Irena Lasota

Guest Author

Irena Lasota is a journalist, commentator, and editor based in Washington, DC. She has been the President of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) since its founding in 1985, and from 1981 to 1989 was President of the Committee in Support of Solidarity (CSS). IDEE and CSS provided direct support to the Solidarity trade union movement in Poland and other opposition movements in Eastern Europe that brought about the 1989-91 revolutions and the fall of communism. From 1992, she developed, oversaw, and implemented hundreds of assistance, training, and development programs for democratic activists, human rights groups, civic organizations, independent media, trade unions, women, and youth in 27 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, as well as Cuba and former Yugoslavia.