Ethnicity (Monday, December 6, 2010)

The second day of the study trip was devoted to the theme of ethnicity. Three specialists (a lawyer, a journalist, and a minority activist) led three different sessions, which offered three ways of looking at the issue. In the first session Ms. Dorota Pudzianowska (lawyer, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights) discussed the topic of ethnicity and national minorities from a legal point of view. In her presentation, Ms. Pudzianowska gave some concrete examples of what the protection of internal and external minorities looks like in Poland. Moreover, the importance of the definition of the national minority was discussed.

The second session was devoted to mapping diversity in a homogeneous country. Mr. Konstanty Gebert (writer and columnist) offered an insightful overview of the topic throughout the history of Poland. Moreover, he discussed how the process of economic and political transition in Poland influenced the situation of minority groups.

The last session concerned one of Poland’s national minority groups - the Ukrainian community. Mr. Piotr Tyma (President of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland) presented the role of the Ukrainian minority in the Polish history as well as its current significance. The day finished with a fruitful group discussion on the issues tackled throughout the day.