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, which has more than 400,000 people. The organization is based Hrodna, directly on the border with Poland and Lithuania, where over 25 percent of the population is of Polish origin.

The organization has 25,000 members the largest non-governmental organization in Belarus. They lobby with 2 schools, 16 cultural centers and a variety of clubs for the revival of the Polish language and tradition in Belarus. Since 2005, there are two boards. The legally elected by the members is not recognized by the Belarusian government and finds himself an exile in Poland. In its place acts a Management Board, which was proposed by the Belarusian government. This is again not recognized by the Polish government. Recently, the organization has attracted international attention because the Belarusian government under President Lukashenko the " Union of Poles in Belarus " suspected to foment a color revolution, as it took place in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.