The Poland Australia Business Forum (https://pabf.com.au) together with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency organised a Unity Gala function at the Sydney Opera House to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and Poland.
The opening address was delivered by HE Hon. Margaret Beazley AC CK, an Australian jurist and current governor of New South Wales who demonstrated her remarkable knowledge of Polish history and culture.
There were plenty of dignitaries in attendance including the PABF President Tym Pieglowski and the PABF committee; Agata Utnicka, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Poland; Jakub Wilchelm, Head of Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Australia; Monika Konczyk, Consul General of Poland in Sydney; Hon. Robert Borsak MLC and other parliamentarians; Joseph La Posta, CEO of Multicultural NSW as well as many Australian business and cultural life notables.
The Unity Gala was a celebration of the contribution made by the Polish Heroes to Australian culture, business, and academia.
The Polish Heroes project was created in 2022 by Anna Wojt and Leonie Tillman and consists of a series of podcasts featuring ten highly accomplished individuals in various industries, from arts to academia. All born in Poland,they made Australia their home some years ago. Leonie Tillman moderated a panel discussion with the Heroes.
It was a humbling experience to be named one of the Heroes by the PABF. Other Heroes who participated in the panel discussion were Professor Betina Szkudlarek, Bart Kolodziejczyk OAM, and Marzena Wasikowska.
For a series of Leonie Tillman interviews featuring all ten prominent Polish Australians,visit: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh
For those who are unsure about the meaning of the word, and I quote here from Eva Hussain’s, Hon. Consul of Poland in Melbourne, email, “the word hero comes from the Greek, literally meaning protector or defender but its connotations have changed somewhat over the years. The modern hero is selfless, compassionate and caring. Someone we admire for their courage, outstanding achievements, exceptional strength or noble qualities. Someone who demonstrates an utmost commitment to their morals, regardless of obstacles blocking their way.”

Confersations (video)

Our great friend the Honourable John Kerin AO, aged 85, passed away on Wednesday 29 March 2023.

To many Australians, John was known as a humble chicken farmer who became Australia’s longest-serving Minister for Primary Industry (1983-91), treasurer, and long-time Labor frontbencher. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called him “Australia’s best ever primary industries minister”. John was also associated with Western Sydney University where I worked for the last 15 years. He served as a Deputy Chancellor (2000-03) and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

But the purpose of this note is not to record John’s significant contribution to our nation and his distinguished public service. Rather I aim to record John’s humanity, our friendship over the last 30 years or so, and his great warmth, decency, wit, and him as a man with the biggest of hearts.

I first met John in the late 1980s when I worked with his partner Dr June Verrier in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet during the Hawke government era. It was a humbling privilege for a relatively junior public servant to be invited to the home of the Cabinet minister in Canberra. Lively conversations followed – John was very interested in my home country Poland, in the communist and Soviet systems, and in European history and politics. We also talked about our family’s experience of migrating to Australia and the years spent as refugees in West Germany. John was a highly knowledgeable person always able to engage with wit and humor about his early days as a farmer and about Canberra politics. What I particularly valued is that he treated me with respect despite that my point of view not always reflected Labor orthodoxy and, on occasions, may have embraced Liberal viewpoints. We discussed as equals with a view to learning and gaining new information and opinions. There was also plenty of fun and jokes.

Then, June and John invited Hanna and me on several occasions for weekends to their home in Vincentia on the South Cost. In fact, they introduced us to beautiful Jervis Bay and convinced us to buy a holiday home there. Our close neighbouring resulted in our friendship flourishing – many BBQs, diners and other gatherings together, including the great Kevin 07 party. Plenty of great discussions in front of our fireplaces with many VIP friends invited by John and June. Cultured discussions over quality red wine, and sometimes lively arguments, about the state of our changing world, imponderabilia, and highflyers.

The last time we hosted John and June in our Vincentia home was in mid-February 2023. Although John was unwell, we never thought that we see him for the last time.

Vale John Kerin. We loved you very much and you will be greatly missed.

We extend our sincere condolences to June, family and friends.

On Sunday, 13th November 2022, during my visit to Warsaw, Ms. Maria Wieczorkiewicz, a journalist for the Polskie Radio, conducted an interview with me about current developments in the Australian Polish community. One of the topics covered was the need to preserve personal and community documents of significant historical value and how the Polish repositories and academic institutions in Poland could help with the preservation of such heritage documents. The interview was conducted in the Polish language and was broadcasted by Polish Radio a few days later.

