‘My heart hopes that my life will not end the same way as it begun.’

Olga Kulanowska - Essay and Poem

This is not my work, when I read Olgas’ Essay, it deeply touched my heart. It’s reproduced here with permission from the author to educate, inform and inspire action. Olga knows that the time has come to stand up as no-one can comply their way out of Tyranny.

‘My heart hopes that my life will not end the same way as it begun.’

I was born in Poland in 1963 (of Polish heritage), where at the time our freedom of speech was curtailed on bases of mis/dis/false information over spoken, written or any form of art/expression.

Anything that portrayed our government, union or our eastern neighbour in unfavourable way, even a slightest dislike, had to be silenced in one way or another. Truth wasn’t a welcome guest at the table.

If one wanted to enjoy freedom allowed within the prison, one had to obey unwritten laws or otherwise pay the price … including an early trip to heaven caused by a freaky accident.

I recall my grandma’s words, of not being able to voice the fact that her husband was killed by Russian military in south-east Poland on the onset of WWII, well before German army arrived there. My grandpa was an academic/teacher and this made him a target.

I had my first warning when I was 10 or 11 years old from a history teacher, who was one of my favourites.

We were asked to write an essay on a specific topic related to Polish history. I loved studying, I loved history and so I was eager to create something good.

I was excited to discover that the topic I needed to research was covered in a history book that belonged to my grandpa, saved by my grandma together with few other of his books.

During the class, I proudly raised my hand to share my work. To be honest, I was hoping for some kind of greater ‘well done’ from the teacher, but she didn’t seem fussed about my essay.

When the lesson ended and we were walking out of the classroom, the teacher called me back. It was only two of us. She looked at me with her kind eyes and asked:

‘Where did you get this information from?’

‘From my grandpa’s book.’ … I proudly replied.

Then she said:

‘This was a very good essay and all the details are true, but please do not use this book again, because it may get your parents into a big trouble.’

Not only was she a wonderful teacher, but her heart was aligned with truth and my parents spared. Her name stayed with me to this day.

I also would like to acknowledge my parents, who always included me in their discussions about political and other important issues around our round table and behind closed doors. This helped me to see a bigger picture of false, unjust and corrupt reality. Both of them lived through the WWII.

Being in the know, prepared me for the year 1980.

One ordinary day, my mum received a surprise call from her cousin who never called us before, if I remember well.

He was living in Gdańsk (northern part of Poland) and we lived down south in Zabrze. He told my mum about the Solidarność (Solidarity) movement that just started under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa, and of which most people around the Poland were not aware as yet. He asked if we would want to get involved and if yes, he will arrange to connect us with the activists in our area.

This conversation was followed by the most serious ‘round table’ meeting that my parents and I had so far. And so, we were in.

The connections were made just in time, before the communication between Gdańsk and immediate area were cut off from the rest of Poland and a truly ‘underground’ work has begone.

In a nutshell, my father set up a Solidarność group within his workplace ‘Huta Zabrze’. He worked in a big steel foundry as an engineer and quality control manager. Because of his integrity, honesty and fairness it may have been easier for him to gain trust of the ‘blue collar’* workers and get them to join Solidarność movement.

(*term used only for easiness of understanding)

My father, being a ‘white collar’* worker, became very inconvenient for other ‘white collar’ workers and especially for those on top as well as union members, as they were on the government’s side.

As a result, my father started receiving anonymous life-threatening notes at his work place.

When this started to happen, my parents became concern about me and my future. After another very serious ‘round table’ discussion, we have decided to flee our country.

The plan was for mum to stay behind, while I with my dad went to Brussels (Belgium) for two weeks during my winter school holidays in February 1981. Return tickets of course.

The reasons behind the plan:

·      Most people were choosing Germany, Austria or England to escape to, so Belgium felt safer to choose as destination.

·      We heard on ‘Free Europe’ radio that there is an office in Brussels, where we could apply for political asylum.

