The keynote of this year's session was the fate of parliamentarians of the Second Republic during the occupation. This topic relates to the 2018 session devoted to Members of the Legislative Sejm. - It is difficult to separate the wartime fate of parliamentarians from their social and political activities during the interwar period. In the parliamentary benches sat the political elite of Poland. These were people who were born in Poland under the partitions. They fought for an independent state existence. They worked for the benefit of the Independent Second Republic. In 1939 they fought to defend Poland and later they were repressed by the German and Soviet occupants - said at the inauguration of the SDiM Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński, who immediately before the start of the XXV session met with the youth marshals: Aleksandra Bida, Piotr Polakowski and Michał Warzecha

During the meeting of the SDiM, the young parliamentarians discussed the activities of members of the Second Polish Sejm and their fate during World War II and the occupation. It was also a unique opportunity for the young parliamentarians to deepen their knowledge of the functioning of parliamentary democracy and an impulse to actively participate in civil society, think independently and build their own opinions about the surrounding world. The participants of the SDiM had the task to learn about the biography of their chosen MP in order to bring his/her attitudes closer to their local society.

- The theme of this year's session is unique. The Children and Youth Sejm is an exceptional challenge, task, but also an exceptional pleasure to participate in this extraordinary event. The year 2019 is special for this undertaking, because this year marks the 25th anniversary," said Maciej Kopeć, Deputy Minister of National Education, during the session.

In turn, the deputy chairman of the Institute of National Remembrance, Mateusz Szpytma, pointed out that thanks to this undertaking by the Sejm, it is possible to learn Polish history in a creative and interesting way. - In my opinion, learning only for grades or out of necessity does not give as much satisfaction as discovering and understanding the essence of an issue by acting for the benefit of others, and this is what you had a chance to experience in this project," said Mateusz Szpytma.

This year as many as 453 two-person teams decided to participate in the SDiM. Those of them that conducted the most interesting research and implemented the action plan were invited to the session of Children and Youth Parliament on June 1st.

At the end of the meeting, SDiM passed a resolution on popularization of knowledge about the fate and activities of Members of the Seym of the Second Republic of Poland during World War II and the occupation period.

The main organizer of the XXV session of the Children and Youth Sejm was the Chancellery of the Sejm together with the Institute of National Remembrance, the Education Development Center and the Ministry of National Education.

CIS

Photo by Joanna van Fenema