He is known as an active and frequent participant in Polish-Jewish and Christian-Jewish dialogue; and an ecumenist, i.e. believer in reconciliation of the various Christian denominations among the Kresy borderlands.

Between 1982 and 1993 he lived in Switzerland and France due to the political exile of his father Bohdan Cywiński who is a philosopher, historian and journalist.

[1] From 1996 to 2000, Piotr Cywiński served as vice-president of the Club of Catholic Intelligentsia (KIK) in Warsaw, followed by ten years as the President.

In 2004, Cywiński was elected vice-president (and regional president for Europe) of the global federation of Catholic intellectuals Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC for the mandate 2004–2008.

For the years 2002–2014 he served as a member of the Polish Episcopate's Group for Dialogue with the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine.

On 15 April 2008 Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland, awarded Cywiński the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

In 2013, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs awarded him the Bene Merito honorary badge for his activities in strengthening the position of Poland in the international arena.

[8] In November 2012, Prince Albert II of Monaco awarded Cywiński the knight class of the Order of Saint-Charles.