Hear, hear let's get back to the origins of the group.
I also haven't been very active as my business is taking up more of my time but will keep up with as many posts as I can.
Paul
Stefan Wisniowski writes:
Dear friends You may have noticed that I have been less active on the group list in
recent weeks. I wanted to let you know that I am still here but have become
rather preoccupied with other issues such as family and business for a
while... I also wanted to say how pleased I am with the leadership that many of you
have taken in my absence, and with the ongoing vitality of the group.
Clearly ANY group is only as strong as its members and I am pleased to say
that OUR group is strong indeed. The question has been raised about the purpose of the group. Particularly,
is it a group to promote the Polish story of the 1939-45 war with the
Soviets in particular ? Or is it a general discussion group on wartime
behaviour - good and bad - also open to critical debate about the Polish
people and their conduct during the war...? In reply I can quote the public objectives of the group:
"Dedicated to researching, remembering and recognising the Polish citizens
deported, enslaved and killed by the Soviet Union during World War Two." The Kresy-Siberia Group brings into contact people from countries around the
world with a special interest in the tragedy of over 1 million Polish
citizens of various faiths and ethnicities from eastern Poland (the "Kresy",
or Borderlands) in 1940-41 who were killed, repressed or deported to
prisons, forced labour camps (GULAGs) and "special resettlements" in
Siberia, Kazakhstan and Soviet Asia. I personally believe that understanding the truth is an important ingredient
in our mission - although defining objective truth in matters of human
conduct is in itself often a difficult if not impossible task. So certainly
we should be open to discussions and differences of opinion. However, I note that the style and values of such debates is also important.
In our group especially, members strive to avoid disparaging or offending
other members - this is a friendly and supportive group with common goals
rather than a debating society. We are all trying to learn from each other,
not "score points". For this reason, members are also asked to avoid
commenting on current politics that could cause dissension between members,
especially those not on the topic of the history and fate of the deported
Polish citizens. In addition, prejudicial remarks of a religious or racial
nature are not tolerated. Thank you and best wishes for 2004! Stefan Wisniowski, Sydney
Group Moderator PS perhaps the organisation of the German Expellees could be the best thing
to ever happen to the Kresy deportees, but only if we learn to use the
publicity and press for our purposes like everybody else does and use it to
tell the story of why all these Poles from the East happened to be in the
"Regained Lands".
...
Stefan Wisniowski *
KRESY-SIBERIA GROUP = RESEARCH REMEMBRANCE RECOGNITION
"Dedicated to researching, remembering and recognising the Polish citizens
deported, enslaved and killed by the Soviet Union during World War Two."
*
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