Council for a Community of Democracies

CCD Mourns the Loss of Bronislaw Geremek, Former Polish Foreign Minister and Founder of the Community of Democracies
July 15, 2008 |

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The Council for a Community of Democracies notes with sadness the death this past weekend of former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek at the age of 76. As reported in the International Herald Tribune and many other major news outlets (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/14/europe/14geremek.php), Professor Geremek was a noted scholar who lent his intellectual weight to the Solidarity movement starting in 1980 and as a result became involved in Polish politics and his country’s transition to democracy. He served as Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2000, and had represented his country in the European Parliament since 2004.

During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Professor Geremek and then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright conceived the idea for a grouping of the world’s democratic nations, working together to support the spread of democracy. The Community of Democracies was formally inaugurated at a Ministerial Conference that brought together over 100 countries in Warsaw, Poland, June 25-27, 2000.

In his remarks to the Opening Ceremony, Foreign Minister Geremek cited “five compelling reasons” that inspired the Convening Group to organize the Warsaw Conference:

human rights, political liberties, norms and institutions;
peace and security – both within states and between nations;
economic development and rising standards of well-bring of individuals and whole societies;
justice and solidarity for the weaker and poorer members of society; and
the participation, responsibility and empowerment of the individuals and social groups which form civil society.

“We were agreed that democracy, civil society, good governance and human rights were matters that should engage the attention of the international community,” he said. “We consider it both desirable and essential to involve governments in defining and redefining democracy. This denotes, first, the application by governments, civil society and individuals of the standards of democracy…. Second, if we believe in the beneficial influence of democracy on human rights, development, and peace, we must actively promote respect for democracy in international relations.” Finally, he added, “We should have a vested interest in expansion of democracy as a foundation for sustainable development and peace.”

Since those opening remarks and adoption of the Warsaw Declaration two days later, the countries of the Community of Democracies have been dedicated to work together

to promote and strengthen democracy (and) democratic institutions, with due respect for sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs;
to cooperate to discourage and resist the threat to democracy posed by the overthrow of constitutionally elected governments;
to encourage political leaders to uphold the values of tolerance and compromise that undergird effective democratic systems;
to promote government-to-government and people-to-people linkages and promote civic education and literacy, including education for democracy; and
to collaborate on democracy-related issues in existing international and regional institutions to support the promotion of democratic governance.

Eight years after its creation, the Community of Democracies continues to work to these noble goals. CCD joins with the civil society participants in the Community of Democracies process from around the world to honor the memory and the vision of Professor Bronislaw Geremek, its founding father.