On Sunday, March 8 in Warsaw’s stunning Royal Łazienki Park, Chargé d’Affaires B. Bix Aliu addressed over 200 female mentors and mentees taking part in the 9th Annual Global Mentoring Walk organized by the Polish chapter of the U.S.-based Vital Voices organization. The walk, which began at Royal Łazienki Park’s Royal Theater, was the idea of Geraldine Laybourne, the American media icon, founder and president of Oxygen Media, and business partner to Oprah Winfrey. Ms. Laybourne’s busy calendar did not allow her to meet with all the young women who sought her counsel and wanted to learn from her. Instead of declining meetings she asked these women to join her on her morning walks. These shared walks soon became a regular practice. Ms. Laybourne initiated similar events in the largest U.S. cities and in 2020 the Global Mentoring Walk took place in 160 cities around the world! This was the ninth time in a row that Vital Voices Poland organized the mentoring walk, and the ninth time that the U.S. Embassy has proudly supported it. Opened by the CEO of the Polish Vital Voices chapter Ela Raczkowska and Polish film and TV producer Anna Nagler, inspirational speeches were delivered at the opening ceremony by former Polish first lady Jolanta Kwaśniewska, Chargé Aliu, and the renowned Polish jazz singer Urszula Dudziak. The Ambassadors of Canada, Indonesia, Switzerland attended the event, as did the wife of the German Ambassador. During his remarks, Chargé Aliu highlighted that “Poland has given birth to female greatness throughout HER history,” citing the names of Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Wisława Szymborska, Olga Tokarczuk, Agnieszka Holland, and Irena Sendler. He hailed the critical importance of mentoring women so that they can become and grow as leaders, declaring that “the world needs more awesome Polish women leading us, helping us overcome global challenges, and inspiring us with their brilliance.” The Chargé also gave an interview to Forbes and ONET before the start of the ceremony, highlighting the benefits of mentoring for organizations to be successful, pointing out that mentoring helps to recruit, retain, diversify, and develop personnel so they can become effective leaders and managers inside their organizations. The Embassy once again congratulates the Vital Voices Chapter in Poland for its wonderful initiative!
