2009 Democracy Award The Democracy Award is a small-scale replica of the Goddess of Democracy that was constructed in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, during the student movement for freedom and democracy in 1989.

(“Antúnez”) is a leader of ’s civic resistance movement who served more than 17 years in prison, having been released in 2007. Dur- ing that period, his fellow inmates nicknamed him “the black diamond” because of his courage and unbreak- able spirit. In “A Word from the Opposition” in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Democracy,

Bertha Antunez Pernet accepted the Democracy Award on behalf of jailed Cuban dissidents. Antúnez highlighted the Move- ment’s adherence to the principles NED News and Events n June 24, 2009, Christian Liberation Movement who of non-violent resistance as set forth the National was instrumental in gathering hun- by Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther Endowment for dreds of signatures and mobilizing King. He is married to Iris Tamara Democracy hon- people in poor, marginal neighbor- Pérez Aguilera, another honoree. ored the courage hoods. Ferrer worked with neighbors Librado Linares García is a Oand determination of five Cuban throughout the eastern provinces to young intellectual and founder of dissidents with the presentation of organize gatherings, turning them the Cuban Reflection Movement. its annual Democracy Award at a into informal town hall meetings He organized independent libraries, ceremony on Capitol Hill. The five where grievances were expressed and soup kitchens for the poor, workshops democracy activists, three of whom the desire for change articulated. He for dissidents, as well as forums and were imprisoned, were honored in received one of the highest prison conferences for citizens living in the absentia by guests including House sentences of the group of dissidents central region of Cuba. He developed a Foreign Affairs Committee Chair- arrested on March 18, 2003. He has comprehensive multi-tiered strategy of man Howard Berman and Ranking been a leader of the resistance of politi- non-violent resistance against the re- member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. cal prisoners against the abuses of the gime. Linares, one of the pro-democra- Cuban democracy activists Bertha regime from within prison walls. cy leaders arrested on March 18, 2003, Antúnez Pernet and Orlando Guti- Iris Tamara Pérez Aguilera is has been suffering a progressive loss errez accepted the award on behalf of founder and President of the Rosa of eyesight during his imprisonment. José Daniel Ferrer Garcia, Iris Ta- Parks Women’s Movement, which A moving video tribute about the mara Pérez Aguilera, Jorge Luis struggles against human rights viola- Cuban democracy movement was García Peréz (“Antúnez”), Iván tions. Born in 1975 in Sancti Spiritus shown at the ceremony, and messages Hernández Carrillo, and Librado province in central Cuba, she entered of solidarity were received from Lech Linares García, none of whom was the opposition movement in 1999, Walesa, Vaclav Havel, Oswaldo Paya, able to leave Cuba for the ceremony. when her brother, Mario Pérez Aguil- and President Barack Obama. In a Aguilera, Carillo, and Garcia are serv- era, was imprisoned at Nieves More- dramatic moment, Jorge Luis Gar- ing prison sentences for their work. jón prison. Ms. Aguilera is married to cia Perez was able to address the José Daniel Ferrer García is Jorge Luis García Pérez (“Antúnez”). Capitol Hill audience by phone. a youth activist and member of the Jorge Luis García Pérez The award presentation was

2009 NED Annual Report 7 In the words of NED President Carl Gershman, Leszek Kolakowski was “the thinker who, more profoundly than any intellectual since George Orwell, explained the origins and deformities of communist totalitarianism

The 2009 Democracy Award was presented in absentia to five Cuban democracy activists, three of whom were in jail the night and the threat it posed of the ceremony. Pictured left to right: Tom Donahue, Bertha Antunez Pernet, Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat , NED Chair Richard Gephardt, and NED President Carl Gershman. to human freedom.”

preceded by a roundtable discus- advancement of freedom, human posium held at the University of War- sion moderated by NED Director for rights and democracy. In 2009, NED saw and organized by the Stefan Batory Latin America and the Caribbean presented its Democracy Service Foundation, a long-time NED partner. Miriam Kornblith, Toward a Free Medal posthumously to the Polish Kolakowski published more than 30 Cuba: the Prospect for Democracy philosopher Leszek Kolakowski, books in a career spanning more than after 50 Years of Dictatorship. The who passed away in July 2009. five decades. His most influential work, discussion panelists included no- written in exile, was the three-volume table Cuba experts and advocates for Leszek Kolakowski Main Currents of Marxism: Its Rise,

