The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of Poland Lech
Walesa draws crowds at the UT Austin AT&T Hotel and Conference
Center during his speech on the war in Ukraine.
AUSTIN,
Texas, May 21, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --The
Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of Poland Lech Walesa
draws crowds at the UT Austin AT&T Hotel and Conference Center
during his speech on the war in Ukraine.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, former leader of Poland's 1980s Solidarity Movement and first
democratically elected president in the post-Soviet era, Lech
Walesa stopped in Austin, Texas as
a part of his limited tour of the United
States. Over 400 guests attended a fast-paced discussion
with President Walesa about the war in Ukraine, as well as affairs in Russia, Poland and the general state of Europe at the AT&T Conference Center at
the University of Texas Austin. Walesa
filled the main auditorium and an adjacent auditorium to standing
room only capacity. The anti-communist icon, did not disappoint and
delivered a powerful message about the tenuousness of current
situation in Ukraine and the vital
leadership role the United States
must continue to assume in a world that is becoming increasingly
more globalized and complicated. He offered harsh criticism of the
diminishing role of the United
States on the world stage. But he also offered an optimistic
prediction that the war in Ukraine
will be solved as soon as the United
States reassumes its proper role on the world stage and
provides the international community with its new and best ideas.
"We were almost overwhelmed by the crowds," said Nathan Silverstein, the founder and president of
the Polish Club at the University of
Texas, "but the Clements Center for National Security's
staff quickly stepped in and with their help we delivered a safe
and well-organized event that accommodated almost all who wanted to
attend." The University of Texas'
Clements Center was a co-sponsor of the event along with the
university's influential Polish Club, among others.
President Walesa also visited with Texas Governor Greg
Abbott during his stay in Austin. Meeting at the Governor's Mansion with
the Governor and his staff, Walesa was accompanied by local leaders
of the Polish American community, including Pawel Hardej, a local businessman, Polish
American activist, and community organizer. "Texas, as one of the world's largest
economies, is playing a larger and larger role on the international
stage. The European energy crisis is dire and is not going away any
time soon," said Hardej, who also translated for the two leaders.
"Texas could and should play an
important role in providing a real solution. Especially now, given
the geopolitical situation in Eastern
Europe, Texas can provide
the badly needed oil and LNG gas to this region as well as new
technologies that are created, tested, and developed here in
Texas. As Polish Americans living
and doing business in Texas, we
see massive potential in Texas
expanding economically into Central and Eastern Europe and providing much needed
energy security to the region," said Hardej. "What struck me at the
meeting with Governor Abbott was how well informed he was about the
issues currently affecting Europe," said Adam
Dominski, President Walesa's Chief of Staff and President of
the Board at the Lech Walesa Institute. "We will be coming back to
Texas as we see an incredible
potential for cooperation, plus we enjoyed the warm climate and
Austin's southern hospitality. We
hope that Governor Abbott will visit Poland soon." Walesa also advised the Governor
that he was so impressed with Texas and Austin in particular, that he may well
consider placing the United States
headquarters of his new Lech Walesa Foundation in Austin.
President Walesa's event at the AT&T Conference Center was
spearheaded by the Polish Club at UT and co-sponsored by the
Clements Center for National Security, Liberal Arts Honors (LAH),
Texas Global, The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian
Studies (CREEES), The Center for European Studies (CES), the
Department of Government, and the McCombs Department of Business,
Government, and Society and by individual donors.
Photos and a recording of the Walesa event will be available on
the Polish Club's website: http://www.texaspolishclub.com
or see a video at Youtube:
(16) President Lech Walesa &
Pawel Hardej on War in Ukraine at Capital Grille in Austin, Texas 5/4/2022 - YouTube
Press Contact:
Pawel Hardej
Austin, TX
pawelhardej@gmail.com
(773)682-4343
Contact: Pawel Hardej
Phone: 773-682-4343
Email: pawelhardej@gmail.com
Media Contact
Pawel Hardej, Pawel Hardej, 1 7736824343,
pawelhardej@gmail.com
SOURCE Pawel Hardej