Poland’s Kin-state Policies: Opportunities and Challenges
One of the most contentious features of post-communist politics in Central and Eastern Europe has been the self-assumed responsibility of many states toward their kin-minorities. The Polish Charter (Ustawa z dnia 7 września 2007 r. o Karcie Polaka), enacted in 2007 and amended in 2016, has sparked significant controversy in neighbouring states. However, these laws had not previously undergone a comprehensive examination. Support from the Oxford Noble Foundation’s Programme on Modern Poland enabled the creation of a network of experts to undertake the first in-depth study of Poland’s kin-state policy and situate it within a broader comparative framework. This support also facilitated the dissemination of research findings to wider audiences in Poland and Scotland, as well as the production of a collective volume.
This project addressed several key themes: (a) the history of Poland as a kin-state; (b) the foundations, content, and scope of Poland’s kin-state policies; (c) the similarities and differences between Poland’s policies and those of other countries; (d) the role of the Polish Charter within Poland’s diaspora and foreign policies; (e) the past and future impact of these policies on the living conditions of kin-minorities; and (f) tensions between the obligations under the Charter and those imposed by international law.
Researchers
Project dates
October 2018-March 2020
Funder
Project Partners
- Professor Karl Cordell (University of Plymouth)
- Professor Sławomir Łodziński (Warsaw University)
- Dr Dorota Pudzianowska (Warsaw University)
- Dr Paweł Hut (Warsaw University)
- Professor Ireneusz Paweł Karolewski (University of Wroclaw)
- Dr Magdalena Dembinska (University of Montréal)
- Dr Myra Waterbury (Ohio University)
- Professor Zsuzsa Csergo (Queen’s University)
- Dr Zoltán Kántor (Pázmány Péter Catholic University)
Workshop: Integration in a Transnational World: Poland, Scotland and Polish Communities Abroad, 14 November 2019, Univer
This workshop addresses the impact of a kin-state’s engagement upon the accommodation of its co-ethnics abroad as minority ethnocultural groups. With a focus on Poland’s kin-state policies, it questions the nature and limits of such engagement as responsibility for justice. Dr Udrea and Professor Smith’s presentation draws upon the article ‘Minority Protection and Kin-state Engagement: The Act on the Polish Card in a Comparative Perspective’, which represents our contribution to the project ‘Poland’s Kin-state Policies: Opportunities and Challenges’ (University of Glasgow, 2018-2020), and previous research on identity recognition as a kin-state’s duty.
The full programme is available to view.
Conference
Poland’s Kin-state Policies: Opportunities and Challenges, University of Warsaw, 23 – 24 May 2019
