Polonia Semper Fidelis

In November 2009 marks the 20 year anniversary of the fall of Berlin wall, which was a symbol of a divided Europe into two political blocs. Soon after it the Soviet Union collapsed. Within its old borders were created independent states, which had their tragic past under Communism for many years. They have been created within these same borders easy given to Stalin by Churchill and Roosevelt in Yalta.

Unreal divide in Yalta, ignoring any national criteria, left behind so called „the Curzon line” millions of Poles. In the dark Communist past they suffered discrimination for their nationality or Christian faith same as other nations there: Lithuanians, Byelorussians or Ukrainians. Lithuania had the Catholics, Byelorussia – Orthodox and Ukraine – Uniats.

After many years of „the Communist night” when independent states were reborn there was a light of hope for the restoration of all rights for all nationalities who lived there.

Unfortunately, this didn’t happen, particularly in Lithuania and Byelorussia. Radical nationalism defeated not only the basic rights for national minorities but also defeated any logic. While nationalism of Byelorussian regime and its hatred towards Poles could be understand by differences in both cultures, particularly religion, there is not to understand the scale and anti-Polish actions by Lithuanian nationalism.

The Poles are discriminated the most in Lithuania – starting from the ban of using Polish street names and the villages in the regions where Poles are the majority, going to ban in writing their names in Polish official documents (Ids, driver licenses, passports etc.) then today comes to plan by the Lithuanian nationalists to ban Polish schools there and force Polish children to learn and think only in the Lithuanian language. Comparing such action to the dark times in history it can be called as the exact copy of actions by Nazi Germany from the times of Adolf Hitler (in Lithuanian nationalism there are no concentration camps yet).

As an organization, Polonia Semper Fidelis, asks western governments who are democracy lovers, particularly the United States and the European Union: what does meaning to respect the rights of national minorities toward the restoration of radical nationalism? How can this discrimination in Lithuania be best understood – a member of the European Union with all privileges in civilized democracies – with your slogans of freedom and human rights ? We ask also the United Nations which – at least in theory – should defend the rights of minorities according to the UN basics as a worldwide organization?

Polonia Semper Fidelis was, is, and will be defending and helping Poles in the entire world wherever they live. We fully support their rights which should be guaranteed for them as loyal citizens of the states in which they live. That’s why we appeal to all of our members, to all Poles outside our organization and to you – Dear Friends of Poland from other nationalities – to support the petition of Poles in Lithuania. The petition which tries to stop the next step of anti-Polish actions of national authorities in Lithuania which is going to annihilate the basic rights of Polish national minorities there.

According to the latest reports, the Lithuanian Seimas (Parliament), during its current Winter Session, will not enact an amendment to the Education Act which is unfavourable to Poles in Lithuania. Recent events and diplomatic pressure have attenuated the anti-Polish thrust of this amendment. However, this does not mean that there is no longer any danger, because no one can predict in what conditions and in what final draft the new Education Act will be approved during the Spring Session of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas).

The determination of the Parliament (Seimas) of the Republic of Lithuania promptly to enact the amended Education Act causes great anxiety among the Polish community in Lithuania. This new education law will compel schools for Lithuania's national minorities to teach part of their curricula in Lithuanian, the State language. The Lithuanian Ministry of Education will prepare a list of subjects which must be taught in the Lithuanian language. We already know that history and geography are on this list.. The new act will also include a section on the superiority of Lithuanian schools. In practice this means that if there are two schools in any part of the Vilnius region, one with Lithuanian as a language of instruction and the other with Polish as a language of instruction, at the time of reorganisation it will be the Polish school that will be closed , even if it has more students than the Lithuanian school. There are many other sections in the amended Education Act which make worse the situation of schools for Lithuania's national minorities.

The Editorial Staff of “Wilnoteka” portal decided to join the ongoing campaign to defend Polish Schools in the Vilnius region by collecting signatures to an Open Letter to Polish and Lithuanian Government Officials. Moreover, we want to make it possible to collect signatures not only in Lithuania, but throughout the world among those who value fair play for oppressed national or ethnic minorities. As last week proved, the only effective way to stop these anti-Polish policies is by raising consciousness of anti-Polonism in Lithuania: first among Poles in Lithuania, next among Poles in the Fatherland and Polonia, and then among all others throughout the world who espouse in a general way the defense of human rights by calling on them in a specific way to defend Polish Schools in Lithuania.

It is anything but an exaggeration to say that the Polish educational system in Lithuania is seriously threatened. This is the “to be, or not to be” moment for Polish Schools in Lithuania. If the Lithuanian Seimas approves the Education Act despite thousands of nay votes by Lithuanian citizens, it will certainly be the end of the Polish educational system in Lithuania.

Requests and arguments do not help. We constantly hear opinions that the actions taken by the Lithuanian authorities are for the good of the Polish children and will brighten the future of young Poles in Lithuania. To the contrary, we say that Poles in Lithuania, parents and families, should decide for themselves about their future and the future of their own children!

For almost a hundred years, grandparents and parents of young present-day Poles have been working hard to preserve the values and foundations of the Polish educational system in Lithuania. Our ancestors have managed to protect and defend Polish Schools in the hardest times, and it is not surprising that their descendants will not allow the great achievements and traditions of many generations of Lithuanian Poles to be destroyed. Present-day Poles are citizens of Lithuania, a European country, where, alongside other citizens, they pay taxes.

The concern about Polish Schools is not an element of a political game of a few or a few dozen activists but a problem of many thousands of Lithuanian citizens.

The fate of Polish Schools not only concerns Poles living in Lithuania. Many graduates of Polish schools in Lithuania leave the country, and they study, live and work in different parts of the world. It is not surprising that Lithuanian Poles are asking Poland and Poles in the Fatherland for help. Poland is one nation, with a common history and tradition. Although today Poles live on both sides of the Lithuanian-Polish border, their roots are still the same. Supporters of the Polish educational system in Lithuania, who understand the valid reasons for its continuing existence, live throughout the whole world.

It is true that Polish Schools in Lithuania are exceptional in Europe. They were, they still are, and so they should remain. Let us not destroy them. Let us sign the open letter to the Lithuanian and Polish government officials. This may be the last chance to save Polish Schools, and to save Polishness in Lithuania.

Please click HERE to sign the petition.

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