12th Awards Gala of the Polish Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize

The Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003) was established by the Villa Decius Association in 2003. It is awarded to persons and non-governmental organizations for their activities for the sake of peaceful co-existence and cooperation of societies, religions and cultures. The prize is awarded in 2 categories: person and organisation by the jury consisting of the representatives of the President of the Republic of Poland, Embassies of Brazil and Sweden, Consulate fo the United States, UNHCR, Polish Institute of National Rememberence, Polish Human Rights Defender, PAUCI Foundation, ZNAK Foundation, private sponsors such as ZUE S.A., Kraków Airport, Regional Director of PZU and Villa Decius Association.

The Gala was opened by Bogusław Sonik, the President of Villa Decius Association who remided the figure of  Sérgio Vieira de Mello and the ideals of the democratic opposition under communism. Then Alfredo Leoni (Ambassador of Brazil to Poland), Inga Eriksson Fogh (Ambassador of Sweden to Poland), Anna-Carin Ost (UNHCR) and Adam Bodnar (Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland) welcomed the distibguished guests and participants of the ceremony.

The prize in the category "person" was awarded to Pietro Bartolo - the director of the hospital on the Lampedusa island who has been for more than 20 years giving emergency medical treatment to the subsequent waves of migrants and refugees passing through the the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Quoting Wojciech Ponikiewski's (Director of the Department of United Nations and Human Rights at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Ministry) justification of the verdict of the Panel of Judges: "While Europe is afraid to stand up to its values and challenges, Pietro Bartolo is not afraid and that's how he's saving our world and our values". According to the Judges, the future of Europe is to be decided at the Lampedusa Island. Thanks to Pietro Bartolo Europe has a chance to return to its key values. Pietro Bartolo himself doesn't see his work as a "heroic acts". "I am just a man who tries to perform his duties" - he said in the speech.

The prize in the category "organisation" was awarded to La Strada Foundation. La Strada, which is  celebrating 20th anniversary of its establishment, works from a human rights perspective in support of trafficked persons. Its aim is to ensure a world without trafficking in human beings where human rights are respected. La Strada’s primary goal is empowering trafficked persons, improving their position through promoting their universal rights, including the right to choose to emigrate and work abroad and to be protected from violence and abuse. La Strada’s philosophy, guiding its anti-trafficking work and its provision of services, is based on a human rights approach. "We're really grateful for your appreciation. The award will give us even more enthusiasm for work" - the director of La Strada Poland said in her speech.

Finally the honorary Polish Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize was awarded to Sergey Kovalev - Russian human rights activist. During the Soviet Union era he was sentenced to penal colony for his dissident activity. A member of the independent Action Group for the Defence of Human Rights, a co-founder of the human rights society Memorial and the Moscow branch of Amnesty International. In post-Soviet Russia, he was a member of parliament, a member of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation, the chairman of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee, the chairman of the President's Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Ombudsman, and a member of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He has criticised authoritarian tendencies of the administrations of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. He protested against the war in Chechnya in public. In April 2014, he made an appeal to the international community in an open letter to stop the Russian expansion in Ukraine. Nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. A laureate of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought awarded by the European Parliament. Decorated with the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. 

Arenas of imperialism

The second debate of the day was dedicated to the reflection on old and new arenas of imperialism. The first speaker of the panel caired by Łukasz Fyderek was Jeanette Bougrab who began her speech with reminding her work in the French government. As a child of migrants from Algeria she felt a huge responsibility when dealing with the Arab Spring. What’s mores she found herslef in a really difficult situation when at first she had to persuade the governemt to suport the protesters and then, once Muslim fundamentalists got to power, she decided to oppose any cooperation with them.

Then Emel Akçali highlighted that nowadays imperialism found itself new spheres. These are mainly: technology, economy and culture. It resulted from the rise of neoliberalism. Other aspect is the governmentality. According to Emel Akçali it’s a new form of imperialism that lets to govern from distance by imposing certain giuding rules and regulations. For instance many countries in Africa suffer from big income gaps that are an effect of penetration of neoliberal values in the region. From this perspective radical islam might be seen as one of the resistance strategies offering alternative to the supremacy of Western, imposed and exported neoliberal governmentality.

