Union of Poles in Belarus
The Union of Poles in Belarus ( Polish : Związek Polaków na Białorusi , Belarusian : Саюз Палякаў Беларусі ) is the organization of the Polish minority in Belarus , to which more than 400,000 people belong. The organization is based in Hrodna , right on the border with Poland and Lithuania, where over 25 percent of the population is of Polish origin.
With 25,000 members, the organization is the largest non-governmental organization in Belarus. With 2 schools, 16 cultural centers and a large number of associations, it is committed to the revival of the Polish language and tradition in Belarus.
Two board members have existed since 2005. The board of directors, legally elected by the members but not recognized by the Belarusian government, is in exile in Poland. A board proposed by the Belarusian government acts in its place. This in turn is not recognized by the Polish government.
The organization attracted international attention when the Belarusian Lukashenko government charged it with initiating a color revolution similar to that in Ukraine , Georgia or Kyrgyzstan .