The “Our Choice” Foundation was founded in 2009 by Ukrainians and their Polish friends to work on behalf of Ukrainian migrants in Poland, to help them integrate into Polish society and Polish culture, and to introduce Poles to Ukrainian culture. Over time, the Foundation has expanded the audience of its activities to include citizens of other countries.
The beginnings
In 2004, a group of friends – Ukrainians and Poles – organized in Warsaw to support the “Orange Revolution.”
At that time, not only in Ukraine, but also around the world, Ukrainians began to unite and act to create an open civil society. Supported by Poles, active Ukrainians in Warsaw also undertook similar activity. For five years, the Civic Initiative “Our Choice – Ukraine” participated in various projects, including co-founding the Welcome Center in Warsaw, which supported migrants of different ethnic groups, both genders and ages, providing them with legal assistance or organizing cultural and educational events. The Our Choice Foundation was officially registered in 2009.
Our mission
The main goal of the “Our Choice” Foundation is to help integrate Ukrainian migrants into Polish society, support the development of cultural, educational, economic and political contacts between Poland and Ukraine, and spread democratic values and civil society.
While most of its activities are aimed at Ukrainian migrants in Poland, the foundation regularly engages in initiatives and projects concerning other groups of foreigners residing in Poland.
Future plans
The Our Choice Foundation opened the Ukrainian House in Warsaw in November 2014 – a place where foreigners, with a special focus on Ukrainian citizens, feel at home. The Ukrainian House was initially established to facilitate integration and support for the Ukrainian community in Warsaw, but is now open to all foreigners and offers a space for activities and exchange of experiences, as well as a sense of belonging to a community.
The Ukrainian House is located at 1 Zamenhofa Street, in Muranów, near the Ratusz Arsenal subway station.
Numerous meetings, cultural events and exhibitions are held here. There is a point providing legal advice and Polish language courses are conducted. The Ukrainian Women’s Club and the “Glove” Children’s Club have their headquarters here.
