Monday, September 7 | 18:30 | Kino Luna B
Debate: When the state fails. Lawyers defending citizens following the screening of THE FIGHT, dir. Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli Despres
Language: Polish
Partner institution: Polityka magazine
Personal rights and freedoms together with social rights constitute our civil rights—but they’re becoming harder to enforce as the rule of law and independent legal system are being progressively weakened. Together with a group of lawyers involved in civic activism, much like the protagonists of “The Fight”, we will discuss whether it’s possible to demand our rights, how to do it, and who can help us in this task. How do the agendas of NGOs change to reflect the current challenges? What’s the main form of civic involvement in our times?
Moderator:
Ewa Siedlecka—journalist, formerly affiliated with Gazeta Wyborcza (1989-2016), currently with Polityka (2017-). Graduate of the School on Human Rights organized by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. Her interests include legal issues, human rights, the rule of law, minority rights, bioethics legislation, and animal rights.
Guests:
Adam Bodnar, PhD — lawyer and university professor, human rights activist, former VP of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (2010-2015), Commissioner for Human Rights since 2015.
Danuta Przywara — Polish sociologist and social activist, president of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights since 2008.
Beata Siemieniako — lawyer, social activist, opinion journalist, recipient of the 2017 Pro Bono Lawyer award, author of “Reprywatyzując Polskę. Historia wielkiego przekrętu”.
Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram — lawyer, co-founder of the Free Courts initiative. Her pro bono work supports the development of civic society in Poland.
