PRESS RELEASE
Warsaw, 20 October 2013
On 21-23 October, Warsaw will turn into the global capital of peace. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates have already arrived in Poland to spend the next three days on discussions about human rights and key global problems. Over six thousand participants from Poland and abroad have registered to attend the event.
Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of the City of Warsaw, and Piotr Gulczyński, President of the Board of Executives of the Lech Wałęsa Institute took part in today’s press conference and talked about the agenda of this year’s Summit, its participants and planned discussions. The Conference was also attended by former President of South Africa Frederik Willem de Klerk.
The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, held in Central and Eastern Europe for the first time, is guided by the motto “Stand in solidarity for peace – time to act”. Piotr Gulczyński, President of the Executive Board of the Lech Wałęsa Institute, emphasises that this year the Summit’s motto gained a special significance: “Thirty years ago, President Lech Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Prize for his commitment to the peaceful resolution of the problems faced by contemporary Poland. His actions were an expression of the unique sense of solidarity the Polish nation presented in its struggle for freedom and independence. Today, in the age of raging conflicts, the world needs the idea of solidarity as badly as Poland needed it three decades ago.”
During the Summit, over six thousand international participants will join the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in a debate on the key issues related to the reduction of global social inequalities. The following Nobel Prize Winners will be participating in the planned debate sessions: His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV, former President of South Africa Frederik Willem de Klerk, Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, Irish peace activists Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, and Muhammad Yunus, originator of the concept of microcredit. The debate will also be attended by representatives of Nobel Peace Prize awarded organisations: Permanent International Peace Bureau, Amnesty International, Pugwash Conferences, American Friends for Service Committee, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the United Nations and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“Civil wars, violations of human rights and women’s rights, severe social inequality, environmental threats, the trampling of democracy, these are the problems of the today’s world that cannot be left unanswered. The struggle with those challenges are hard and uneven but there are people who say “no”. Today, Warsaw hosts heroes who oppose injustice and enslavement. Having them here is a great honour for our city”, said Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw.
“We are very excited about the additional guests, which will make this exclusive event an even more rewarding experience. We have a great affinity for people such as the newly announced guests who share our value of defying conventional wisdom to find better solutions”, said Jeff Guyton, President and CEO, Mazda Motor Europe, leading partner of the three-day event in Warsaw.
The World Peace Laureates Summit in Warsaw is organised by the Lech Wałęsa Institute, a non-governmental organisation promoting democracy and universal human rights, Rome-based Summit’s Permanent Secretariat and the City of Warsaw.
Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of the City of Warsaw, and Piotr Gulczyński, President of the Board of Executives of the Lech Wałęsa Institute took part in today’s press conference and talked about the agenda of this year’s Summit, its participants and planned discussions. The Conference was also attended by former President of South Africa Frederik Willem de Klerk.
The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, held in Central and Eastern Europe for the first time, is guided by the motto “Stand in solidarity for peace – time to act”. Piotr Gulczyński, President of the Executive Board of the Lech Wałęsa Institute, emphasises that this year the Summit’s motto gained a special significance: “Thirty years ago, President Lech Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Prize for his commitment to the peaceful resolution of the problems faced by contemporary Poland. His actions were an expression of the unique sense of solidarity the Polish nation presented in its struggle for freedom and independence. Today, in the age of raging conflicts, the world needs the idea of solidarity as badly as Poland needed it three decades ago.”
During the Summit, over six thousand international participants will join the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in a debate on the key issues related to the reduction of global social inequalities. The following Nobel Prize Winners will be participating in the planned debate sessions: His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV, former President of South Africa Frederik Willem de Klerk, Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, Irish peace activists Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, and Muhammad Yunus, originator of the concept of microcredit. The debate will also be attended by representatives of Nobel Peace Prize awarded organisations: Permanent International Peace Bureau, Amnesty International, Pugwash Conferences, American Friends for Service Committee, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the United Nations and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“Civil wars, violations of human rights and women’s rights, severe social inequality, environmental threats, the trampling of democracy, these are the problems of the today’s world that cannot be left unanswered. The struggle with those challenges are hard and uneven but there are people who say “no”. Today, Warsaw hosts heroes who oppose injustice and enslavement. Having them here is a great honour for our city”, said Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw.
“We are very excited about the additional guests, which will make this exclusive event an even more rewarding experience. We have a great affinity for people such as the newly announced guests who share our value of defying conventional wisdom to find better solutions”, said Jeff Guyton, President and CEO, Mazda Motor Europe, leading partner of the three-day event in Warsaw.
The World Peace Laureates Summit in Warsaw is organised by the Lech Wałęsa Institute, a non-governmental organisation promoting democracy and universal human rights, Rome-based Summit’s Permanent Secretariat and the City of Warsaw.
About the organisers:
Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates
A non-profit organisation headquartered in Rome, the Permanent Secretariat was created as a new form of partnership between the International Gorbachev Foundation and the City of Rome formed to put the idea of World Summits of Nobel Peace Laureates into action. Apart from its organisational activities, the Secretariat monitors initiatives undertaken by the Laureates, promoting the ideas of the “Charter for a world without violence”. It also supports the work of those Nobel Peace Prize Laureates participating in annual Summits who mediate in various conflicts around the world (Article 3 of the Secretariat Statute).
More information about the Summit can be obtained at its official website:
www.nobelpeacesummit.com or the event’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/nobelforpeace.
Lech Wałęsa Institute
An apolitical non-governmental organisation founded by President Lech Wałęsa in December 1995 as the first presidential foundation in Poland. The Institute documents the life and work of Lech Wałęsa, develops a positive image of Poland and Poles abroad and acts to protect the nation’s heritage and nurture the Polish tradition of independence and solidarity. Lech Wałęsa Institute promotes the overtness and transparency of politics and public activity, counteracts human rights violations and supports social democratisation, advocating dialogue between cultures and religions. The Institute also acts for the activation and education of young generations.
For more information about the Lech Wałęsa Institute, please visit the organisation’s website www.ilw.org.pl or its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/instytutlechawalesy?fref=ts.
The City of Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital of Poland, a country nestled in the heart of Europe. The rich history of the city spans over seven centuries. With nearly nine tenths of the city turned into rubble during the Second World War, Warsaw was rebuilt thanks to an enormous effort of the whole nation. After 44 years of the Communist rule, the city played a key part in the ground-breaking events initiated by “Solidarity” which led to the Round Table talks, first free elections and the change of the political system in Eastern Europe.
Today, Warsaw is a city under constant development, changing to best suit the needs of all its inhabitants. Thanks to a series of major investments, the city modernises and becomes a more friendly place to live.
For more information about Warsaw, please visit the city’s official website http://www.um.warszawa.pl/ or its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/warszawa.
For further information please contact:
Zdzisław Wójcik
Lech Wałęsa Institute
zdzislaw.wojcik@ilw.org.pl
mob. +48 797 030 581
Wojciech Chatys
Lech Wałęsa Institute
wojciech.chatys@ilw.home.pl
mob. +48 797 030 584
Nina Osucha
Vision Group
n.osucha@visiongroup.pl
mob. +48 604 937 400
