On that occasion the Foundation received congratulations and best wishes from the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, the Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia, the Speaker of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, the Vice-Speaker of the Senate Maciej Żywno, the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski, Adam Bodnar, the Minister of Justice, and the Head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, Minister Jan Grabiec, along with many other individuals and institutions.

Among the distinguished guests attending the meeting were Minister Wojciech Kolarski who read a letter from President Andrzej Duda; the Vice-Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty;  former President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski; former Prime Ministers Jerzy Buzek and Marek Belka; former Vice-Prime Minister Janusz Steinhoff; Commissioner for Children’s Rights Monika Horna-Cieślak; Senators Marek Borowski and Krzysztof Kwiatkowski; Anna Radwan-Röhrenshef, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Maria Ejchart, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, and representatives of embassies of the countries that are linked to PAFF’s activities, including Daniel Lawton, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States of America to Poland.

Present were also important guests that included members of the PAFF Board of Directors, Partners of the Foundation, especially NGOs implementing PAFF programs, as well as the most active participants of PAFF’s initiatives – leaders of Act Locally Centers, PAFF Local Partnerships, schools and libraries, numerous civic organizations, local activity animators and their tutors, local media journalists, as well as a group of 130 Lane Kirkland Scholarship holders, and many other friends of the Foundation.

The scenario of the jubilee meeting was organized around the presentation of a four-part film showcasing the Foundation’s history and program activities.

The guests were welcomed by PAFF President Jerzy Koźmiński, followed by a speech from Andrew Nagorski,  Chairman of the PAFF Board of Directors.

President Koźmiński summarized 25 years of the Foundation’s activities. The Foundation was established by the Polish-American Enterprise Fund with a double purpose – to help consolidate the results of democratic and market economy changes triggered in Poland in 1989, as well as to share the Polish experience in transformation with other countries in the Region. “In Poland we decided to focus on groups and communities that needed special support during our transformation, particularly those located  in villages and small towns. That is why we considered two issues to be most important in our activity: first, equalizing the educational opportunities along with improving the quality of education overall; and second, supporting the development of local communities”. He noted that education and social capital are two vital factors in the long-term advancement of the country, and the Foundation has been active in strengthening them for many years.  He thanked all the Foundation’s partners and NGOs cooperating with the Foundation, all managers of its programs, as well as members of the Board of Directors for their involvement and unfailing support. He also spoke with high appreciation about the Foundation’s staff and their role in pursuing its mission.

Chairman of the Board, Andrew Nagorski, shared his personal reflections on the Foundation. He then focused on the Board of Directors’ long-term contributions to the development of PAFF, paying special attention to four of them – “the founding fathers” of the Foundation: John Birkelund, Zbigniew Brzeziński, Robert Faris, and Nicholas Rey. He concluded by thanking the Foundation Team for their unwavering and inventive commitment to the Foundation’s activities. 

In his letter to the participants of the PAFF’s 25th anniversary meeting President Andrzej Duda highlighted the historical and current relationships between Poland and the United States.  He recalled the role of Tadeusz Kościuszko in the American revolution and the support that the U.S. provided to Poland in the 20th century, both after WWI and in the period of transformation following the end of the Cold War, in which the USA played critical role. The President expressed his appreciation to the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, pointing to its contributions to Poland’s development and its sharing of Polish experiences with other countries. He thanked all people and organizations involved in activities of the Foundation.

A special guest of the jubilee meeting, former Prime Minister Marek Belka, the first Polish member of the PAFF Board of Directors, considered the Polish-American Freedom Foundation to be a symbol of the success of the Polish transformation. He pointed to the successful management of its endowment, which enabled the continuing use of the funds earmarked for its program activity and an increase in capital. He emphasized the critical role of the U.S. in supporting the Polish economy at the early stage of its transformation, using the Polish-American Enterprise Fund – the PAFF’s founder and funder – as an example.

In turn, former Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek, who supported the establishment of PAFF, focused on subjects related to the Foundation’s long-term work in building civic society and equalizing educational opportunities. He recalled the Pro Publico Bono competition and the „Student Volunteers” program; he participated in the latter in 2007 as an Honorary Volunteer alongside former Prime Minister Marek Belka. He expressed his recognition of accomplishments of the participants of Polish-American Freedom Foundation’s programs and encouraged them to continue their civic activities.

Ambassador Daniel Fried, who was posted to Poland when PAFF was beginning its activities, recalled the success of the Polish-American Enterprise Fund. He noted that it was an expression of the determination and consistency of Poles during a period of profound transformation. He also noted that Poland had effectively seized an opportunity to overcome divisions resulting from the Yalta decisions and integrate with the West, which is of great importance today, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.  He also emphasized the great meaning of the values shared by Poland and the USA, and the need to continue their cultivation.

“What the Foundation has achieved over the last 25 years is remarkable and deserves recognition. I am glad I can be here with you today”, said Aga Zaryan, an outstanding Polish jazz vocalist and winner of Fryderyk awards in 2008 and 2012, five times nominated to that award. She honored the jubilee with a half-hour recital.

The meeting was skillfully hosted by Agnieszka Cegielska.