In the opinion of Felix Kaputu, one of the new arenas of imperialism is a postimperial nostalgy. Many countries are looking for their lost or imagined hegemony. This is both the case for the European colonial aspirations and the African powers. According to Felix Kaputu, the Western states shouldn’t intervene in the developlment of political processes in Africa. Instead, they could help the eduaction and support cultural institutions.

To Patrycja Sasnal imperialism isn’t a dominant factor in the Middle East but one of the many trends that serves as a political inspiration. "Imperialism from the past remained as an image” and plays role in politics based on ressentiment. One example of that long duree of imperialism is the legacy of Napoleon’s invasion in Egypt which is still a part of the political memory of the region. Patrycja Sasnal also underlined not so black or white legacy of imperial era in the Middle East. "Even the state as such is an exported construct of the West” that has been adapted to the local conditions. Oher thing is the "elites’ betrayal”. The regional elites are usually isolated from the society. They were upbrought by the West and have difficulties to perceive and understand the local concerns. Finally, she also pointd out so called "wannabe Goliaths” i.e. the anti-Western nations who’re struggling to reinvent their own imperial position in the region. Reffering to Paweł Kowal’s speech she named the current politics of Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Saudia Arabia and Isreal as paleoimperialist.

Empire as a context

"The rise of the fallen empires” was the topic of the special lecture held by Scott Lucas. He argued that we should perceive "an empire as a context”. Empire is a term that serves rather as an evasion than an explaination of the world order. Similarly, the percepetion of postwar world as a bipolar scene of conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. In fact, this clash of empires is just a certain descriptive context that might be applied to the events. "Bipolar world order is a myth” – these have always been local concerns and conditions that pushed the people to action. Be it Polish Solidarity, the Arab Spring, protests in Turkey or Euromaidan in Ukraine – people went to the streets because of their own reasons immersed in local problems – not because one or another empire told them to do so. Eventually, empires might enter the conflict but their origins and, as result of that, their socio-political meaning is local. "Empires react to what happened on the ground but did not create it”. "Do not forget the individual!” Scott Lucas called the particiapnts of the debate referring to the topic of the previous panel and Krzysztof Markiel’s speech. "David should be us” he said. People should create networks and strengthen civil society in order to resist the empire that aims at erasing people and nations. "Goliath is a myth” but "without our efforts we will never find out whether it would be defeated by David”.

Goliath vs David. Postmodern and paleo- empires

"As Gulag academy alumnus I do feel entitled to talk about empire” – Sergey Kovalev told at the beginning of his speech during the first panel discussion chaired by Wojciech Przybylski. The debate was to answer the question raised by Giles Scott-Smith’s lecture concerning the definition of empire.

In Sergey Kovalev’s opinion Russia is a backwarded empire coming back to the legacy of the Soviet Union or even the pre-1917 tsarist Russia. Thus Ronald Reagan’s remarks on "evil empire” remains applicable also to nowadays Russia. According to the debate’s topic Sergey Kovalev ventured to hint that Goliath i.e. Putin’s Russia is always surrounded by allies. Despite obvious violations of human dignity, they will assist former KGB colonel who’s been ruling in Kremlin for more than 15 years. These are journalists and political commenters who turn a blind eye to subsequent lies. "Goliath is brutal and lies in each and every speech” – Sergey Kovalev said in order to highlight the contrasting image of David who’s "always alone” joined in an unequal battle against the powerful forces of the hostile empire.

According to Paweł Kowal, leadership is the key element of an empire as long it implies imperium –  authority or an ability to execute political will. Nowadays liberal democracy limits the space for true leaders. "Political authority is supposed to follow opinion polls”. On the other hand, along with the rise of so called „illiberal democracy”, paleoimperialism gains popularity. Its best example is Russia or Turkey to some extent. Moreover, it also can be observed in the political thought of certain parts of Hungarian elite. The result is a transition from democracy towards oligarchy.

