The 4th Scientific Conference “National, Ethnic and Linguistic Minorities in Poland against a European background” has completed its work in Bialystok.
The second day of the conference was devoted to discussing what the law on national and ethnic minorities has changed in the life of communities in Podlasie.
Thus, the director of the II General Education Lyceum with the Belarusian language of instruction in Hajnowka, Igor Lukashuk, stressed the common problem for all national minorities – the lack of institutionalization:
“Each area has its own specifics. In this regard, each nationality has its own history and also a different relationship and historical memory with the majority or with other local groups. And also different specifics. There are such few minorities who focus only on themselves,” he said.
The President of the Union of Ukrainians in Poland, Miroslav Kozhko, outlined one basic and common problem for all national minorities in Podlasie. “The main problem that we see is that the model of functioning of national minorities and organizations of national minorities that currently exists is essentially a form of manual management. The organization of national minorities has no chance to develop,” he said.
“In the 2023-2024 academic year, a total of 2,058 students studied the Belarusian language. Compared to the 1990-1991 academic year, this figure has decreased by more than 30%,” Slawomir Ivaniuk, an archivist historian and deputy chairman of the Belarusian Union in Poland, voiced one of the main problems.
The conference was held at the University in Bialystok and is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Law on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Regional Language in Poland. The conference was held under the honorary patronage of the Chairman of the Sejm, Szymon Holownia.
