The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation in Springfield, Illinois, awarded its Leadership Prize to Lech Wałęsa. Legendary Solidarity leader and former President of Poland will accept the award on February 9 in Chicago.

“The award is given to people whose lives and actions exemplify Lincoln’s legacy of leadership” – president of the Foundation, Carla Knorowski stressed out.

Wałęsa is a former shipyard worker and Nobel Peace Prize winner who in 1990 became the first democratically elected president in Polish postwar history. He served until 1995.

He first became known for his struggles to win worker’s rights in Poland.

Lech Wałęsa said in a statement that he is proud to be awarded the Leadership Prize.

“The Prize of The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation is also a tribute to the entire Polish nation, which for nearly two decades, peacefully and democratically conducted economic and social revolution. As a result of this transformation, Poland entered a period of prosperity and justice” – says Lech Wałęsa.

The “Lincoln Leadership Prize” is awarded since 2006. Past winners include: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2008), American astronaut James Lovell Jr.(2010) and the NBC journalist Tim Russert.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)