Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR

Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR is a Polish non-governmental organization founded in 2006 by Adam Michnik, Jacek Kuroń, and other prominent dissidents, including Leszek Kołakowski and Bronisław Geremek. The organization's primary goal is to promote human rights and provide support to individuals persecuted by the Polish government, in collaboration with organizations like Amnesty International and the Helsinki Committee. The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR operates in close cooperation with other NGOs, such as the International Federation for Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. Its founding members, including Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Władysław Frasyniuk, have been instrumental in shaping the organization's mission and activities, inspired by the Charter 77 movement and the Solidarity trade union.

● History

The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR was established in response to the growing need for human rights protection in Poland, following the country's transition to democracy in 1989, with key events like the Round Table Talks and the Polish presidential election, 1990. The organization's founders, including Józef Pinior and Zbigniew Bujak, were inspired by the dissident movements in Czechoslovakia, such as Charter 77, and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR has been actively engaged in promoting human rights and providing support to individuals persecuted by the Polish government, in cooperation with organizations like the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Council of Europe. The organization has also been involved in various advocacy campaigns, including the promotion of LGBT rights in Poland, supported by ILGA-Europe and the European Parliament.

● Structure and Membership

The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR is a membership-based organization, with a diverse range of individuals and groups involved, including trade unions like Solidarity and All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions. The organization's structure includes a board of directors, which is responsible for overseeing the organization's activities and making strategic decisions, in consultation with experts from Warsaw University and the Jagiellonian University. The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR also has a number of regional branches, which are responsible for implementing the organization's programs and activities at the local level, in cities like Kraków and Gdańsk. The organization's members include prominent human rights activists, such as Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, as well as lawyers, journalists, and academics from institutions like the University of Warsaw and the Polish Academy of Sciences.

● Activities and Campaigns

The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR is involved in a wide range of activities and campaigns, including advocacy and lobbying efforts, in cooperation with organizations like the European Commission and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The organization has been actively engaged in promoting human rights and providing support to individuals persecuted by the Polish government, including dissidents and human rights activists like Václav Havel and Lech Wałęsa. The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR has also been involved in various educational and awareness-raising initiatives, including the organization of conferences and seminars, in partnership with institutions like the College of Europe and the European University Institute. The organization has also provided support to refugees and asylum seekers, in cooperation with organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Rescue Committee.

● Notable Cases and Achievements

The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR has been involved in a number of notable cases and achievements, including the successful advocacy campaign for the release of dissidents and human rights activists, such as Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. The organization has also provided support to individuals persecuted by the Polish government, including lawyers and journalists like Lech Kaczyński and Jarosław Kaczyński. The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR has also been recognized for its contributions to the promotion of human rights in Poland, including the receipt of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the Sakharov Prize, awarded by the European Parliament.

● Impact and Legacy

The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR has had a significant impact on the promotion of human rights in Poland, and has played an important role in shaping the country's human rights landscape, in cooperation with organizations like the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. The organization's activities and campaigns have helped to raise awareness about human rights issues in Poland, and have provided support to individuals persecuted by the Polish government, including dissidents and human rights activists like Vladimir Bukovsky and Andrei Sakharov. The Committee for Social Self-Defence KOR's legacy continues to be felt, with the organization remaining a prominent voice in the promotion of human rights in Poland and beyond, in partnership with institutions like the University of Oxford and the Harvard University.

Category:Human rights organizations