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Poniedziałek, 22 Marca 2004
Interview with Tony Muszynski, organizer of ''Poland in the Rockies''
“Poland in the Rockies” is a unique 10-day program for young Canadians and Americans of Polish descent, mainly for those, who do not speak Polish, have little or no contact with Polonia, but would like to learn more of the history and culture of Poland. It will be held in the resort town of Canmore, Alberta in the latter part of August of this year.
There is considerable interest in the program and organizations in Canada pledged to pay the costs of about 10 students. More importantly, the Polish American Congress is sponsoring 5 young people to attend the program.
Expatpol spoke with Mr. Tony Muszynski from Calgary, the main organizer of the “Poland in the Rockies” conference.
Expatpol: How did the idea of organizing “Poland in the Rockies” come about?
Tony Muszyński: It came about with the realization that something new and modern was needed to raise the “Polish consciousness” of young Americans and Canadians of Polish descent.
I was born in 1960 in Edmonton, Alberta of Polish immigrant parents who arrived in North America a few years after World War II. Edmonton had a significant Polish community and many of my friends were of Polish descent. My observation of the Polonia in Edmonton as well as that of Calgary, where I have lived for the past 17 years, is that only a negligible number of people born and raised in Canada of Polish immigrant parents maintain any real ties to their Polonia communities once they become adults. Indeed most have no particular ties to their “Polishness”, apart from when they visit their parents or grandparents. From talking with others, I don’t think the situation is any different elsewhere in North America.
The irony is that my parents’ generation made great efforts to teach us the Polish language and encourage our involvement in Polonia organizations such as Polish scouts, youth church groups, and folk dance groups. However most of my peers, upon reaching university age, simply severed their ties with Polonia .The reasons for this were many, not the least of which was the strong attraction to assimilate into the dominant North American culture, which is an easy thing to do. It proved much more difficult for my generation to maintain an interest in Polish and Polanian issues. I guess you could say we have left our “Polishness” at the Wigilia (Christmas Eve) table.
I concluded that whatever was being promoted as a way to encourage our youth to maintain ties to their Polish heritage in North America simply wasn’t working. Too often appeals to “Polishness” coming from my parents’ generation were appeals to the heart (i.e. you should be proud to be Polish). This hasn’t worked.
Organizing “Poland in the Rockies” is an attempt to make an intellectual appeal to the next generation. We don’t want to simply tell them they should be proud to be Polish. However by presenting to them important aspects of Polish history and by challenging them to scrutinize that history on their own, we think they will intellectually reach that very conclusion. Or maybe they won’t, but at least they will be better informed. Over the years we hope that we will build a self-confident, knowledgeable network of Polish-Canadians and Polish-Americans who will be interested in their heritage and know enough about it to promote it.
We also want our program to cover issues, which relate directly to the North American lives of our participants, not just Polish history. While there is a strong component of Polish history in our program, we have to recognize the fact that our participants are from Canada and the United States and this is where they will live and work. Hence the inclusion of such topics as “The Image of Poles and Poland in the North American Media” and “Identity and Polonia: Labeling and Defining Who We Are: Polish-American/Canadian, American/Canadian of Polish descent or simply American/Canadian or Polish, What are we and does it matter?” We also will discuss topics rarely covered by Polonia organizations but which we feel are crucial to the promotion of Poland and things Polish on this continent. These include such subjects as leadership, networking, volunteerism and philanthropy.
Expatpol: Who is involved in preparing the program?
Tony Muszyński: The program is being prepared by the Polish Canadian Association of Calgary, an organization of which I am the President with the assistance of the Canadian Foundation for Polish Studies (CFPS) in Montreal. The CFPS has, for years, been organizing seminars and meetings to present, in English, various aspects of Polish history to university students in Montreal. The CFPS, and particularly Ms. Irene Tomaszewski, has been very involved in assisting us in organizing the speakers. The Polish Canadian Association of Calgary, on the other hand, has the responsibility for the logistics involved in bringing all these people together in the Canadian Rockies and organizing a well-run program. This includes the organization of the hotel, meeting rooms, meals, excursions in the Rockies, transportation arrangements for the speakers etc.
Expatpol: Did you have any difficulty convincing the moderators/lecturers to agree to participate?
Tony Muszyński: We have attracted a wonderful group of speakers. We are delighted that people of the caliber of Professor Norman Davies, the journalist Andrew Nagorski, filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi, writers Stanley Cloud and Lynne Olson, Dr. Anna Cienciala, Professor Tamara Trojanowska of the University of Toronto, and Professor John Bukowczyk of Wayne State University in Detroit.
