As part of the McCain Institute’s 2024 Europe and Eurasia Changemaker Tour, a group of McCain Global Leaders traveled to Warsaw and Krakow, Poland, to engage with government officials, civil society groups, and policy organizations on issues of democracy, extremism, and regional security.
The delegation included leaders from Armenia, Kosovo, Germany, Austria, and Belarus, and was joined by former U.S. Special Envoy for Global Youth Abby Finkenauer. In Warsaw, they visited the Polish parliament, the Border Guard, and institutions such as the Casimir Pulaski Foundation, PISM, ISP, and the Community of Democracies.
The group also visited the Warsaw Rising Museum and Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and met with the Jewish Association of Czulent in Krakow to discuss antisemitism and hate speech. The tour concluded with a meeting at the German Consulate in Krakow to explore Polish-German relations.
“The Changemaker Tour in Poland offered the McCain Global Leaders an immersive experience with a country that is on the front lines of defending democratic values in Europe,” said McCain Institute Assistant Director of Global Leadership Initiatives Scott Nemeth. “From engaging with policymakers and NGOs in Warsaw to a solemn visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum, the cohort deepened its understanding of the region’s historical and current struggles to uphold democracy and human rights. At a time when continued support for Ukraine is vital to preserving European stability, Poland’s leadership offers an example of resilience and commitment to democratic principles.”
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)