Programs and events 2005

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In the fall of 2001, the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow initiated "Bridges of Tolerance", a program to foster mutual understanding through dialog on outstanding international issues of the day. As a result, the Consulate organizes an ongoing series of annual conferences in cooperation with the Villa Decius Association.

This year's program, held October 6-7, 2005, marked 25th anniversary of Polish Solidarność with the theme "Non-violent revolutions: the quest for freedom and the makings of dialog". The conference brought together some of the historical protagonists of both past and recent peaceful revolutions such as Polish Solidarity and the Czech “Velvet” revolutions of 1989, as well as young leaders of recent democratic struggles from Ukraine, Georgia and Serbia. The latter appeared in a panel organized by the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow in cooperation with the U.S. Embassies in Kiev, Tiblisi and Belgrade. Aubrey Carlson, Political Counselor from the U.S. Embassy in Kiev also delivered remarks on the present situation in Ukraine on behalf of U.S. Ambassador John Herbst.

The Conference had the honorary patronage of Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs and was made possible owing to the large support of several countries in addition to the U.S. Prominent U.S. participants also included Victor Ashe, the U.S. Ambassador to Poland and the U.S. Consul General in Krakow Kenneth Fairfax. The proceedings also included with the awarding of the second Sergio Vieira de Mello Award, for the promotion of activities aimed at fostering peaceful co-existence among nations and their co-operation in the fields of religion and culture, to the Polish NGO "Krzyzowa".