If you are interested in listening to the broadcast, open: https://www.polskieradio.pl/399/7978/Artykul/3077139,sukcesy-polakow-w-australii-spotkanie-z-prof-sewerynem-ozdowskim

Uprzejmie informuje, ze mój brat jest autorem ksiazki, która zostana wydana na poczatku 2020 roku. Ta ciekawa publikacja nie wszystkim jest znana. Mysle ze przyczyna tego mogl byc COVID-19, który zupelnie rozregulowal nasze zycie codzienne. Stanislaw pisze:
“Jestem osoba rodzinnie zwiazana z regionem Ziemi Jarocinskiej. Mój dziadek byl dzierzawca domeny panstwowej w Pawlwicach pod Zerkowem oraz w latach trzydziestych dzierzawca od Ordynacji von Radolin folwarków Roszków, Ciswica i Dabrowa z Kapanica pod Jarocinem (ok.1000 ha). W tym czasie zamieszkiwal z rodzina w Roszkowie.
Seweryn Lucjan Ozdowski oprócz dzialalnosci gospodarczej udzielal sie spolecznie m.in. w “ROLNIKU” (przewodniczacy Rady Nadzorczej w Jarocinie). Byl opiekunem Katolickiego Stowarzyszenia Mlodziezy Meskiej, przewodniczyl Radzie Nadzorczej Cukrowni we Wrzesni i byl delegatem Ministra Skarbu do spraw postepowania ukladowego w sprawach majatków ziemskich w województwie poznanskim. W pazdzierniku 1939 r. zostal przez Niemców aresztowany i byl ich zakladnikiem do czasu wywozu takze calej rodziny z obozu przesiedlenczego w Cerekwicy do Opoczna. Po okupacji i po tzw.reformie rolnej byl krótko kierownikiem Urzadu Ziemskiego w Jarocinie oraz etatowym prezesem Rady Nadzorczej Spóldzielni Rolniczo – Handlowej “ROLNIK” takze w Jarocinie. Tu tez zosta? pochowany w rodzinnym grobowcu na cmentarzu parafialnym.
Z Roszkowem i Ozdowskimi zwiazany jest równiez pochowany w grobowcu jarocinskim lekarz, poeta i dzialacz Stronnictwa Narodowego Czeslaw Ganowicz.
Jarocin to takze miejsce zamieszkania i dzialalnosci drugiego dziadka Stanislawa Chylewskiego, drogisty i wlasciciela hurtowni paliw obok dworca kolejowego, prezesa Zrzeszenia Kupców Chrzescijanskich, takze pozbawionego majatku i wysiedlonego z rodzina do Opoczna, gdzie zmarl w czasie okupacji.
O tych oraz innych przedstawicielach rodziny Ozdowskich wiecej wiadomosci znajdziecie Panstwo w mojej ksiazce.”
Prosze zwrócic uwage na dokumenty zródlowe oraz fotografie zwiazane z przedwojennym Jarocinem, a takze indeksy osób i miejscowosci oraz przedmowe Profesora Uniwersytetu Jagielonskiego Jana Lencznarowicza. Ksiazka zawiera streszczenie w jezyku angielskim.

Kontakt w sprawie nabycia ksiazki: Stanislaw Ozdowski
adres pocztowy: ul. Krancowa 14, 62-002 Suchy Las
tel. stacjonarny: +48/61 822 30 80
tel. komórkowy: 508 242 365
e-mail: stan.ozdowski@gmail.com

It was a pleasure and distinction to be asked to contribute a short video to celebrate the 30 anniversary of the founding Falun Dafa movement in China.

To watch the video see: https://youtu.be/TjJDP1FD3J8

See also: https://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2022/5/25/201508.html

I have just returned from the planning Workshop for the 2023 conference on The Rohingya Crisis: What Next?. The Workshop was held in Hotel Europa, in Sarajevo, Bosnia – Herzegovina on 06 – 07 May 2022 and it was sponsored by the Haseane Foundation and the Arcane Commission. The Workshop was attended by some 20 Rohingya human rights experts from all over the world, including Dr Graeme Thom, Dr Hla Myint and myself from Australia. The objectives of the 2023 Conference are (1) to establish a roadmap for political solutions, (2) to stress on implementation of accountabilities for the genocide, and (3) the removal or root causes of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and safe repatriation are the correct objectives.

