The Fall of Communism, Russia, and the War in Ukraine
Lech Wałęsa, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Former President of Poland
Hosted by the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Lech Wałęsa will discussed current world events, his view of the United States’ role on the global stage, the history of the Solidarity Movement, and his vision for a prosperous future. The lecture was followed by a Q&A session moderated by the Dean of the Kroc School of Peace Studies, Dr. Patricia Márquez.
Lech Wałęsa was the co-founder and leader of the Solidarity movement that led to the first democratic elections in Poland in 1989, the fall of communism in Poland, and helped lead to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Wałęsa was the first democratically elected leader of Poland since 1926 and the first ever Polish leader elected by popular vote. He presided over Poland’s transition from communism to free-market capitalism and liberal democracy.
