In the 2018 Copernicus Lecture, Barbara Nowacka will discuss the ongoing challenges to democracy in Poland and Polish civil society’s resistance to them.

Barbara Nowacka is a feminist, politician, and progressive activist. She is chancellor of the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw, holds an MBA, and is an IT specialist by education. Nowacka is a member of the Women’s Congress National Council and chair of the progressive association “Initiative Poland.” She is also co-founder and deputy chair of the Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka Foundation, an organization which aims to promote equality, social justice, and social inclusion. Nowacka headed the election committee for the “United Left” coalition during the 2015 Polish parliamentary election, and from 2015-17 she was a co-chair of the “Twój Ruch” political party. In 2016 and 2017 she organized and chaired the “Save Women” initiative, a civil bill which aimed to liberalize abortion laws in Poland. In October 2016, in response to an attempt by the political right to implement a total ban on abortion, Nowacka became a leading figure in the “Czarny Protest” action, a massive nationwide demonstration which ultimately succeeded in forcing the political right to back down. For her role in “Czarny Protest,” Nowacka was ranked one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2016 by Foreign Policy magazine.

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to weisercenter@umich.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.