New School University Convocation
September 4, 2003
DEAR FRIENDS,
IT IS WITH DEEP SATISFACTION THAT I HAVE LEARNED OF THE RECOGNITION WITH
WHICH YOU ARE BEING HONORED BY NEW SCHOOL UNIVERSITY. THIS INSTITUTION
OF HIGHER LEARNING HAS A TRADITION OF EMBRACING THOSE WHO IN THEIR OWN
COUNTRIES HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO OPPRESSIVE DICTATORSHIPS. IT SHELTERED
SOME OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED REFUGEES FROM NAZI GERMANY, AMONG THEM
HANNAH ARENDT, PERHAPS THE GREATEST AUTHORITY ON THE NATURE OF TOTALITARIAN
REGIMES.
MY OWN PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE NEW SCHOOL IS A VERY SPECIAL ONE.
TWENTY YEARS AGO I WAS AWARDED AN HONORARY DEGREE BY THIS INSTITUTION.
IT WAS A PARTICULAR TIME IN MY LIFE, AND IN THE LIFE OF POLAND, MY COUNTRY.
I WAS A POLITICAL PRISONER AT THE TIME, LIKE MANY OF YOU NOW, AND I OBVIOUSLY
COULD NOT COME TO NEW YORK TO RECEIVE THIS ESTEEMED AWARD. THOUGH I WAS
GIVEN IT PERSONALLY LATER ON, AT THAT TIME THE GREAT POLISH POET AND NOBEL
LAUREATE CZESLAW MILOSZ (CHESS-woff MEE-worsh) ACCEPTED THE HONORARY DEGREE
ON MY BEHALF.
I SEE AN ENORMOUS SIMILARITY BETWEEN YOUR PRESENT PREDICAMENT AND THAT
OF MY OLD FRIENDS IN THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION -- FROM KOR (THE COMMITTEE
IN DEFENSE OF THE WORKERS), AND FROM SOLIDARITY. POLAND, LIKE CUBA, WAS
SUBJECT TO THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY. BUT THAT DICTATORSHIP
WAS WILTING, WEAKENING; AT A CERTAIN POINT WE STARTED CALLING IT NOT “SOCIALISM
WITH A HUMAN FACE” BUT “COMMUNISM WITH ITS TEETH KNOCKED OUT”.
AT THAT TIME WE ASKED OURSELVES THE QUESTION, IN WHAT WAY -- BY WHAT PATH
-- COULD WE MOVE TOWARDS FREEDOM? WE CHOSE THE LOGIC OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE,
THE LOGIC OF REJECTING VIOLENCE, THE LOGIC OF BUILDING CIVIL SOCIETY AND
NOT BUILDING BARRICADES OR BLOWING UP POLICE STATIONS OR COMMUNIST PARTY
HEADQUARTERS. WE CHOSE, FINALLY, THE LOGIC OF NEGOTIATION, REJECTING THE
LOGIC OF REVOLUTIONARY VIOLENCE.
I DEEPLY BELIEVE THIS IS THE PATH THAT CUBA’S CIVIL SOCIETY WILL
BE TAKING.
TO OSWALDO PAYA, VLADIMIRO ROCA, RAUL RIVERO, MARTA BEATRIZ ROQUE, AND
OSCAR ELIAS BISCET, I EXTEND THIS EXPRESSION OF BROTHERLY SOLIDARITY AND
MY FAITH THAT SOONER OR LATER -- BUT CERTAINLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER,
I THINK -- CUBA WILL EMERGE AS AN OPEN, FREE SOCIETY LIKE POLAND.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, NEW PROBLEMS, NEW TROUBLES, WILL BEGIN. I SINCERELY
HOPE THAT THESE NEW PROBLEMS AND TROUBLES WILL BE CONFRONTING YOU AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE."
YOURS, ADAM MICHNIK
WARSAW, AUGUST 26, 2003
