OUR MISSION:
To provide educational experiences, therapeutic programs, respite from the effects of war, and peer connections for Polish and Ukrainian teenagers, empowering them to build their future with mutual respect, understanding, and support.
A WORD FROM OUR FOUNDERS AND BOARD MEMBERS: WHAT INSPIRED US TO CREATE THE FOUNDATION
Alex Brzezicki
Co-Founder and vice chairman
In 1991 I was only 14 years old. I remember two events that happened that year: Ukraine gained independence after the Soviet Union dissolved, and for the first time, I visited Poland as a part of youth group from Zhytomyr, Ukraine.
I was overwhelmed with the freedom, experiences, and the friendships I formed with average Polish people.
My experience was life-changing for me. The closed door was opened, and I saw the world from a different perspective. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of Poland, its rich history, and kindhearted people. I felt accepted. I can say with confidence, that it was a life-transforming experience.
What do children in Ukraine learn from this war? How do they feel now? What do they plan for the future? What is their future? This war impacted many of them on a deep level. They live a life children should not have to live nowadays.
Educational tours to Poland can be a life-transforming experience for the young people of Ukraine, just as it was for me. It can offer them roots in a shared history, healing with new friendships and experiences, respite from the traumatizing experience of war, and hope that they do have the power to change their future.
Please join us in making this vision a reality for Ukrainian teenagers by offering your financial support or volunteering with us. Together, we can make a difference – one life at a time.
Zenon Znamirowski
Co-Founder and chairman
My family origins on both sides are in the southeastern corner of Poland. During my own family research, I discovered that I have some Ukrainian (Ruthenian Greek Catholic) ancestrors. A few years ago, I moved back there to the Carpathian Mountains and settled with my family in a tiny village once inhabited by a Ruthenian group called Lemkos. There is not a single one of the Lemkos left here. After World War II they were forced to leave the place where their families had lived for centuries. Only a 17th century Greek Catholic wooden church is left as a reminder of their presence.
As the founder and CEO of a genealogy tour company for almost two decades, I have had the incredible opportunity to hear hundreds of stories from ordinary people living in villages and towns all over Poland and in neighboring countries. Family stories rarely make it into the history books, but they so vividly show the struggles, tragedies, joys and achievements of ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Each time I hear these stories, I get a better understanding of how major historical events have impacted people’s lives – often shaking them apart. One of the recurring themes is of people making choices that, regardless of external circumstances, affected their lives and the lives of their descendants. These choices were about emigrating, about fighting with enemies, or about simply being persistent in striving for their goals day to day. I often hear reflections such as: “What would my life be like if my grandfather hadn’t decided to emigrate…?”
These stories and my own life experiences have inspired what I dream for us to accomplish through the Foundation:
First, to show the youths that there are people who care about them.
Next, to tell them about the common, not always easy, history of the people who came from this part of Europe even before national boundaries were set.
Finally, to sow in them a sense of empowerment – that no matter the external events, they are the decision-makers in their own lives. They are the ones who can ultimately influence the future for themselves, their communities, and even their nations.
MEET THE FOUNDATION COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHAT WE OFFER: PROGRAMS THAT BRIDGE THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THE POEOPLE OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE.
Every war brings death and destruction, but every war ends. What should we learn from this war? What will Ukraine become after the war? In the future, who will make the decisions in Ukraine and in the other countries in this part of the world?
The war in Ukraine forced many changes to happen in the the world and in the Polish-Ukrainian relations. Despite some historical tensions and very painful pages of common history, the Polish people chose to support Ukraine at all levels. Poland was the first European nation to open their borders for Ukrainian refugees. Almost 3.1 million Ukrainians, mainly women and children, found shelter in Poland.
Most of the children in Ukraine are heavily traumatized by war, and many have been misled through false information about the shared history of Poland and Ukraine. In order to change this in the future, we must face our past honestly, take responsibility in the present, and forge strong relationships with our neighbors. We strongly believe that these goals can be reached in a natural way through the education, dialogue, and shared experience between young Ukrainians and Poles offered in our History, Healing, and Hope Tour.
We are very confident that touring Poland, learning about their common history, meeting their Polish peers, and experiencing respite from war, will be a life-changing event for these Ukrainian teenagers and prepare them to build their future with mutual respect, understanding, and support.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Each of us has defining moments in our lives. We keep these moments in our memory, and they become part of our internal resources and guiding principles. Help us to provide such experiences for Ukrainian teenagers by financially sponsoring them to participate in the History, Healing, and Hope Tour.
Formal and legal information about the Foundation
Official registered name in the Polish legal system: Fundacja Polsko-Ukraińskie Źródła
KRS 0001015588, REGON 524278698 , NIP 6842669422,
The STATUTE of the Foundation (the official Polish version registered in the National Court Register)
The STATUTE of the Foundation (English translation)
Bank account (SWIFT): BPKOPLPW PL22102029640000630202086569