Most of these speakers were attracted as they found the very concept of “Poland in the Rockies” appealing. They agreed that the goals of the program were worth supporting, and they endorse the program by their very participation. On the other hand, I cannot underestimate the importance of the venue, the resort town of Canmore, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. We are not going to be stuck in some big North American city in the summer but will find ourselves in the spectacular Rocky Mountains. We want to take advantage of our surroundings by organizing a significant part of our program outside. We want as much information to be transmitted around a campfire as in a lecture room.
Expatpol: What will the language of instruction be?
Tony Muszyński: The language of instruction is English. Our program has a large component dealing with Polish identity and Polish issues in North America. It is designed for students with a Polish background whether they are first or fourth generation Canadians and Americans, whether they speak Polish or not.
We also want to eliminate the language barrier that prevents so many Polish Americans and Canadians from learning more about their Polish heritage and taking part in a lively discussion of Polish and Polanian issues. This does mean that we don’t encourage the learning of the Polish language. In fact, a greater appreciation of their Polish heritage could serve as a great motivator to study the language.
Expatpol: Who would you like to see attend such a program?
Tony Muszyński: We would like to see bright, ambitious, motivated Canadians and Americans of Polish descent attend the program. We want individuals who are bound to succeed in North America in the arts and sciences, politics, the professions, academia, journalism and other areas. We all know that there will be a great many such success stories amongst Polish and American youth of Polish descent.
My hope would be that when these young people eventually become leaders in North America (and they will) that they will not forget or downplay their Polish roots or the history of their parents, grandparents and Poland along the way. We want to reach these young people at a critical point in their lives and show that that they can take an informed pride of their heritage and a complex-free Polishness into their North American lives.
I would like to see participants who, after attending “Poland in the Rockies” become promoters and intellectual ambassadors of Poland and things Polish in North America. They may well do this without having an active involvement in Polonia, although this is to be encouraged, but through their leadership positions in the wider North American society.
Expatpol: Are you in touch with university student groups across North America?
Tony Muszyński: We are working with the Polish Student Club in Calgary to get information about “Poland in the Rockies” with similar groups across North America.
Many students are intimidated by the cost of the program ($3,500.00 Canadian). They look at the cost and shake their head. Our goal is to have Polanian organizations and businesses across North America to create scholarships for deserving students to attend. Indeed, we encourage prospective students to approach their local organizations and businesses for financial support.
Expatpol: How many sponsors have you found to date?
Tony Muszyński: With still five months to go until the beginning of our program, we are delighted with the response of sponsors to date. The province of Alberta in Canada has an active Polonia and we anticipate donations from organizations in Alberta to cover the program costs of at least 10 students.
The Polish American Congress has undertaken to sponsor 5 students and lobby their member organizations through the United States with the goal of sending 5 more. We have had an organization in California sponsor a student and the Canadian Foundation for Polish Studies has committed to sponsoring 3 students.
We have asked physicians of Polish descent in Calgary to make donations to the program and are delighted that we will probably raise enough money from their donations to fund a further two students.
In short, as the maximum number of participants is 40, we are over halfway to filling the program already.
Expatpol: Does the $3,500.00 cover the airfare as well, or only the costs of the program?
Tony Muszyński: The sum of $3500.00 (Canadian) will cover tuition, room, food and excursion costs. A student would only need to bring a bit of spending money with him or her, as everything else is included in the cost. Students are responsible for the cost of their own travel arrangements to Canmore.
Expatpol: Why is “Poland in the Rockies” as expensive as it is?
Tony Muszyński: “Poland in the Rockies” has attracted a world-class group of speakers and is being held in one of the most spectacular corners of the world, during high tourist season. During their stay, our student participants will stay in a lovely hotel, Canmore’s Best Western Pocaterra Inn, with two students to a spacious room. They will be served three hearty meals a-day, and organized group excursions in the area will be at no additional cost to them.
If Polonia wants to help form a generation of potential leaders who will be first class ambassadors of things Polish in North America, then let us treat them first class.
Thank you. Expatpol readers can obtain additional information on the program at www.polandintherockies.com or make direct inquiries by e-mailing Mr. Muszyński at rockies@polandintherockies.com.
Alicja Gettlich
Źródło: "Expatpol.com"
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