On Friday, February 19, a press conference organized by the organizers of the second North American Polish Youth Leadership Conference took place at the Polish Consulate in Toronto. After a brief welcome by the vice-consul Wojciech Dzięgl, the rest of the meeting was hosted by Ania Barycka and Kamil Mróz.
The first conference took place in Ottawa at the beginning of May 2009. Organized by Polonia-based students of the University of Ottawa, it brought together 117 young professionals and students of Polish descent. The success of the first conference motivated Polonia youth to continue this initiative.
The second conference of young Polish diaspora leaders under the patronage of the Polish Embassy in Ottawa and the Canadian Polish Congress will be held in Windsor from May 7 to 9 this year. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Building Bridges, Building Leaders”. There is a place for 150 participants, mainly from North America, but the first applications from Europe have already arrived.
The program includes, among others, a panel discussion with the participation of Polish Ambassadors in Canada and the United States, presentations and discussions on topics related to organizing social activities, promoting culture and cooperation with the media. There will also be opportunities to establish closer contacts during less formal social gatherings and to present the achievements of already operating Polish youth organizations.
The enthusiasm of this initiative can be attributed not only to the Honorary Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee, but above all to the 32 regional coordinators operating throughout North America.
One of the elements of this conference is an essay competition under the slogan “Award of Excellence 2010”. Works with a length between 1000 and 1500 words in English, French or Polish must be sent to info@pcsaw.com by the end of March. The results will be announced on April 30, and competition rules and topics can be found at http://www.quovadisconference.com. Winners will receive prizes up to $ 500.
At the same address you can also register your participation in this conference. The sum of $ 150 covers not only participation in the conference itself, but also accommodation and meals.
We suggest you hurry up, because the deadline for submissions expires at the end of March.
Text and photo Tomek Kniat
Links:
Gazeta Gazeta “Mloda Polonia Idzie Jak Burza”
Gazeta Gazeta “Quo Vadis Po Raz Drugi”
quovadisconferences.com 