·      Leaving mum behind supposed to minimise suspicion of our escape and she was going to act as totally not aware and as if abandoned by her husband. (cases like this did exist)

·      When it came to family reunification, the strongest case was for the mother on her own to be reunited with the child and husband.

·      Most crucial, it had to take place before my 18^th birthday in March. In case something went wrong, I could hopefully be spared from a criminal charge.

For this to go ahead, we had to apply for permission to exit Poland with a wish to enter a western country. This was a standard rule for everyone, as valid passport was only valid for crossing our border into Eastern Block countries.

In addition, I had to provide a letter from my school principle stating that I was a good/patriotic student.

The waiting time was tense, but we got the good news: a stamped permission to go.

In hind side, I wonder if they have suspected, but at the same time thought that this way they will have one less accident to stage.

After a heart stopping moment at the luggage check counter on Polish side and saved by a miracle, we have landed in Brussels on the 1^st of February 1981.

Running long story short, later that year we were granted a political asylum and political refugee status. Our Polish citizenship was renounced and Polish passport was exchanged for UN passport as our new ID document.

The following year, we were accepted to enter Australia as permanent residents and arrived in this country on the 4^th December 1982.

Only few years ago, I came across a letter found in my father’s documents box, stating that we happened to be the last two Polish political refugees granted a permanent entry to Australia from their Belgium embassy.

My father and I, we embraced our new home (Australia) hole heartly, cherishing the freedom we did not have in our mother land.

We got reunited with my mum 3 and half years later. My father, being ‘a one-woman man’, was simply ecstatic.

Going forward.

Now, at the age of 60, I watch the actions and inactions conducted by our government and globally, that truly horrify me. I see and feel the history repeating itself once again, and so soon. I am glad that my parents are no longer alive to witness this.

Is my life going to end the same way as it begun?

Our government is willing to compromise sovereignty of our country and freedom of all Australians, disregard Nuremburg Code and Hippocratic Oath taken by medical doctors.

A blind faith in WHO and acceptance of their proposed 307 amendments to IHR as well as proposed Pandemic Treaty (CA+) will imprison us. We will become WHO’s marionette just like Poland was in my early years, having its strings pulled by the Soviet Union.

JSCOT has already accepted/rubber stamped amendment to Article 59 (+related article 55,61,62,63) on the 3^rd of August 2023, seemingly without taking to consideration a prior received petition with over 55 thousand of people signing it, and some additional petitions from various groups to top this up. While our Health Minister’s Mark Butler response to those petitions came out on the 6^th of October 2023 and his official response that can be found on Australian Parliament website: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN5048

(Scroll to the bottom of the link above and click on the ministerial response link.)

So, according to our Health Minister the already accepted (2 months and 3 days earlier) Article 59 as per JSCOT Minor Treaty document to be found on Parliament of Australia site is yet to be scrutinised and accepted. I don’t want to sound rude, but seeing this, one can wonder if he is ignorant or a liar, and I guess there is a room for a third option.

Either way, the deadline of 1st December 2023 is now gone to reject amendment to this Article 59 in IHR.

The time is precious and the Australians need to be informed about it through public media as soon as possible. We cannot let the government keep us in the dark. We cannot let them take our democracy, freedom, dignity and human rights away.

We need to remind our government, that they are our servants and that we, ordinary Australians are paying them to do the right thing by us and not by WHO among other things.

The time to become one voice has come. We can change the history from repeating itself and as John Lennon said:

‘You may say I'm a dreamer
 But I'm not the only one
 I hope someday you'll join us
 And the world will be as one’

or per my own poem:

‘The time is now’

Did you know

that we are living in timeless times

and if you think I lost my marbles

there is no one better than politicians to ask

they will tell you

that nothing can be done until ‘the time comes’

and hence

they have no time to talk to us

so let’s STAND UP and show them

that the TIME HAS COME!

(poem written on 26^th November 2023)

With respect,

Olga Kulanowska