NED News and Events NED News basic rights in Cuba, including José In October 2009, the Endowment Growth and Dissolution, in which he Azel, Senior Research Associate at paid tribute to the life and work of argued that Stalinism was the natural the Institute for Cuban and Cuban- Polish philosopher Leszek outcome of Marxist thought, a American Studies at the University of Kolakowski, who was philosophy he called “the Miami; Marifeli Pérez-Stable, Vice described by NED Presi- greatest fantasy” of the President for democratic governance dent Carl Gershman twentieth century. at the Inter-American Dialogue; as “the thinker who, Kolakowski, who Janisset Rivero Gutierrez, a noted more profoundly than supported commu- human rights activist; José Miguel any intellectual since nism in his youth, had Vivanco, Executive Director of the George Orwell, explained become increasingly Americas Division of Human Rights the origins and deformi- critical of the system in The ; and Bertha Antúnez Pernet, ties of communist totalitarian- the 1960s, which led to his Service Medal a leader of the National Movement of ism and the threat it posed to work being banned in Poland, Civic Resistance “Pedro Luis Boitel.” human freedom.” Kolakowski passed his expulsion from the Polish United away in July 2009 at the age of 81. Workers’ Party, and the loss, in 1968, of Democracy Service Medal In October 2009, Kolakowski’s his university position. He left Poland The Endowment’s Board of Directors widow, Tamara Kolakowska, accepted and went into exile that same year. created its Democracy Service Medal NED’s Democracy Service Medal for In exile, Kolakowski dedicated his in 1999 to recognize individuals who her late husband from NED President career to explaining the sources and have demonstrated, through personal Carl Gershman. The presentation was deficiencies of totalitarian commu- commitment, their dedication to the part of a well-attended memorial sym- nism and its threat to humanity; he

8 2009 NED Annual Report D.C., by Dr. Nathan Glazer, Profes- sor Emeritus of Sociology and Educa- tion at Harvard University. Glazer spoke on “Democracy and Diversity: Dealing with Deep Divides,” exam- ining the divisions that exist in the , Canada and India. Polish philosopher Leszek Kolakowski, who died in July Nathan Glazer is a renowned 2009, was posthumously honored with the Endowment's Democracy Service Medal. sociologist and a lifelong friend of remained an implacable foe of Marx- the late Martin Lipset, dating back to ism and was an influential figure for their days in the 1940s at ’s Polish dissidents and the Solidarity City College. Glazer is best known movement. Kolakowski had served for his works related to diversity from exile as the Western representa- in America, including Beyond the tive of OKNO, the underground or- Melting Pot (1963), co-authored ganization that brought together the with Daniel Patrick Moynihan. The Lipset Lecture series is named after one of the NED News and Events principal cultural institutions through Other major works include Ameri- twentieth century’s most influential scholars of democracy, which Polish democrats worked to can Judaism (1957), Affirmative Martin Lipset. establish an independent civil society. Discrimination (1976), The Limits and minority issues at the National The Endowment also honored of Social Policy (1988), and We Are Academy of Science and has served Kolakowski at a memorial symposium All Multiculturalists Now (1998). on Presidential task forces concern- entitled “Democracy, Totalitarianism, Glazer, who taught at Harvard ing education and urban policy. For and the Culture of Freedom,” held at for more than 30 years, earned his several decades he was the coeditor the National Endowment for Democ- undergraduate degree in Sociology (with Irving Kristol) of the influential racy in Washington, D.C., in October. from City College of New York, and his policy quarterly The Public Interest, Kolakowski had been a founding mem- PhD from Columbia University. He has and he is also a longtime contribut- ber of the Journal of Democracy’s Edi- served on committees on urban policy ing editor to The New Republic. torial Board and had spoken at several The Lipset Lecture series, spon- major NED conferences. His thinking sored jointly by NED and the Munk influenced the Endowment’s strat- Center for International Affairs at the egy in Central and Eastern Europe. University of Toronto (where Glazer Kolakowski’s devotion to freedom spoke on September 24), is named was such that, even in the spring of after one of the twentieth century’s 1989 when freedom’s advance seemed most influential social scientists and unstoppable, he warned a NED-spon- scholars of democracy, Seymour sored world conference in Washing- Martin Lipset. The Lipset Lecture acts ton of the need to remain vigilant, as a vehicle for continued coopera- cautioning that “freedom is always tion between the United States and vulnerable and its cause is never safe.” Canada in promoting democracy and democratic ideals around the world Nathan Glazer Delivers and provides an annual opportunity Sixth Annual Lipset Lecture for influential audiences of both the The Sixth Annual Lipset Lecture was United States and Canada to hear delivered on November 4, 2009, at the Dr Nathan Glazer, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Education and discuss a declaration on democ- at Harvard University, delivered the Sixth Annual Lipset Lecture Embassy of Canada in Washington, on November 4, 2009, at the University of Toronto. racy by a prominent intellectual.

2009 NED Annual Report 9