Address by Bronislaw Geremek, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

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Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,A Polish poet and Nobel prize-winner, Wislawa Szymborska wrote in one of her poems: "there are no questions more urgent than naive ones". Today, I would like to devote a few words to one of such urgent questions: do we need solidarity in our lives?This question has always been present in my historical research on the issue of poverty in medieval Europe, when I was able to observe how human compassion for the poor and the maltreated created a lasting bond among people as well as institutions of social assistance and charitable organizations. I also faced this question in the1980s, when I was involved in the workers' strike in the Gdansk shipyard, and later in the newly-born then "Solidarity" movement. The name of that movement emphasized rejection of the communist system, which based public life on the premise of class struggle, all-out war and hatred.To contradict this doctrine, the "Solidarity" trade union was formed in 1980. After 500 days of legal operation, it was forced to go underground for eight years. In 1989, Poland regained independence thanks to Solidaritv". The strength of this movement, which embraced 10 million Poles, that is almost half of the working population of Poland, stemmed from the simplicity of its fundamental postulate: if people show solidarity towards each other and decline participation in the falsehood - the totalitarian system turns out to be shut off.Vaclav Havel spoke at that time of "power of the powerless", arguing that dissidents disapproving of the communist system on the foundation of ethics in public activity, acquire strength, despite their inability of influencing politics. The idea of solidarity promoted by Gdansk shipyard workers has in due time become a political program, as it became clear how effective it was as an instrument in the struggle against the totalitarian system, as well in building up civil involvement in politics.The illustration of solidarity in international relations - here I draw on my experience as Minister of Foreign Affairs - is functioning of NATO. One of the articles of the Washington Treaty, signed fifty years ago, provides that if some aggressor attacks one of the member states of the Alliance, all member states of the alliance will show solidarity in its defense. Poland has painful experience in this respect. Over two hundred years ago, at the end of the 18 century, instantly after proclamation of the first democratic constitution on the European continent (and second in the World, after the American constitution), Poland lost sovereignty and became partitioned by three powers: Russia, Austria and Prussia. It remained utterly desolate and condemned, for long 123 years, to captivity and lack of own state. Once again in September 1939, Poland became victim of the Nazi Germany and another partition by Germany and Russia followed: Poland was solitary againA couple of months ago, on the 12 March, I signed in Independence, Missouri documents of accession of Poland - together with the Czech Republic and Hungary - to the North Atlantic Alliance. At last, we feel that we have returned to the community of values, to which we naturally belong. At the same time the ties of Euro-Atlantic solidarity and the force of the most powerful alliance in modern history guarantee our subsistence and national security. Membership in this alliance institutes a tremendous challenge. Nevertheless, we are proud and happy to be again, as in the years of the II World War, allies of the great American nation, which comprises many millions of expatriate Poles and their descendants.One of the modern American philosophers once said that solidarity means "accepting reciprocal responsibility to other members of the group for the sake of a common purpose". This is certainly the most natural form of solidarity and it may refer to a trade union, social organization, army or community of citizens of a given country. And yet, very significant is solidarity which extends beyond "us" and which reaches out to "others", in particular to those who are frail or who suffer, exposed to violence and coercion This is exactly the situation in Kosovo. Contrary to analyses arguing that the contemporary world is filled with ethnocentrism, hatred and exclusions, that track of history leads to clash of civilizations and religions - it turned out that, in defense of Albanians from Kosovo, Americans and Europeans stand together, in defense of Kosovo Muslims, Christians act together.We should realize how inconceivable is the stake in Kosovo conflict It involves rescuing lives and dignity of thousands of people expelled from their homes, whose weary faces are shown on our screens. Yet, it also involves protection of fundamental values, without which, neither the euroatlantic community, nor nations from our civilization, could exist. Operation of NATO in Kosovo is the war in defense of human rights and shows that wars are not necessarily waged due to oil reserves or iron ore, yet they can start for the sake of protection of human rights. This war cannot be lost, as it would overshadow opportunities of the coming century.These are my remarks to you - young students, who enter the adult life and must be prepared to undertake challenges of the 21 century and be able to answer completely new questions. Do not forget the simplest questions and do believe that solidarity is one of the most urgent questions.