ABOUT US
The Jerzy Giedroyc Dialogue and Cooperation Forum was established in Vilnius in June 2012. The goal of the forum is to develop relations between representatives of science, art, economics and culture from Lithuania, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, continuing the tradition of Jerzy Giedroyc.
JERZY GIEDROYC
There are not many intellectuals in the world whose concepts have been implemented as a foreign policy doctrine. To these few exceptions, one should undoubtedly include Jerzy Giedroyc, who had Lithuanian-Polish roots, and his close associate Juliusz Mieroszewski. Their thoughts expressed in the Paris emigration about post-communist Poland's relations with its neighbors, known as the ULB (Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus) concept, were (and perhaps are) an important Polish foreign policy doctrine, according to many Polish and foreign experts.
The ULB concept of both intellectuals is oriented towards Poland's eastern neighbors, and its essence consists of the statement that only the existence of a democratic and independent Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, and perhaps Russia should be the most important guarantor of a free Poland. For this reason, he urged Poles to abandon territorial claims to their neighbors (primarily Lviv and Vilnius) and not to use "historical imperialism" in their relations with their neighbors. Writing on this subject in 1974, Juliusz Mieroszewski noted: “we cannot hold the view that any Great Russian program is imperialist, and at the same time claim that the Polish Eastern program is not imperialist, but simply a great “Jagiellonian” idea.”
Although Giedroyc and Mieroszewski were thinking about Poland when they developed the ULB concept, they also hoped that the ideas it was intended for would be adopted in Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus. It must be admitted that more than 40 years after the publication of the article cited here, its ideas are as relevant today as ever.
The ULB concept of both intellectuals is oriented towards Poland's eastern neighbors, and its essence consists of the statement that only the existence of a democratic and independent Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, and perhaps Russia should be the most important guarantor of a free Poland. For this reason, he urged Poles to abandon territorial claims to their neighbors (primarily Lviv and Vilnius) and not to use "historical imperialism" in their relations with their neighbors. Writing on this subject in 1974, Juliusz Mieroszewski noted: “we cannot hold the view that any Great Russian program is imperialist, and at the same time claim that the Polish Eastern program is not imperialist, but simply a great “Jagiellonian” idea.”
Although Giedroyc and Mieroszewski were thinking about Poland when they developed the ULB concept, they also hoped that the ideas it was intended for would be adopted in Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus. It must be admitted that more than 40 years after the publication of the article cited here, its ideas are as relevant today as ever.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among representatives of science, culture, arts, economics, and civil society from Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine.
We continue the intellectual tradition of Jerzy Giedroyc by promoting mutual understanding, regional partnership, and long-term collaboration across borders.
FORUMO STEIGĖJAI
Asociaciją „Jerzy Giedroyc dialogo ir bendradarbiavimo forumas“ 2012 metais įsteigė 22 visuomenininkai:
- Aleksanda Akinčo
- Adam Blaškevič
- Arūnas Brazauskas
- Alfredas Bumblauskas
- Gražina Drėmaitė
- Bernardas Gailius
- Arūnas Gumuliauskas
- Vilius Ivanauskas
- Alvydas Jokubaitis
- Vytis Jurkonis
- Sabina Karmazinaitė
- Herkus Kunčius
- Juozas Lakis
- Elmantas Meilus
- Alvydas Nikžentaitis
- Virginijus Savukynas
- Aurimas Švedas
- Andrius Vaišnys
- Rimvydas Valatka
- Vidmantas Valiušaitis
- Giedrius Viliūnas
- Vaidotas Viliūnas