The international forum was held to commemorate the 275th birth anniversary of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of four nations – Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and the USA. The purpose of the forum was to discuss how the common values of the countries-participants can contribute to the development of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe (and in the world). The event emphasized the legacy of Tadeusz Kościuszko‘s aspirations for freedom and the very aspirations of freedom as the basis of common European and American path, the Belarusian fight against dictatorship, and the 30th anniversary of independence of the Baltic States. “Bridges for Freedom” was chosen as the motto of the event.
Discussions were held online, the full video of the event is available here.
Among notable speakers of the Forum were:
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of democratic Belarus;
- Gerald E. Connolly, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly;
- Koen Lenaerts, President of the Court of Justice of the European Union;
- Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein, Member of the European Parliament;
- Hanna Suchocka, former Prime Minister of Poland.
The program of the forum consisted of 4 sessions, which revealed the legacy of Tadeusz Kościuszko in a modern context in which freedom is inseparable from historical memory, international security, the rule of law, and social innovation.
On the occasion of the 275th anniversary of Tadeusz Kościuszko, EHU’s Academic Department of Humanities and Arts produced a film presenting this notable fighter for freedom.