On behalf of the American people, U.S. President George W. Bush expressed deep condolences at the tragic deaths of 23 Polish miners in the Halemba coal mine in a letter addressed to the President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski. To read the letter click here. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe also sent his personal condolences to the community of Ruda Slaska in a letter to the mayor, Prezydent Andrzej Stania. The Ambassador visited Ruda Slaska in spring of 2006 to attend dedication ceremonies of the Herbert Hoover school. more

On November 24, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe and the staff of U.S. Embassy Warsaw’s Office of Defense Cooperation joined 29 Mobile Training Team members from the 183rd Springfield, Illinois Air National Guard Unit at Krzesiny Air Base near Poznan, Poland for a Thanksgiving dinner. The 183rd is helping Poland integrate the first four Polish F-16s in to their Air Force. The first four aircraft arrived at Krzesiny on November 9. “I am pleased to be part of this Thanksgiving dinner with those who are directly engaged in making Poland’s F-16 program a success,” said Ambassador Ashe. more

The newly-formed jazz quartet “U4” kicked off its tour of Poland with a concert at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe and Mrs. Joan Ashe on the evening of November 21. Guests included Polish government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and friends of the Embassy from Poland’s cultural and academic scene, among others. The band's ten-performance tour of Poland will take them to Gdynia, Rzeszow, Krakow, Zakopane, Szczecin, and other cities. Their tour is supported by the U.S. Embassy. more

U.S. Embassy Warsaw supported the conference “Wasatiyya – Integrating Muslims in Central-Eastern Europe” organized by ARABIA.pl and the Muslim League of Poland held November 24-27 near Warsaw. The conference served as a forum for exchanging examples of good practice in regard to social integration of Muslims in Central-Eastern Europe. The Embassy funded the participation of Dr. Shireen T. Hunter, a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, who spoke on Islam and Democracy. For more information on Dr. Hunter and her participation in this conference, click here. more

Annually, hundreds of thousands of Polish pilgrims – including members of the armed forces – trudge along rolling roads and muddy pathways of their countryside, paying tribute to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. This year, they asked soldiers from their closest neighbors and allied countries to join them in their march. The Polish army invited 50 U.S. Southern European Task Force Soldiers from Vicenza, Italy, and 10 members of the Illinois Army National Guard, along with troops from four other NATO countries, to participate in the annual 10-day, 300-kilometer pilgrimage from Warsaw to Czestochowa. more

Critically-acclaimed American writer Amy Tan read an excerpt from her book The Joy Luck Club and spoke about her life as a writer to about 100 guests at the Ambassador’s residence the evening of November 15. Mrs. Joan Ashe hosted this special edition of the America Presents series, which features talks and performances by American artists and lecturers visiting Poland. Guests included Polish and American students, Polish cultural figures and others. Ms. Tan answered numerous questions about her books and the writing process from the eager audience before she and her husband Lou DeMattei joined the guests for a reception. She also autographed many copies of her books, including her new release Saving Fish from Drowning. Ms. Tan had public appearances November 14 in Krakow and spoke at the American School in Warsaw on November 16. She also gave several radio and television interviews. more

Jeffery Deaver, an American mystery writer, visited Poland November 16-18. He was hosted by Mrs. Joan Ashe at a lunch at the Ambassador’s residence on November 17 and participated in an “America Presents” program on November 16 at the U.S. Embassy where he spoke about his writing to a group of Polish and American readers and signed autographs. As part of his talk, the audience watched scenes from the Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie movie The Bone Collector, based on Deaver’s novel. Deaver also visited Krakow where he received a literary award at the Crime and Mystery Festival. He is the author of over twenty novels, including The Bone Collector, A Maiden’s Grave, Coffin Dancer and Cold Moon. more

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe and Mayor of Srodmiescie District in Warsaw Artur Brodowski jointly opened a new Young Learners Resource Center for English teachers in Warsaw on November 20. The center, furnished by the city of Warsaw and recently remodeled with funds from the U.S. Embassy, holds a large collection of books, audio materials, computer programs, die cut machines, and laminators. The center provides an opportunity for English teachers to better prepare themselves to teach young learners. The U.S. Embassy plans to work with a number of different institutions to open similar centers in other Polish cities. more

Over ninety Polish Exchange “J” Managers participated in the one-day conference held in Krakow on November 17 to discuss the popular U.S. exchange program in Poland. As the United States’ most successful educational exchange program, the J program offers thousands of Polish students and scholars a chance to have firsthand experiences of American people and culture while also allowing them the chance to work or train in the U.S. for limited periods. The J programs covers a wide variety of exchange visitors including au pairs, camp counselors, students, professors, research scholars, summer work and travel, as well as trainees. more

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe is pleased to announce the newest addition to the Embassy’s website – a Kids Page. The Kids Page is designed as an avenue for youth to obtain information about the U.S. Embassy and American government, society and culture. The page includes interactive games and puzzles as well as links to educational web pages for youth. “I often say that I am the Ambassador to all of Poland, not just to Warsaw, and that means that I am also the American Ambassador to the young people of Poland as well,” said Ambassador Ashe. To view the Kids Page, click here. more