Joanna Talewicz

2024-2025 Obama Foundation Europe Leader

Headshot of Joanna Talewicz, 2024-2025 Obama Foundation Europe Leader

Co-Founder and President, The Foundation Towards Dialogue

Poland

Joanna Talewicz is the co-founder and president of the Foundation Towards Dialogue, dedicated to creating a future in Poland where the Roma community is treated equally. She established the Roma Community Center in response to the discrimination Roma refugees faced upon arriving from Ukraine and served as a spokesperson on behalf of the community, advocating, and training other international NGOs. An active member of the Polish delegation in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, she was also nominated by the U.S. Embassy in Poland for the inaugural Secretary Antony Blinken Award for Global Anti-Racism Champions. Talewicz is proud to be a Roma woman and is committed to passing down her language and cultural heritage, while strengthening action for her community. Noting that stereotypes are based on fears and a lack of knowledge, Joanna is trying to build education systems and leverage empathy to seek greater recognition and rights for the Roma community in Poland.

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