Adam Michnik, former dissident, historian and, writer, lecturer and one of Poland’s leading journalists, is the editor-in-chief of the first independent Polish daily newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, since its inception in 1989. A life-long activist for human rights, he was detained many times between 1965 and 1986, spending a total of six years in prison for his opposition to the communist regime. Michnik is the author of countless essays, articles and books, including Letters from Prison and Other Essays, The Church and the Left, and Letters from Freedom: Post-Cold War Realities and Perspectives. Michnik is the recipient of doctorates honoris causa from The New School for Social Research in New York, from the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, and from Connecticut College. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his advocacy of democracy and press freedom, including the Knight of the Legion of Honour (2003) and the title of the European of the Year (1989. Rec