18/08/2026
At Polaron European Citizenship, food has always been part of how we welcome people, and our New York event at The Kosciuszko Foundation was no exception. Once the planning began, the catering took on a life of its own and we somehow ended up with enough Belgian chocolates, French w**e, Polish sausages, Australian snacks and American enthusiasm to satisfy a very large gathering. Possibly several. But the evening was never just about what was on the table.
Guardians of Heritage was an important milestone for our team. The Kosciuszko Foundation opened their beautiful 100 year old venue to us with genuine warmth, and the atmosphere that followed allowed people to settle in, talk openly and connect in ways that felt natural and meaningful.
We are grateful to our MC, Bartek Szymanski, whose humour and steady presence shaped the flow of the night, and to our panel Marek Skulimowski, John Dobkowski, Kathy Nalywajko and Jeffrey K. Cymbler. Their reflections on heritage, identity and community brought depth to every conversation.
Together we explored what it means to hold more than one identity at once, how families and diaspora communities keep language and traditions alive and how sport can help younger generations feel closer to their heritage. We also looked at the role cultural organisations, museums, educators and research groups play in keeping heritage visible and relevant.
Seeing people recognise parts of their own stories in what others shared reminded us why this work matters. Citizenship is not just a process and heritage is not something distant. It lives in people, in memory and in the connections they build with one another. There was a strong sense of pride and hope throughout the evening, and it was moving to watch those moments unfold.
We left The Kosciuszko Foundation feeling grateful, proud and very well fed, and New York greeted us with a warmth that made the city feel surprisingly close. We will return, and yes, we will still worry about the catering. Even if we aim for one village next time, there is every chance we will end up preparing for half of Manhattan again.
A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful team Dominic Carter, Paulina Bartoszewska, Ariana Romero, Anouk Tondeleir and Ewelina Dziwisz, and to Anna, Leszek, Kinga, Izabella, Regina and Christabel for your support before and during the event. Belle Kwan, we expect to see you at the next one.
