“Poland is in You” – 250 young people from all corners of the world are flying to Poland to get to know the country of their ancestors
16.07.2019
An intense Polish language course, a tour of the largest Polish cities, learning about places important for Polish history and culture, attending different workshops and training sessions, screenings of films about Poland’s history, meetings with Warsaw Insurrectionists and Polish authorities – all this awaits around 250 participants of a pilot project “Polska jest w Tobie”(Poland is in You). The project was created with the support of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Education.
The programme, which is financed chiefly by the Senate of the Republic of Poland, is aimed at strengthening the spirit of patriotism and building ties with the country of the ancestors of young Poles being brought up abroad. During today’s inauguration of the programme’s first edition, its participants met with President Duda and his wife, among others, in Warsaw. The meeting was also attended by MFA Undersecretary of State Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.
As the deputy foreign minister stressed, the “Poland is in You” programme represents a new quality. He believes that it is worth providing many young and gifted people of Polish descent who are open to the world the opportunity to come to love Poland just as their forefathers did. “Let’s hope that their travels across Poland, meetings with the Polish language, history, nature, geography, cultural and culinary traditions will represent an experience that will lead them to become engaged in Polish affairs in the world,” he added.
Invitations to participants in the pilot programme were extended to around 250 young people of Polish descent from Kazakhstan, Russia, Latvia, Belarus, the US, Brazil, Argentina and Western European countries. During their vacations, young people aged 12 to 20 will visit Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Wadowice, Zakopane and Krakow and meet with representatives of State authorities and war veterans. “Poland is in You” is a joint effort by more than a dozen State institutions, non-governmental organisations and companies interested in promotion and in building relations with the Polish community and Poles abroad. The organisation of leisure time and the preparation and implementation of an ambitious programme for 250 or so participants was entrusted to “Pomoc Polakom na Wschodzie” (Aid to Poles in the East) Foundation and “Wspólnota Polska”(Polish Community) Association.
The project was conceived by Rafał Milczarski, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines and Michał Stępniewski, Vice President of the Central Securities Depository of Poland. LOT Polish Airlines is also a partner and a coordinator of the project, which is financed chiefly by the Senate of the Republic of Poland as part of the care it exercises over the Polish community and Poles abroad. The project also received financial support from the biggest Polish enterprises and corporate foundations, such as the PZU Foundation, the PGNiG Foundation, the PFR Foundation, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa, Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe “Puławy” SA and KGHM Polska Miedź SA.
MFA Press Office
Photo: MFA