LECH WALESA TO SPEAK AT BOISE STATE DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES 

Lech Walesa, the Solidarity labor movement leader who was instrumental in championing democracy in Poland and went on to serve as the country's president, will speak at Boise State University at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 in The Pavilion. The 1983 Nobel Peace Prize laureate will speak as part of the university's Distinguished Lecture Series. The event is free and open to the public. 

Trained as an electrician, Walesa assumed leadership of the 10 million-member Solidarity labor movement in 1980 and negotiated with the communist government to legally recognize Solidarity and labor unions. The next year the Polish government declared martial law, suspended the activities of labor unions and arrested thousands of leaders including Walesa. 

After his release from prison in 1982, Walesa continued to plant seeds of democracy by leading Solidarity as an underground movement. For his heroic efforts Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. After years of labor unrest, the government eventually invited Solidarity to participate in a coalition government. Walesa became the first democratically elected president in 1990 and set Poland firmly on the path to a free market economy. He now heads the Lech Walesa Institute, which champions democracy and free market reform in Eastern Europe and throughout the developing world. 

For more information about Walesa visit www.apbspeakers.com. 

Boise State's Distinguished Lecture Series brings speakers to campus twice each year who have had an impact on social, scientific, humanitarian or other fields on a national or international level. Previous speakers in the series include Nobel laureate in physics Horst L. Stormer, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta and hostage negotiator Terry Waite. The series is funded through a small student fee supported by the Student Senate with additional support from the Boise State Foundation and local corporate sponsors. 

TICKETS FOR LECH WALESA LECTURE AVAILABLE STARTING FRIDAY, SEPT. 13

Tickets will be released beginning Friday, Sept. 13, for a lecture by former president of Poland Lech Walesa slated for 7 p.m. on Oct. 9 at The Pavilion at Boise State University. click here

Contact: 
Christine Loucks 
Chair, Distinguished Lecture Series 
(208) 426-1468 

Media contact: 
Janelle Brown 
communications and marketing 
(208) 426-1790