On November 9, at Dom Spotkań z Historią, Public Affairs Counselor Frank Finver and Deputy Cultural Attaché Scott Whitmore attended the final event of the Karta Foundation’s “Peers of Independence” project. The Embassy sponsored this initiative, which began in April to honor Poland's centennial of regaining independence in 1918.
The "Peers of Independence" project encouraged Polish youth to explore the lives of citizens from their hometowns who signed the 1926 Polish Declarations of Admiration and Friendship for the United States. This document, described by a U.S. scholar as “the biggest love letter from one nation to another in history,” is available online at http://nieskonczenieniepodlegla-ludzie.pl/. It was signed by 5.5 million Polish citizens, representing 20 percent of Poland’s population at that time, and includes artistic expressions of gratitude towards America for its support after World War I. The declarations were presented to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1926 on the occasion of America's 150th anniversary.
The Embassy's involvement with the Karta Foundation’s project is part of its “100 Lat Razem” (100 Years Together) initiative, which celebrates the historical ties between Poland and the United States over the past century. Frank Finver praised the participants' research efforts and expressed his hopes: “this long research journey that you have been on has inspired you about Poland and about America. Most of all, we hope you will continue to cherish the special bonds that have always united our two peoples … and that you will continue to nurture these bonds during your own lifetimes and well into the future.”