Lech Walesa
Lech Walesa
Lech Wałęsa; born 29 September 1943) is a retired Polish politician and labor activist. He co-founded and headed Solidarity, the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995...
NationalityPolish
ProfessionWorld Leader
Date of Birth29 September 1943
CityPopowo, Poland
CountryPoland
courage lying responsibility
Lying at the root of the social agreements of 1980 are the courage, sense of responsibility, and the solidarity of the working people. Both sides have then recognized that an accord must be reached if bloodshed is to be prevented.
important instruments powerless
Power is only important as an instrument for service to the powerless.
law people support
Democracy is made up of three elements. One is whether the laws support pluralistic principles. The second is whether the people take advantage of these laws. The third element is whether the peoples' wallets are thick enough to benefit from this democracy.
light patriotism want
I want to light the lights of patriotism.
war way nuclear
The politicians always told us that the Cold War stand-off could only change by way of nuclear war. None of them believed that such systemic change was possible.
education opportunity rights
I belong to the generation of workers who, born in the villages and hamlets of rural Poland, had the opportunity to acquire education and find employment in industry, becoming in the course conscious of their rights and importance in society.
different borders generations
Irrespective of todays judgment and the price we had to pay in this generation, we were able to close an epoch of divisions, different blocs and borders, opening the way for an era of globalization.
rights effort hatred
The defense of our rights and our dignity, as well as efforts never to let ourselves to be overcome by the feeling of hatred - this is the road we have chosen.
fall speaks-out silence
Let the veil of silence fall presently over what happened afterwards. Silence, too, can speak out.
voice fire burning
Everyone wants a voice in human freedom. There's a fire burning inside all of us.
faith fear
Deep faith eliminates fear.
wife sometimes fear-god
I only fear God, and my wife - sometimes.
authority chosen
Authority must be respected and chosen wisely.
goal peaceful way
Our firm conviction that ours is a just cause and that we must find a peaceful way to attain our goals gave us the strength and the awareness of the limits beyond which we must not go.