American Ambassadorial Awards Program

Initiated in 2007, the American Ambassadorial Awards Program recognizes outstanding Poles for their work in a variety of fields.  The three awards described below recognize leaders who are reshaping the political, economic, and social topography of Poland and the world in ways harmonious with abiding U.S. interests.

Winners receive a statuette, created by the Jablonski Art Glass Factory of Warsaw, which is presented to them during a ceremony at the Ambassador’s residence, and their names are added to a plaque in the Embassy’s main lobby. 

The Karski Freedom Award recognizes a Pole who has worked for the promotion of democracy and freedom within Poland, regionally in Eastern Europe, or some other area of the world, either as an individual or through the activities of an organization. Strengthening democratic freedoms has long been a central component of U.S. foreign policy and promotes fundamental American values. Supporting democratic and civic freedoms creates a more secure, stable, and prosperous global arena in which the United States can advance its national interests. The United States understands that the existence of civic freedoms helps to secure peace, deter aggression, promote the rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracy, and prevent humanitarian crises. With these goals in mind, the Embassy seeks to recognize Poles who have promoted democracy and freedom as a means to achieve security, stability, and prosperity for the entire world.
The award is named for Jan Karski, a hero of the underground Polish Home Army during World War II who infiltrated the Warsaw Ghetto and a Nazi concentration camp and then carried the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the West.  Karski later became a U.S. citizen and taught for over 40 years at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

The Jan Nowak- Jeziorański Award for Public Service recognizes the accomplishments of Polish men and women who have made a difference through their leadership and commitment to public service. This award celebrates the life of the Polish writer, journalist, and legendary resistance fighter; during World War II, Nowak-Jeziorański served as an envoy between the commanders of the Home Army and the Polish government in exile, and had an important role in the 1944 Warsaw uprising.  After the War, Nowak-Jeziorański was the head of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe for a quarter of a century and an advisor to U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.

The Czesław Miłosz Award for Contributions to U.S-Polish Understanding annually recognizes an individual dedicated to promoting improved communication, closer cooperation, and greater understanding between the people of the United States and Poland. The award is named after Czesław Miłosz, the Polish author and co-founder of the literary group "Zagary." During World War II, Miłosz worked in Warsaw for the underground press. He subsequently settled in France where he continued to write, winning the Prix Littéraire Européen in 1953. In 1960, at the invitation of the University of California, Miłosz moved to Berkeley where he was Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature until late in his life. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1980. 

Past winners and nominees:
Karski Award
Past winners: Lech Wałęsa (2007); Tadeusz Mazowiecki (2008); Marek Edelman (2009), Barbara Skarga (2009)

Nowak-Jeziorański Award
Past winners: Władysław Bartoszewski (2007) (more), Leszek Balcerowicz (2008)

Miłosz Award
Past winners: Andrzej Wajda (2007); Adam Zagajewski (2008); Julia Hartwig (2009)