Today, the fellows spoke with Polish human rights activists to understand how the civil sector acts upon the societal issues discussed thus far in the program. Magda Szarota, the program coordinator, suggested the primary goal of today’s program was to assess two related questions: 1) What role do organizations play in promoting human rights? and 2) How are such organizations changing the social and political climate in Poland?
The program began at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, an umbrella human rights organization that litigates cases on behalf of underrepresented populations, monitors government activity with respect to human rights, and educates individuals on related topics. Dr Adam Bodnar, a lawyer and Board member for the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, spoke about the history of the organization and the Polish experience with human rights violations.
The foundation began as a committee during Communist Rule, when a group of activists clandestinely published reports highlighting human rights abuses under martial law. After the fall of communism, the committee immediately became a recognized organization with a continued commitment to protect human rights. In addition to issues with communism, Mr. Bodnar highlighted other prominent human rights issues in Polish more recent history including: lustration laws under the Kaczynski twins, criminal defamation with relation to journalism, involvement in the Iraq war and representation of Roma minorities.
After a short break, the fellows moved to Chlodna 25, a café where young people typically meet to formulate ideas surrounding activism. The fellows met youth activists from four organizations: I Choose, Aim High, Association for Intercultural Dialogue and the owners of a studio for simulation games. The founders of I Choose, inspired by the Rock the Vote initiative in the United States, created a nation-wide campaign to inspire their generation to exercise their right to vote. Also realizing the power of youth, the members of Aim High organize camps, academies and other initiatives to build self-confidence among teenagers. In the words of Magdalena Szeniawska, the representative from Aim High, “The first step is to make them believe that they can do something and the second is to inspire them to act.”
The Association for Intercultural Dialogue is an international platform where students from France, Spain, Poland, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia cooperate to foster mutual international understanding. Representatives from the studio of simulation games then explained their effort to design games that foster cooperation within NGOs, businesses and other organizations. To illustrate the mission of the organization, the fellows were asked to participate in a simulation game. Each participant decided whether to take the train or a car to work from a remote village in the mountains. Those that took the train received 5 points each round, while those that chose the car received 15 points. If more than 40% of the group drove, however, those that chose the car received 0 points. The HIA fellows appeared to be surprisingly cooperative, as most people benevolently continued to take the train until the last few rounds.
The day concluded with a seminar that examined the role of corporations in the struggle for human rights. Using the Agora Foundation as a case study, fellows considered questions such as: To what extent should corporations benefit from socially responsible efforts? How should a company choose which issue to address?
Agora Foundation is a philanthropic branch of Agora Media, a media conglomerate in Poland. The most prominent subsidiary is a newspaper entitled, “Gazeta Wyborcza” signifying “Election Results” in English. The newspaper emerged after the Solidarity movement in 1989, and is widely regarded as the most popular newspaper in Poland. Using the newspaper as a platform, fellows discussed what role a news organization should play in human rights. Should it report on certain issues to raise awareness? Can the newspaper be an effective medium to initiate social campaigns?
Bearing in mind these examples of activism, tomorrow the fellows will discuss the minority situation in Poland and how to move forward.
-Jessica Prue (US Fellow)
The program began at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, an umbrella human rights organization that litigates cases on behalf of underrepresented populations, monitors government activity with respect to human rights, and educates individuals on related topics. Dr Adam Bodnar, a lawyer and Board member for the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, spoke about the history of the organization and the Polish experience with human rights violations.The foundation began as a committee during Communist Rule, when a group of activists clandestinely published reports highlighting human rights abuses under martial law. After the fall of communism, the committee immediately became a recognized organization with a continued commitment to protect human rights. In addition to issues with communism, Mr. Bodnar highlighted other prominent human rights issues in Polish more recent history including: lustration laws under the Kaczynski twins, criminal defamation with relation to journalism, involvement in the Iraq war and representation of Roma minorities.
After a short break, the fellows moved to Chlodna 25, a café where young people typically meet to formulate ideas surrounding activism. The fellows met youth activists from four organizations: I Choose, Aim High, Association for Intercultural Dialogue and the owners of a studio for simulation games. The founders of I Choose, inspired by the Rock the Vote initiative in the United States, created a nation-wide campaign to inspire their generation to exercise their right to vote. Also realizing the power of youth, the members of Aim High organize camps, academies and other initiatives to build self-confidence among teenagers. In the words of Magdalena Szeniawska, the representative from Aim High, “The first step is to make them believe that they can do something and the second is to inspire them to act.”
The Association for Intercultural Dialogue is an international platform where students from France, Spain, Poland, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia cooperate to foster mutual international understanding. Representatives from the studio of simulation games then explained their effort to design games that foster cooperation within NGOs, businesses and other organizations. To illustrate the mission of the organization, the fellows were asked to participate in a simulation game. Each participant decided whether to take the train or a car to work from a remote village in the mountains. Those that took the train received 5 points each round, while those that chose the car received 15 points. If more than 40% of the group drove, however, those that chose the car received 0 points. The HIA fellows appeared to be surprisingly cooperative, as most people benevolently continued to take the train until the last few rounds.
The day concluded with a seminar that examined the role of corporations in the struggle for human rights. Using the Agora Foundation as a case study, fellows considered questions such as: To what extent should corporations benefit from socially responsible efforts? How should a company choose which issue to address?
Agora Foundation is a philanthropic branch of Agora Media, a media conglomerate in Poland. The most prominent subsidiary is a newspaper entitled, “Gazeta Wyborcza” signifying “Election Results” in English. The newspaper emerged after the Solidarity movement in 1989, and is widely regarded as the most popular newspaper in Poland. Using the newspaper as a platform, fellows discussed what role a news organization should play in human rights. Should it report on certain issues to raise awareness? Can the newspaper be an effective medium to initiate social campaigns?Bearing in mind these examples of activism, tomorrow the fellows will discuss the minority situation in Poland and how to move forward.
-Jessica Prue (US Fellow)
