Quo Vadis is a networking conference for Polish students and young professionals. This year, it is being held in Calgary (site under construction) and Chicago.
INTERNATIONAL POLONIA ORGANIZATIONS & PROGRAMS
France: Strefa PL is the central point for things Polish in France; news, events, programs — everything. Les Polonaises is a similar project which focuses on women’s issues, including training and community building among young Polish women in France.
Poland: Fundacja Świat na Tak (Facebook) is a Polish-based foundation that works on the principle “wystarczy niewielu, by zmienić wiele”—it doesn’t take many to change a lot. It administers an annual contest for Polonia, the winners of which get a free trip to Poland to meet with Polonia the world over. Szkoła Liderów is a leadership program for leaders in Polonia the world over. Professor Zbigniew Pełczyński, who founded the program in 1994, used the motto “Najlepsi pociągną resztę” (“The best will bring along the rest”) as the cornerstone of this project, trusting that, through educating and bringing together the brightest, most active and passionate minds in Polonia, greater initiatives could start to spring up around the world. This program is a continuation of that dream.
SOCIAL CLUBS
The Gzowski Club is a social club uniting Polish students across Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener, and Waterloo. Started by students from Polish Clubs at Conestoga College, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of Waterloo, it is known primarily for its top-notch social events.
The Hamilton Polonia Youth Organization unites Polish youth while making a difference in the local Polish-Canadian community. They organize events to bring together the late teen/mid-20s crowd (movie nights, hockey games, bonfires, concerts) in Hamilton.
MEDIA
The Cosmopolitan Review is a brainchild of the Poland in the Rockies program. It’s aim is to serve cosmopolitan Polonia (most specifically the transatlantic kind) in quarterly bursts of poetry, articles, reviews and other cultural goodies.
Link to Poland is a portal oriented not only to Poles and the Polish diaspora, but also to foreigners interested in Poland. It presents Polonia achievements abroad, providing a rich, global point of view on Polish affairs. Contact: Mariusz Soltanifar (Skype: mariusz.soltanifar).
The Romek and Tomek Show, featuring none other than Conestoga College’s Tomek Rozdeba and Guelph University’s Romek Jaszczynski, takes covering live events to a whole new level. YouNxt is a cultural blog covering most activities concerning Torontonian Polonia.
PROFESSIONAL/GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in OttawaThe Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto
The Canadian Polish Congress is a Canadian organization that represents the interests of Canadian Polonia before the people and Government of Canada. The Canadian Polish Congress promotes awareness of and respect for Poland’s history, heritage, and the contribution of Poles to the culture of Canada and the world.
The Canada-Poland Chamber of Commerce in Toronto is dedicated to promotion, development and expansion of business, trade and investment opportunities between Canada and Poland as well as developing relation and networking opportunities with other ethnic business organization in Canada. If you’re a young professional looking to get into business, definitely look into this group. Student memberships are steeply reduced!
quovadisconferences.com 