Participation of Polish women in peacekeeping missions
Poland has been present in peacekeeping missions and operations since 1953, i.e. since the establishment of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea. This year we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of Polish peace efforts. During this period, over 120,000 Poles participated in nearly 120 operations. Women have been present in these activities from the very beginning. First, they were present as support staff, e.g. translators, clerks, nurses, and after the political changes, also as soldiers. However, we know very little about them. Sometimes we don't even know the exact number of female participants in activities outside the country. We often learn about their experiences only from the perspective of memories or even gossip of their service colleagues. The goal of the project is to locate these blank spots in the history of Polish peacekeepers and propose a solution that will allow to fill them in.
Peace March in Lodz
On Thursday, 21 September, the UN Peacekeeping Mission Veteran's Association, club no. 40 in Lodz organised the 5th Peace March in Lodz on the occasion of the International Day of Peace. The event included a ceremonial march along Piotrkowska accompanied by the MPK Orchestra, the "mŁodzianki" cheerleading team and the reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For me, as a young researcher, this is a special event, because for the third time I have been invited by members of club no. 40 to participate in the march and subsequent ceremonial meeting of the club. It is an expression of the fact that my activities enjoy the support of the community of the Polish veterans of peacekeeping missions that I am researching
– says Julia Gertner-Hryniewiecka, the student implementing the project
The UN Peacekeeping Mission Veteran's Association is an organisation working to integrate the community of veterans of operations outside national borders. Its objectives include popularising knowledge among the public about the importance and the role of the UN and other international organisations in ensuring peace and security, quelling conflicts in the world and building mutual trust and cooperation. Another important element of the Association's activities is to popularise, both in the country and abroad, the so-far achievements and experiences of Poles in missions organised by the international community in various parts of the world, as well as to represent and protect the interests of veterans and work towards improving the social and living conditions of veterans and their families.
About the project
The project was carried out as part of Science Hub of the University of Lodz – a university-wide collaboration platform that aims at supporting the University of Lodz academic community in implementing implementation scientific projects in cooperation with the environment.
Tiltle of the project: Badania nad udziałem Polek w misjach poza granicami państwa - stan i perspektywy [Research on the participation of Polish women in peacekeeping missions – status and prospects]
The project supervisor: Dr hab. Krzysztof Lesiakowski, Associate Professor, Department of Polish and World History after 1945
Student: Julia Gertner-Hryniewiecka, History
Partner: the UN Peacekeeping Mission Veteran's Association
Description of the project: The aim of the project is to analyse the current state of research on the participation of Polish women in peacekeeping missions after 1945, and then, based on the results of the analysis, to propose paths for further development of research on this poorly understood topic.
Source: Julia Gertner-Hryniewiecka
Edit: Science Hub of the University of Lodz