'Polonia Camp': Young Poles from abroad gather in Warsaw

Around 1,500 young people of Polish descent from across the world have gathered in Warsaw for the four-day Polonia Camp event featuring panel discussions, workshops and networking sessions aimed at strengthening ties with their ancestral homeland.

Polish upper-house Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska addresses the Polonia Camp gathering in Warsaw on Thursday.

PAP/Piotr Nowak

Opening the event on Thursday at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Polish upper-house Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska told participants that being Polish is "a great source of pride," rooted in "a rich history and a strong future."

Organizers said the annual event, now in its second year, is designed to foster lasting connections between young members of the Polish diaspora and Poland, while encouraging their involvement in the country's social, cultural and economic life.

🏛️Dziś uczestnicy Polonia Camp 2026 odwiedzili Łazienki Królewskie - jedno z najpiękniejszych i najbardziej wyjątkowych miejsc na mapie stolicy🇵🇱
To była nie tylko lekcja historii, sztuki i architektury, ale także doskonała okazja do integracji i wspólnego odkrywania Polski. pic.twitter.com/zaF7AnZvCz

— Polonia_Camp (@PoloniaCamp) July 23, 2026

Kidawa-Błońska said the initiative was created to demonstrate that young Poles living abroad want to organize, preserve Polish traditions and promote Poland in their countries of residence.

She also credited the establishment of the Youth Council of the Polish Diaspora with helping make the event possible.

"I hope that next year you will bring even more people here, creating a chain of shared knowledge, friendship and cooperation," she said, urging participants to preserve the bonds that unite them.

She added that she looked forward to seeing concrete proposals and initiatives emerge from the group's work over the coming year.

On Friday, participants were scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to discuss the role of the Polish diaspora in shaping Poland's image abroad, followed by a panel discussion with top senators titled "Together for the Polish Diaspora."

The program also includes a meeting with Andrzej Poczobut, a leader of the Polish minority in Belarus who spent five years imprisoned by the Belarusian authorities, as well as discussions on the Polish language and literature featuring cultural figures such as Michał Rusinek, Jerzy Bralczyk and Michał Ogórek.

Economist Marcin Piątkowski is due to speak on whether Poland is experiencing a "golden age," while other sessions focus on recognition of foreign qualifications, starting a business, inheritance and property issues for those relocating to Poland, study opportunities and AI-driven entrepreneurship.

Former Polish volleyball captain and world champion Paweł Zagumny is set to lead a training session and exhibition match.

The event runs until Sunday and is open to people aged 18 to 30 living outside Poland who identify as being of Polish descent.

(jh/gs)