Intercultural dialogue has become increasingly visible within cultural, educational and social policies in Poland, particularly in connection with migration processes, the growing cultural diversity of Polish cities and the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although Poland still does not have a single comprehensive national strategy devoted exclusively to intercultural dialogue, many activities in this field are implemented through cultural, educational, integration and international cooperation programmes supported by public institutions, local governments and NGOs. Some of the activities in this field are covered by the 16 Euroregions.
The geopolitical situation after 2022 significantly affected some forms of cross-border and intercultural cooperation, especially those involving Belarusian and Russian partners. Contemporary intercultural cooperation frameworks increasingly emphasise democratic values, social resilience, support for refugees and cooperation within the European Union and Eastern Partnership contexts.
The activities in the scope of trans-national intercultural dialogue on the local level are partially covered by the Town-twinning programmes and municipality networks such as Eurocities or BaltMet.
Non-governmental organisations continue to play an important role in intercultural dialogue and integration activities, particularly at the local level. In recent years, NGOs and cultural institutions have increasingly organised projects supporting migrants, refugees, minorities and international cultural cooperation. Particular importance has been attached to initiatives supporting people displaced from Ukraine after 2022.
Various grant programmes are available to support cooperation with other countries (e.g. grants from the Polish-American Freedom Foundation or the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation) and events promoting their culture. There are also events to support the social integration of migrants and festivals held to promote minority culture (e.g. Festival of Jewish Culture in Warsaw “Singer’s Warsaw”).
Wrocław became one of the most visible examples of local intercultural policy in Poland through the implementation of the Strategy for Intercultural Dialogue (2018-2022). In recent years, similar discussions concerning migration, integration and intercultural coexistence increasingly appeared in other large Polish cities, especially those experiencing significant demographic changes and increased international migration. The planned results of the implementation of this programme relate to the following areas:
- Education – increasing the level of knowledge and strengthening intercultural competences; Integration – building a sense of social belonging;
- Security – strengthening the safety of residents;
- Cooperation and communication – creation of cooperation platforms and strengthening of the communication process.
In contemporary Polish cultural policy debates, intercultural dialogue is increasingly linked with questions of migration, minority rights, democratic resilience, media literacy and social cohesion. Cultural institutions, schools and NGOs play an important role in creating spaces for dialogue, inclusion and participation in an increasingly diverse social environment.
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