Referring to Wojcech Przybylski remark reminding the old Polish joke from communist era that the best method for liberation is to declare a war against the US and then suddenly surrender, Paweł Kowal stated that after the fall of the Berlin Wall also the American extra-liberal, postomodern empire lost its previous attractiveness in Europe. Now it seems that this vague postmodern empire which lacks a clear leadership is losing with the paleoimperialist project.

Then the floor was given Metin Bulut who delved into the history of the Syrian civil war. In his opinion the current events should be seen in a wider perspective as long they are an example of a side conflict of empires. On one hand there’s Russia who’s inerested in controlling key pipelines and oil and gas reserves in the region. On the other hand, US and Western powers share a fear to help moderate Syrian opposition which usually results in its radicalisation and inclusion into ISIS.

Doubts concerning US’ imperial position raised by Giles Scott-Smith and Paweł Kowal were challenged by David Jones. "US isn’t a declining empire - but advancing in different ways” – he said. While Russia is an „evil empire, paleoimperialist throwback to the past” that is weak technologically, economically and can project its influence only by territorial annexation. Quite the contrary, the US is a „neoempire” whose position is based on money and normative influence that basically can be shortned to an answer to a question: „what people want to buy, receive or get?”. US maintains their imperial position since the world war one becaused they „are still desired, thier guidance is desired”. Refering to the topic of the debate, David Jones mentioned Jan III Sobieski, John Paul II and Solidarity movement as examples of David who opposed Goliath.

Empire is a state of mind

The first panel was launched by Giles Scott-Smith. His lecture was dedicated to meaning of the notion of empire in 21st century. Traditionally it was adhered to the capacity to project hard power in the outside peripheries and exert influence on a global scale. This has usually been associated with the ideologies of racial superiority and territorial expansion. Territory and the ability to change the lines on maps used to be "the prime markers of imperialism”. Nonetheless, with the rise of neoliberalism and globalisation, the traditional characterisitcs of an empire have been challenged - "territoriality was a declining frame of reference”. However, despite the liberal assumptions the traditional elements of imperialism seem to come back. Along with Robert Kagan who claimed „the end of liberal dream” and Robert D. Kaplan’s thesis on "the revenge of geography” Michael W. Doyle revised the old concept of imperialism as "a relationship, formal or informal, in which one state controls the effective political sovereignty of another political society”. Thus Giles Scott-Smith defines the empire of 21st century as "a state of mind”. "It’s an assumption based of a certain vision of the world in which order provided by one state is to contravene sovereignty of another state” and could have both traditional territorial and normative dimensions. Nevertheless, empire isn’t necessarily "a dirty word”. As a result of the 20th century, usually portrayed as "the graveyard of empires", we’re in "state of denial of imperialism”. Just the opposite – empires are there and might play a positive role. The United States might serve as an example. Their imperialism has been based on three factors. According to Giles Scott-Smith, these are the right of intervention based on idea of universal good (democracy promotion, human rights), establishemnt of rules to guide aconomy (expressed by the Bretton Woods Conference and the establishemnt of the IMF) and self-proclaimed right to strike the opponents (which exemplification is the Global Positioning System). Eventually, the implementation of the American imperialism need allies. The crucial events of the beginning of the 21st century have challenged all three pillars of the US’ imperial position. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Russia crossing certain borders, both literally and figuratively or the IMF transition towards an enforcerer of neoliberalism – all these events made us question the imperial position of the US. 

