National Minorities and Organizing Cross-border Cultural Cooperation: Evidence from the Polish-Lithuanian Borderland

Abstract

The research problem is minority participation in local development, illustrated by the case of the Lithuanian minority’s activities in Poland. The aim of the paper is to analyse actions conducted by the Lithuanian minority in Poland (Puosk) and to point out some factors supporting cross-border cultural cooperation engaging the national minority, based on best practices from the Lithuanian-Polish border-land. It is a good illustration of a process leading to the improvement of relations between neighbouring countries, thanks to cross-border cooperation based on the minority’s activities. The authors analyse a case study regarding Polish commune development strongly influenced by Lithuanian culture and the Lithuanian minority’s activities. It is analysed in the paper together with qualitative research (interviews) that allowed the research problem to be solved.