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A few words about Jan Józef Lipski

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An appeal to the countries of Eastern Europe
Jacek Kuroń Social activist
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So much for KOR. What was the other thing you wanted to know? Don't interrupt.

[Q] The other thing was the appeal.

Yes. The matter of the appeal, the convention in Oliwa, during the first round they approved sending an appeal to the countries of Eastern Europe. There's a big outcry surrounding this issue, especially on the part of opponents of this decision because they think that this was why, if it hadn't been for this there wouldn't have been a coup - well, we know that there would have been one. However, at the time it wasn't a sound political move, it was needlessly inflammatory, didn't advance our cause much and I was against it. It surprised me because I was upset with my friends who were participating in this as this was what I've already talked about here: the difference between being a politician and being a witness. Then, it was the time to be involved in politics but it soon turned out that the time for politics had ended and what was left of Solidarność was the testimony it left in society's awareness, in people's maturity, in the elite groups which matured, in the entire, unretractable heritage that lives in our life as a society. Irrespective of the future of Solidarność this appeal to the countries of Eastern Europe will remain, and it will live on and will carry on bearing fruit. And that's that. This is that situation in which while we're still involved in politics, the future shows us that bearing witness was important and significant.

W pewien sposób posłanie... zjazd w Oliwie w czasie drugiej tury... pierwszej tury uchwalił posłanie do krajów Europy Wschodniej. Robi się wokół tego dużo wrzasku, zwłaszcza przeciwnicy tej decyzji. Oni uważają, że w ten sposób to właśnie, że gdyby nie to, to nie byłoby zamachu. No wiadomo, że byłby. Natomiast wtedy było to posunięcie niepolityczne, niepotrzebnie jątrzyło, przynosząc politycznie małe kroki, ja byłem przeciw temu. Zaskoczyło mnie, bo byłem oburzony na moich kolegów, którzy w tym jakoś tam uczestniczyli, bo to jest właśnie to o czym ja tu już mówiłem, różnicy między polityką, a dawaniem świadectwa. Wtedy był czas politykowania, ale bardzo szybko okazało się, że czas politykowania się skończył i to co pozostanie z "Solidarności" to właśnie to świadectwo, które dało w świadomości społecznej, w dojrzałości ludzi, w elitach, które dojrzały, w tym całym wielkim nie do cofnięcia dorobku, który żyje w naszym życiu społecznym. Bez względu na to jakie dalsze będą losy "Solidarności", to posłanie do krajów Europy Wschodniej ono pozostanie i będzie żyło i ono będzie przynosić dalsze owoce. I to jest to. To jest właśnie ta sytuacja, kiedy... w trakcie kiedy jeszcze jesteśmy w czasie politykowania, już okazuje się... przyszłość pokazała, że danie świadectwa miało wagę i sens. To wszystko.

The late Polish activist, Jacek Kuroń (1934-2004), had an influential but turbulent political career, helping transform the political landscape of Poland. He was expelled from the communist party, arrested and incarcerated. He was also instrumental in setting up the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR) and later became a Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

Listeners: Marcel Łoziński Jacek Petrycki

Film director Marcel Łoziński was born in Paris in 1940. He graduated from the Film Directing Department of the National School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź in 1971. In 1994, he was nominated for an American Academy Award and a European Film Academy Award for the documentary, 89 mm from Europe. Since 1995, he has been a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science awarding Oscars. He lectured at the FEMIS film school and the School of Polish Culture of Warsaw University. He ran documentary film workshops in Marseilles. Marcel Łoziński currently lectures at Andrzej Wajda’s Master School for Film Directors. He also runs the Dragon Forum, a European documentary film workshop.

Cinematographer Jacek Petrycki was born in Poznań, Poland in 1948. He has worked extensively in Poland and throughout the world. His credits include, for Agniezka Holland, Provincial Actors (1979), Europe, Europe (1990), Shot in the Heart (2001) and Julie Walking Home (2002), for Krysztof Kieslowski numerous short films including Camera Buff (1980) and No End (1985). Other credits include Journey to the Sun (1998), directed by Jesim Ustaoglu, which won the Golden Camera 300 award at the International Film Camera Festival, Shooters (2000) and The Valley (1999), both directed by Dan Reed, Unforgiving (1993) and Betrayed (1995) by Clive Gordon both of which won the BAFTA for best factual photography. Jacek Petrycki is also a teacher and a filmmaker.

Tags: Eastern Europe, Solidarność, KOR

Duration: 1 minute, 42 seconds

Date story recorded: 1987

Date story went live: 12 June 2008