Freedom and peace aren’t given once and for all

"The Return of the Fallen Empires" conference preceding the award of The Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello was officially opened by Bogusław Sonik, the president of Villa Decius Association. In his speech, he highlighted that today’s world experiences the rise of the empires. Nevertheless, history doesn’t repeat itself directly. Thus, these are not only the sinister powers of the past but also newly-emerged spaces of imperialism that endanger the world order. The only way to oppose them is the constant fight for freedom and respect for human rights. That was the way of Sérgio Vieira de Mello whose legacy is cherished during the annual conferences organised thanks to the efforts of Danuta Glondys, the director of Villa Decius Association. 

Also Krzysztof Markiel, the representative of Małopolska regional administration underlined the importance of the resistance towards the imperialism, i.e. the will to control the others. He also called the participants of the conference to focus on the fate of regular people and their need for freedom, sovereignty and sellf-determination.

Finally, Dominika Kasprowicz, deputy director of Villa Decius Association, read the address from Rafał Trzaskowski, secretary of state for European affairs, the deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Poland. He reminded that we claimed the end of history too early. He argued that nowadays challenges demand to stand up to the values of the fathers of the European integration. "Freedom and peace aren’t given once and for all" - hence it’s extremely important that the strong European voice – based on the European values such as freedom and respect for human rights is heard around the world.

Laureaci 12. edycji Polskiej Nagrody im. Sérgio Vieira de Mello

15 października 2015 roku, podczas Międzynarodowej Konferencji „Powrót upadłych imperiów” w Willi Decjusza w Krakowie, nastąpiło uroczyste ogłoszenie Laureatów 12. edycji Polskiej Nagrody im. Sérgio Vieira de Mello, Wysokiego Komisarza NZ ds. Praw Człowieka (2002-2003).

Kapituła Nagrody postanowiła uhonorować w tym roku – w kategorii „osoba”: Pietro Bartolo z Włoch oraz w kategorii „organizacja pozarządowa”: „La Stradę” – Fundację przeciwko Handlowi Ludźmi i Niewolnictwu z Polski. Honorowe wyróżnienie otrzymał w tym roku rosyjski działacz praw człowieka Siergiej Kowalow.


Pietro Bartolo (1956) – włoski lekarzem; od 1993 r. kieruje specjalistycznym ośrodkiem opieki medycznej na najbardziej wysuniętej na południe włoskiej wyspie Lampedusie, która stała się celem nielegalnej imigracji. Kierowane przez niego centrum odpowiada za ratowanie życia oraz opiekę zdrowotną przybijających na wyspę przez Morze Śródziemne imigrantów z Afryki i Bliskiego Wschodu. Bartolo kieruje zespołem lekarzy i ratowników obecnych na wyspie, tj. publiczną służbą zdrowia, personelem medycznym Czerwonego Krzyża, organizacją „Lekarzy bez Granic” oraz wolontariuszami biorącymi udział w operacjach ratowniczych na morzu i na wyspie. Od 1993 r. Pietro Bartolo udzielił pomocy lekarskiej oraz wszechstronnego wsparcia ponad 250 tys. imigrantom. Jest świadkiem cierpienia setek tysięcy mężczyzn, kobiet i dzieci w dobie rosnącej fali migracyjnej związanej z kryzysem humanitarnym w Afryce i na Bliskim Wschodzie. W latach 2002-2003 pełnił funkcję Wysokiego Komisarza NZ ds. praw człowieka.

„La Strada” – Fundacja przeciwko Handlowi Ludźmi i Niewolnictwu formalnie istnieje od roku 1996, faktycznie jednak swą działalność rozpoczęła w roku 1995 realizując „Program Prewencji Handlu Kobietami z Europy Środkowej i Wschodniej”. Celami statutowymi Fundacji są działania na rzecz poszanowania praw człowieka, zwalczanie handlu ludźmi, niewolnictwa i pracy przymusowej oraz przeciwdziałanie eksploatacji prostytucji, a także przestępstw przeciwko wolności i zdrowiu jednostki.  W ramach swojej działalności Fundacja „La Strada” uświadamia opinii publicznej istnienie problemu handlu ludźmi, informuje społeczeństwo o zagrożeniach związanych z wyjazdem do pracy za granicę, szkoli urzędników, nauczycieli i pedagogów oraz  funkcjonariuszy policji i straży granicznej, przede wszystkim zaś świadczy pomoc i wsparcie dla ofiar handlu ludźmi i pracy przymusowej, a także prowadzi specjalistyczne schronisko dla kobiet – ofiar handlu ludźmi. Od roku 2009 Fundacja prowadzi  Krajowe Centrum Interwencyjno-Konsultacyjne dla Ofiar Handlu Ludźmi. Jest także członkiem międzynarodowej Sieci La Strada International, która działa w ośmiu krajach Europy.

