President Lech Walesa in Austria to receive the international my way prize

VIENNA 5. 5. 2003 (ots/APROTEXT) - Following in the footstepsof Christiaan Barnard (2000), Karlheinz Böhm (2001) and BrigitteBardot (2002), the Nobel Peace Prize winner and President ofPoland Lech Walesa will receive the 2003 my way prize on 17 Mayin recognition of his outstanding services to peace, freedom andhuman rights.

My way prize winner Lech Walesa was born in Popowo, Poland on29 September 1943. Aged 23, he was working as an electrician inthe Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk. In 1978, he was on the foundingcommittee of the Solidarity trade union and was elected itschairman in 1981. As a result, he was held in detention for 12months. In 1983 and 1987, he was received by Pope John Paul II.In 1989, Lech Walesa negotiated a new system of government withthe ruling communist party. From 1990 to 1995, he was Presidentof Poland. He was Chairman of Polands Christian Democratic Partyfrom 1997 to 2001. Since 1995, he has been head of the LechWalesa Institute.

My way prize Introduced by the Austrian private foundation myway and awarded in recognition of outstanding internationalachievement, the my way prize will be awarded to President LechWalesa for his unselfish fight for peace, freedom and humanrights over many years. The prize was founded with the notionthat an individual with courage, stamina, will power andconviction can actually achieve seemingly impossible goals. Themy way prize is worth EUR 10,000.

My way gala The gala will be held in the banquet hall of thevillage of Hagenbrunn near Vienna on Saturday, 17 May 2003 at7.30 p.m. Chris Lohner will host the event. During the awardceremony, singer Stefanie Werger will entertain and theOlczykowski ballet will give a choreographic performance of thelife of the great Polish freedom fighter. Tickets are availablefrom www.oeticket.com.

My way idea Based on an idea by the Viennese creator of themy way foundation, Erich Bruckberger, the my way street of artwas created in 1999 with the support of the village of Hagenbrunnnear Vienna (www.myway.at). The my way award was launched tocomplement the my way street of art. my way programme Press conference: Hotel De France, A 1010Wien, Schottenring 3, 17 May 2003, 3.00 p.m. Press meeting: myway, A - 2102 Hagenbrunn, Kirchenweg, 17 May 2003, 5.00 p.m. myway gala: A - 2102 Hagenbrunn, Salzstraße 10, 17 May 2003, 7.30p.m.

Information: Bernadette Pensch, my way private association,tel.: +43/1/219 82 48, fax: +43/1/219 82 47, e-mail:myway@epicom.at, homepage: www.myway.at

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