• June 8, 2012
  • 292

POLISH DIASPORA IN THE UNITED STATES DEFENDS ITS COMPATRIOTS IN LITHUANIA

Fot. Marian Paluszkiewicz

Polish people living in the United States yet again appeal for the protection of education in Lithuania. This time the appeal to the governing bodies of the USA, the European Union and Poland was made by Polish teachers in the United States. In a document passed during the XII Meeting of Polish Teachers and Parent Committees in the United States, held in Chicago, the teachers from Polish schools in the United States expressed their support for the attempts of Polish community in Lithuania to preserve the traditionally developed way of teaching Polish language, as well as the support for the resolution on the issue passed by the Polish American Congress on May 18th 2012.

‘We appeal to the governments of the United States and European Union to take action for the protection of the rights of the Polish minority in Lithuania and enforcing the respect for justified attempts by the Polish in Lithuania to maintain the education in Polish language.’

‘This petition was passed after the participants familiarized themselves with the state of Polish education in Lithuania. The report on the subject was presented by Bożena Kamińska, the Polish American Committee vice-president on Polish affairs and the president of Polish-Slavic Center in New York., who has visited Lithuania several times and is well acquainted with the situation,’ Member of Parliament Jarosław Narkiewicz – who also participated in  XII Meeting of Polish Teachers and Parent Committees in the United States – told “Kurier.” Kamiński provided the participants with a description of the state of Polish education after the new Bill of Education – which according to the Polish living in Lithuania restricts teaching in native tongue – had been passed in March last year.

‘Polish teachers in the USA are appalled by the action of the Lithuanian government because they simply cannot understand how the authorities can interfere with the education of national minorities,’ says Narkiewicz. In his opinion, Polish teachers reject the governmental argument that Polish minorities in other countries do not have better conditions for learning the language than they do in Lithuania. In their opinion such comparison is uncalled for, as Lithuanian system cannot be equated with for example American one, where over the decades a tried, tested, and still evolving system of Polish Sunday schools has developed; whereas in Lithuania the system of Polish education is being restricted. ‘The system existing before the education bill was passed had not been too good but it was acceptable and we could talk about at most improving it. Now however we have to defend the system from being limited..’ says Narkiewicz.

The petition of the  XII Meeting of Polish Teachers and Parent Committees in the United States, directed at the governing bodies of the USA, EU, and Poland is a very telling accord in in the Meeting’s work, since before that Polish diaspora in the USA took no stances regarding its compatriots in other countries.

‘The situation changes, however, and the Polish diaspora in the USA becomes more active in defending Polish people in other countries, Lithuania included,’ noted Narkiewicz. He also added that, after familiarizing himself with the report of Bożena Kamińska, part of which consisted of a presentation about the situation of Polish people in Lithuania conducted by Narkiewicz himself, Polish people could learn even more about the lives of their compatriots in Lithuania, their problems as well as their successes. ‘What fascinated me the most was our solidarity and how much we can achieve working together,’ says Narkiewicz.

PETITION OF THE XII MEETING OF POLISH TEACHERS AND PARENT COMMITTEES IN THE UNITED STATES, CONCERNING DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF THE POLISH MINORITY IN LITHUANIA

Participants in the  XII Meeting of Polish Teachers and Parent Committees in Chicago would like to express their staunch support for the endeavours of Polish community in Lithuania to preserve the traditionally developed way of teaching Polish language, and support the resolution on the subject passed by Polish American Congress on May 18th 2012. We turn to the governments of Poland, the United States, and the European Union to take action in the defense of the rights of Polish minority in Lithuania and exacting their due endeavors for education in Polish language. Participants of the  XII Meeting of Polish Teachers and Parent Committees in the United States, Chicago, May 28th 2012.

THE XII MEETING OF POLISH TEACHERS AND PARENT COMMITTEES

The Conference of Polish Teachers and Parent Committees, organized by Polish Teachers Association, was held from May 25th to 28th in Chicago – the most “Polish” of American cities. The conference is held every two years. This year’s conference was devoted to “Polish education outside of Poland’s borders – the state of teaching native subjects abroad and the prospects for the future.” Among the lectures and workshops held, the experiences of teaching in Polish communities in the USA, the issue of biculturalism, and which way the educational activities of Polish schools have been discussed. There were also discussions regarding the ideas for supporting the work of schools and teaching Polish language in relation with the changes in funding the Polish education abroad. The diaspora in the USA is the biggest gathering of Polish people outside of Poland itself.

There are 10 million people of Polish origin living in the United States, 1,2 million of which lives in Chicago agglomeration. There are 38 Polish schools in Chicago providing further education in Polish, attended by 16,5 thousand Polish students. 800 teachers active in Polish Teachers Society teach Polish language, history, geography, and Polish background. The Society has been formed on October 14th 1962 from the joining of two previous organizations – Polish Teachers Society in Chicago, founded in 1952 by Polish teachers coming in from Germany, and the Association of Polish Teachers Abroad formed in 1961 by teachers arriving from England.

 http://kurierwilenski.lt/2012/06/08/amerykanska-polonia-w-obronie-rodakow-na-litwie/

Tłumaczenie Andrzej Rola w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Andrzej Rola within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.

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