Lt General (retired) MD Mahfuzar Rahman of Bangladesh and I were invited to deliver keynotes. My address is attached to this note.

The conference participants have also visited Srebrenica where in July 1995 the military and police forces of the Republica Srpska, supported by the Republic of Serbia, killed over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men in a few days. The International Court of Justice in The Hague and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have both ruled that the crimes in Srebrenica were acts of genocide.

The Workshop has accepted a Declaration of Sarajevo which could be seen at: 07052022 Sarajevo Declaration

2022-05-05 SARAJEVO ROHINGHA WORKSHOP – speaking notes

On the 26th of March, we celebrated the life of Halina Czernuszyn Robinson at St Matthew’s Hall on the Corso at Manly. Halina’s children, Vitek and Joanna, other family members and some 20 of her friends attended the ceremony. Halina departed in January last year aged 94.

Halina was a very special person.

She was born in a Jewish family in pre-WW2 Poland and locked up in the Warsaw ghetto during the German occupation. She was the only person in her family surviving the war. Halina was smuggled out of the ghetto by the Polish underground and placed with catholic nuns. After the war, she experienced communist Poland, then moved to Israel and finally settled in Australia.

Halina was a tough and the ultimate survivor. She was full of life and on a mission to create a better world. She was involved in Australia with Polish and Jewish communities and played a major role in multicultural organisations in NSW. She was a proud Jew, Pole and Australian. It was a pleasure to invite her to lecture at Western Sydney Uni. Her book ‘Cork on the waves’ is a must reading for all.

The ‘Farewelling Halina’ meeting was very moving. Vitek welcomed the participants and told us a little about Halina. Joanna’s eldest daughter, Angela, and Vitek’s eldest son, Sebastian, spoke about their Grandmother. Diana, a friend of Halina, and some other participants added a few words. It was fun to be with Halina again and enjoy her life. The speeches were followed by morning tea, with a chance to greet one another and continue our talk about Halina.

For Polish speakers, you might also like to listen in to the SBS Polish program eulogy given by Marianna Lacek on https://www.sbs.com.au/language/polish/audio/halina-czernuszyn-robinson-wspomnienie

Halina Czernuszyn Robinson

On Sunday 20 March 2022 a Charity Gala Function was organised to support Ukraine’s fight against the Russian aggressor at the Polish Club in Bankstown. Over $43,000 were collected in support of Ukraine’s independence.

A great Charity Gala program included many Polish and Ukrainian folkloric dance groups, poetry recitations and musical performances.

Speeches were delivered by Mr Dennis Wilson, partner of NSW Governor Hon. Margaret Beazley AC WC, barrister and philanthropist who donated his painting for the auction, Polish Consul General Monika Konczyk, Honorary Consul of Ukraine Jaroslav Duma OAM and myself – my speech is here.

Thank you to Jurek Maciejak who very ably conducted an auction, to Marta Kiec-Gubala for being such a good MC, to Marysia Nowak and her scouts who collected some $8,000 selling raffle tickets and to Mr Andrzej Lubaniecki, Polish Club manager who hosted the function!

It was a pleasure to be invited to be a part of the Unity Project, highlighting the achievements of Polish-born Australians who have made a significant contribution to Australian business, art, science and society. The below-attached podcast contains several individual stories. Each story speaks of a journey of migration, career building and making Australia home. These are our stories – each contributing to the story of unity.

Polish-born individuals have a long history in the story of Australia, dating back to 1696 when ten citizens joined a Dutch exploration expedition. Small pockets of migration have continued throughout the years with a more substantial community development after World War II.

2022 marks fifty years of diplomatic relations between Poland and Australia and notable professionals are being honoured for their work across many industries. Join us in celebrating their achievements.

Join me in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Australia-Poland diplomatic relations:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pabf_polish-born-people-have-a-long-history-in-activity-6902009130614190080-0KUm

Best luck to the Ukrainian defence forces! Defend your home. If you lose, your nation will face years of occupation. It will face mass murders and mass deportations to Syberia of the best and brightest. Remember what the Soviets did to Poles when they started WWII together with Hitler in September 1939. Remember Katyn!

To equal combat chances, NATO should offer to Ukraine a no-fly zone for Russian military planes. The current sanctions are inadequate.