Religion and Social Change: the Solidarity Movement

In his article in Religion: The Missing Dimension of Statecraft, Edward Luttwak points out the prominence of religious leaders in current world affairs and the increasing role of religion in conflict resolution. Luttwak mentions Catholic involvement in the Solidarity trade union movement in Poland in passing, but I'd like to explore this influential movement in a little more depth, as I feel it provides an interesting example of the roles religion can play. Althought it can be a potent source of conflict, it can also be used to resolve conflict or to implement social change by peaceful processes.

The Polish trade union "Solidarność", or "Solidarity," was founded by unemployed electrician Lech Walesa in 1980 to protest the central Communist control of all trade in Poland and to fight for workers' rights and social change. The workers wanted the right to organize and to strike, which was denied them under the Communist administration. The movement's anti-communist sentiments were seen as a threat by the government and were forcefully suppressed during a period of martial law. Nonetheless, the movement rapidly gained a large following, eventually topping 9 million members--a quarter of Poland's population. The Solidarity movement continually advocated for worker's rights and more open trade using non-violent means, even when their leaders were imprisoned and the organization was forced underground. After nine years of continued non-violent resistance, Solidarity was able to form the first non-communist government in the Soviet Bloc. This non-violent revolution set the precedent for other Soviet Bloc countries, and what could have been violent revolutions were generally resolved by prolonged non-violent protest and resistance.

The success of the Solidarity trade union is remarkable, and testifies to the fortitude and solidarity of its members, but also to the support the movement received both from American trade unions and from Pope John Paul II, who was of Polish origin. The majority of the Polish people practice the Catholic faith, which was suppressed under the officially Atheist Communist state. The Catholic faith served as a powerful unifying factor among the members of the Solidarity movement, and Catholic social teachings were prominent in the discourse of the group. Many priest were outspoken members of the movement, and some were even killed for their activism.

With the election of Pope John Paul II, the first Polish Pope, in 1978, Poland's national ties to Catholicism grew even stronger. In addition, Pope John Paul II would soon prove to be an outspoken advocate for their cause, which lent legitimacy to the Solidarity movement in the international community. In his now-famous speech on Warsaw's Victory Square in June 1979, Pope John Paul II addressed a crowd of 500,000, emphasizing Poland's Christian roots and cultural tradition and enjoining them,  "Do not be afraid." This speech was a catalyst in the Polish movement for democracy, and many say that it led directly to the formation of the Solidarity movement. In the years that followed, Pope John Paul II continued to speak out in favor of the movement, even meeting with its leader Lech Walesa in prison and stressing themes of solidarity with the poor and oppressed in his papal writings.

At this moment in history, Catholicism's non-hegemonic role allowed it to be a powerful force for social change in the country. As Luttwak points out in his article, this type of religious motivation for political change is unlikely to happen when the religion is closely allied with the state. In this case, however, the combination of an oppressed majority religion and a new Pope who was both an international leader and a son of Poland gave the movement  the broad base, values, and legitimacy it needed to succeed in bringing democracy to Poland through a non-violent revolution.