Ministry to invest millions for Poles abroad this year

“Benefitting our fellow countrymen abroad and their descendants, this call for proposals is an integral part of the state’s Polish diaspora policy,” Deputy Minister Konrad Pawlik said on Friday during a press conference to announce the winners of the call for proposals within a new programme.

Deputy minister Pawlik explained that, “the aim of this scheme is to work with NGOs and Polish diaspora organisations to implement priorities that help unite the Polish diaspora and Poles from across the globe around Poland.”

In 2015, the Polish Foreign Ministry will spend PLN 31.7 million (EUR 7.64 million) to co-fund 144 projects.

This year, the Ministry has also pledged to provide PLN 21.3 million (EUR 5.13 million) to “support the follow-up of eleven two-year module programmes which were selected in last year’s call for proposals.”

Support will go to Polish education in countries such as Germany, the US, and others which have a large Polish minority.

The announcements were made on Friday. Photo: Polish Foreign Ministry

Other beneficiaries will include media outlets in countries such as Latvia, Russia, countries of the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Western Europe, and the United States.

Deputy Minister Pawlik said past years have provided the experience to help improve the rules of financing the media outlets managed by the Polish diaspora abroad.

“The scope of financing of the Polish community media in the East has increased, both under module projects and this year’s call for proposals; over 80 percent of funds are headed eastwards,” Pawlik said. (rg)