Siergiej Kowalow (1930) – rosyjski działacz praw człowieka, były dysydent, biofizyk, więzień kolonii karnej. Członek niezależnej Grupy Inicjatywnej Obrony Praw Człowieka, współzałożyciel Stowarzyszenia Memoriał i moskiewskiego oddziału Amnesty International. W Rosji postradzieckiej parlamentarzysta, członek Rady Najwyższej RFSRR, przewodniczący parlamentarnego Komitetu Praw Człowieka, przewodniczący Komisji Praw Człowieka przy Prezydencie Federacji Rosyjskiej i Rzecznik Praw Człowieka, członek delegacji rosyjskiej w Zgromadzeniu Parlamentarnym Rady Europy. Krytyk tendencji autorytarnych administracji Borysa Jelcyna i Władimira Putina. Publicznie protestował przeciwko wojnie w Czeczenii. W kwietniu 2014 r. w liście otwartym zaapelował do społeczności międzynarodowej o powstrzymanie rosyjskiej ekspansji na Ukrainie. Trzykrotnie nominowany do Pokojowej Nagrody Nobla. Laureat Nagrody im. Sacharowa na rzecz Wolności Myśli przyznawanej przez Parlament Europejski. Odznaczony Krzyżem Wielkim Orderu Zasługi RP.

Polska Nagroda im. Sérgio Vieira de Mello, Wysokiego Komisarza NZ ds. Praw Człowieka (2002-2003) przyznawana jest corocznie od 12 lat osobom i organizacjom pozarządowym za działania na rzecz pokojowego współistnienia i współdziałania społeczeństw religii i kultur. Kapituła Nagrody, w skład której wchodzą przedstawiciele: Prezydenta RP, Ambasadora Federacyjnej Republiki Brazylii, Ambasadora Królestwa Szwecji w Polsce, Wysokiego Komisarza NZ ds. Uchodźców, Ministerstw Spraw Zagranicznych, Rzecznika Praw Obywatelskich, Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej, Konsula Generalnego Stanów Zjednoczonych w Krakowie, fundacji wspierających działania Stowarzyszenia Willa Decjusza w obszarze praw człowieka, Fundatorów Nagrody oraz Przewodniczący Zarządu i Dyrektor Stowarzyszenia Willa Decjusza. Dotychczasowymi Laureatami Nagrody byli: Leyla Yunus, Myrosław Marynowycz, Siostra Rafaela – Urszula Nałęcz, Arnold Wellman, Hassan Omar Hassan, Bernard Kouchner, Andrzej Przewoźnik (1963-2010), Nagy El-Khoury i Mohammad al-Nokkari, Fatos Lubonja, Leopold Unger (1922-2011), Szewach Weiss, Michał Żejmis, Krystyna Priomko-Serafin, Maryna Hulia, Alaksandr Milinkiewicz, Marian Żelazek SVD (1918-2006), Tadeusz Mazowiecki oraz w kategorii „organizacja pozarządowa”: Centrum Dialogu Międzyetnicznego i Tolerancji „Amalipe”, Ośrodek Pomocy dla Uchodźców – Centrum Denisa Hurley’a, People in need, Centrum Pomocy Prawnej im. Haliny Nieć, Stowarzyszenie Memoriał, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Helsińska Fundacja Praw Człowieka, Stowarzyszenie Magurycz, Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej, Fundacja Krzyżowa.