The December 11th event also marked the launch of the Polish Committee for Solidarity with Cuba. The work of the Committee will be a longer term initiative of engaging Polish politicians and the Polish people in the Cuban people’s struggle for democracy.

Kwaśniewski and Wałęsa

The conference included four panel discussions on: Cuban politics from the start of the revolution; lessons from the Solidarity movement in Poland; reflections on the future of Cuba; and lessons learned and conclusions for Cuba from Poland’s transformation. Former president Lech Wałęsa and Aleksander Kwaśniewski were both present and delivered introductory remarks. President Wałęsa also participated in the fourth panel. From the current government, there were messages from President Lech Kaczyński and Bogdan Borusewicz, Senate Marshall.

Current and former members of Poland’s Seijm and Senate were in attendance, including Stefan Niesiołowski, Marek Borowski, Czesław Bielecki, as well as journalists from Gazeta Wyborcza that have covered Cuba.

 Hernández of the Christian Liberation Movement

Cuban activists in attendance included Julio Hernández, of the Christian Liberation Movement, Rolando Behar, of the Cuban Liberal Union, Annabelle Rodríguez, of Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana, Magdeliva Hidalgo, of the Cuban Rural Women Movement and Joel Brito, of the Cuban Independent Trade Unions. Cubans inside Cuba were unable to attend but the following sent messages to the participants: Martha Beatriz Roque, Jorge Oliviera, Miriam Leiva, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, and Dagoberto Valdés Hernández.  The following day, the Lech Wałęsa Institute organized a hands-on workshop on non-violent struggle that was lead by the International Center for Non-Violent Conflict (ICNC) in the U.S. and the Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) in Serbia.