to democracy and to detect the dilemmas that Poles have faced since 1989. The current president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, and the two former Polish presidents, Lech Walesa and Aleksander Kwasniewski, agreed that the Solidarity’s legacy and the experience of the Eastern European countries might be important knowledge to be used in Cuba, however, it is Cubans who should know how to apply it in their country. Lech Walesa said that the communistic Cuba belongs to the past 20th century – the century of divisions, totalitarianisms and inhumane ideologies. Thus, it is the international society that should help to bury that Cuba by supporting its dissidents and human rights activists. Aleksander Kwasniewski added that Cuba is a relic which vegetates in the Latin America being encircled by the populists such as Venezuela and Bolivia. Although Cuban pro-democracy activists could not attend, they sent the letters to the conference participants. Messages: Panel 1. Cuba: 1959- 2006 Ricardo Carreras Lario, Solidaridad Española con Cuba María Ángeles Altozano, Solidaridad Española con Cuba Omar Lopez Montenegro, Cuban American National Foundation Tomasz Turowski, former Ambassador RP na Kubie Pawel Smolenski, Gazeta Wyborcza Moderator: Jarosław Gugała, były Ambasador RP Panel 2. “Solidarnosc” – Polish lesson Nicholas Rey, former Ambassador of USA in Poland Marek Borowski, former Marshal of Sejm Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, Wprost weekly Jack DuVall, International Center on NonViolent Conflicts Dr Maria Stephan, International Center on NonViolent Conflicts Irena Lasota, Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe Moderator: Czesław Bielecki, former Chairman of the Sejm Committee on the Foreign Affairs Panel 3. Cuban scenarios Introductory speech: Comparative perspective of transformation in Central and Eastern Europe – conclusions for Cuba by prof. Leszek Balcerowicz, President of the National Bank of Poland Julio Hernandez, Christian Liberation Movement Rolando Behar, Cuban Liberal Union Annabelle Rodriguez, Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana Magdeliva Hidalgo, Cuban Rural Women Movement Joel Brito, Cuban Independent Trade Unions Ryszard Schnepf, former Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister Moderator: Maciej Stasinski, Gazeta Wyborcza Panel 4. Examination of conscience: the Polish Transformation Lech Wałesa Stefan Niesiołowski, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate Zbigniew Bujak, former chairman of NSZZ „Solidarno¶ć” in Mazovia region Prof. Jacek Karczewski, Warsaw University Moderator: Katarzyna Kolenda – Zaleska, TV TVN Letters of Cuban dissidents: Martha Beatriz Roque Jorge Oliviera Miriam Leiva Oscar Espinoza Chepe Dagoberto Valdes Hernandez Gallery
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2010-03-10
General information 