King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, received here Saturday the first Lech Walesa Prize at ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of Walesa's own receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah accepted the prize on behalf of his father. The Lech Walesa Prize, awarded by the Lech Walesa Institute Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, is worth 100,000 euros and is accompanied by a diploma and a medal. King Abdullah was recognized for “promotion of values which were the foundation of the Solidarity movement,” a conference presenter said. The prize was awarded in recognition of King Abdullah's services towards interreligious dialogue, promotion of tolerance and understanding between cultures and civilizations and international cooperation to bring peace. King Abdullah has launched several interfaith meetings, including the Madrid Interfaith Conference in July and the United Nation's Conference on Cultural Dialogue last month. The Monarch has also met with many prominent heads of state and with Pope Benedict XVI in November last year. Additionally, King Abdullah initiated non-violent action during the Beirut Summit in 2002 of Arab League meeting to resolve the Lebanon-Israeli conflict. The initiative was again confirmed in 2007 in Riyadh at another summit. King Abdullah has taken up many charity obligations as well, including helping victims of natural disasters and famine. He has financed numerous operations for Siamese twins, including in 2005 a pair from Poland – Daria and Olga from Janikowo, central Poland. Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his leadership role in strikes by the Solidarity trade union, which helped topple the communist regime peacefully in Poland. The anniversary celebrations of his Nobel Peace Prize included leaders such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates. It also involved some 200 youths from more than 20 nations who visited historic sites such as the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, and were later to meet with Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
