Stories of sacrifice inspire community cohesion
Sacrifices made during the second war by Polish servicemen were recalled as air cadets in South and East Antrim learned of their experiences as part of a Housing Executive funded race relations educational project.
Representatives from the Polish community in Northern Ireland today outlined links forged during war time via the Your Freedom and Ours initiative, which received a Housing Executive Community Cohesion grant totalling almost £5,000.
Stephen Gamble, Housing Executive Good Relations Officer said,
“This was a very positive race relations initiative for communities in South Antrim and provided an opportunity to hear about other people’s life experiences.
“Young people crucially learned about the sacrifices made by Polish airmen stationed in Northern Ireland and their families when they moved and settled here during the war years.
“Project highlights included site visits to, The Ulster Aviation Society, NI War memorials and Polish airmen’s graves as well as various workshops exploring the impact of World War Two and its aftermath on Poland and Northern Ireland.
“A celebration evening marks the end of the programme.
“As a result of this initiative young people were able to empathise and understand what it is like for people today to leave their home countries and settle in new ones.”
Maciek Bator, Project Coordinator said,
“It has been incredibly enlightening to witness the active participation and genuine interest of the young participants in this project.
“As well as learning about the role of the Polish Air Force these Cadets also gained an appreciation of the impact of the Polish and other migrant communities on Northern Ireland today.
“Project discussions were very open which spoke volumes about their willingness to learn and engage with other cultures.
“We are confident that this program will have a lasting impact on the way local young people view and interact with other communities, fostering cultural competence and greater cohesion within the community.”
Aaron Coulter, Squadron Leader RAFAC said,
“The generous funding from the Housing Executive enabled the cadets and staff from 1919 (Newtownabbey) Squadron and 806 (Larne) Squadron, Royal Air Force Air Cadets to avail of the shared history programme delivered expertly by Maciek Bator.
“Maciek was able to bring the stories of the brave Polish pilots to life and in particular the cadets with Polish connections were justifiably proud to learn about their achievements and heritage.
“We certainly had a few budding historians in the project judging by the calibre of questions that Maciek received.
“The feedback from the cadets has been extremely positive and they have taken away a better understanding of Polish heritage and culture.”