Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa will speak at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at Taylor Auditorium in the Farmer School of Business on Miami University’s Oxford campus.

Lauded as one of the leaders most responsible for the fall of the Iron Curtain and the liberation of hundreds of millions of people in the former Soviet Bloc, Walesa brings a unique perspective on Russia’s war against Ukraine and Putin’s global aggression.  

The lecture is free and open to the public. Tickets are required for in-person attendance — see the Miami Box Office — or register for the virtual presentation on Zoom.

An electrician by trade, Walesa was born on Oct. 29, 1943. The first mention of his participation in the anti-communist opposition dates back to 1968. He developed a political interest and contributed to the Strike Committee's activities in 1970.

Walesa, 78, has demonstrated a dedication to resolving the nation's issues without resorting to violence. He has made an effort to open communication between the authorities and the group he represents  — Solidarity. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee said in 1983 that it regarded Walesa as "an exponent of the active longing for peace and freedom which exists, in spite of unequal conditions, unconquered in all the peoples of the world.”

Walesa served as the delegation's opposition leader in 1989. As a result, the Soviet bloc's first non-communist cabinet was formed. Wałęsa was elected president of free Poland on Dec. 22, 1990. He established the Lech Walesa Institute in 1995 to promote Polish Solidarity's accomplishments, educate the younger generation, and support the growth of civil society and democracy in Poland. Today, Walesa is still working to promote the notion of solidarity.

John Forren, Executive Director of the University’s Menard Family Center for Democracy stated "Lech Walesa is a truly transformational figure in world history, and few people can match his profound contributions over decades to the fundamental advancement of freedom, democracy, and human rights.  In the Menard Family Center, we are very excited about President Walesa's upcoming visit to Miami University and we are very proud of our role in bringing such an inspirational and impactful world leader here to southwest Ohio." 

The Menard Family Center for Democracy — host of the Miami event — is a joint project of the College of Arts and Science and its College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science. Additional information is available by email at MenardFamilyCenter@MiamiOH.edu.