Projects:
- Polish-Ukrainian sisterhood (Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin)
- Let`s get to know each other (Fundacja You Plan Culture)
Area 2: Promoting social diversity and preventing exclusion
Even at a time of very intensive humanitarian aid, NGOs that took care of people fleeing war-stricken Ukraine were aware of the fact that very different actions would be needed soon – those that would favour the integration of refugees into Polish local communities. This is exactly what is happening now. We present initiatives that serve people from Ukraine and Poland equally.
Counteracting discrimination and creating relationships
– Watching the girls from Poland and Ukraine integrate, breaking down cultural and language barriers, was something wonderful,’ says Beata Szeliga, coordinator of the ‘Polish-Ukrainian Sisterhood’ project.
– Above all, they saw how much they have in common, how many similar experiences they have. And on top of that, they could do something together,’ adds Jan Marković, who also worked on the project.
This was possible thanks to the ‘Polish-Ukrainian Sisterhood’ project implemented by Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin (the Podkarpackie Association for Active Families). Previously, this NGO had undertaken various anti-discrimination activities for teenage girls.
When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began on 24 February 2022, people from the association quickly realised that activities integrating the two nationalities would soon be needed and proposed another project.
It was attended by 24 girls aged 15 to 18 from Poland and Ukraine, as well as 16 female educators (teachers, employees of libraries, community centres, NGOs, etc.).
The main goal was for all participants to feel more confident and safe, and to know how to react to daily manifestations of discrimination.
However, there were not only anti-discrimination workshops aimed at Polish and Ukrainian teenage girls, but also a week-long educational camp, implemented with the support of the Norwegian partner Norsensus Mediaforum. During the camp, participants took part in additional workshops: on communication, cooperation, wendo and creating social campaigns. The implementation of the latter was one of the tasks that the girls from both countries were jointly responsible for. In turn, the female educators prepared anti-discrimination initiatives in their schools. And with all of this, closer and closer relationships were formed.
Photos: Vladyslav Tsovma – Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin
– The girls from Poland and Ukraine were mutually very curious about each other’s culture. Although not all the Ukrainian girls spoke Polish well, while the Polish girls did not speak Ukrainian at all, they managed to communicate without major obstacles. The Ukrainian participants taught their Polish colleagues their alphabet and how to write their names. All this made them grow closer to each other,’ says Beata Szeliga.
– Many of them are still in touch with each other today, which makes us very happy, because it shows the lasting effects of the project, even after it has ended,’ adds Jan Marković. – It is great that the girls realised how to react in different situations, how to recognise discrimination, and the participants from Ukraine saw that in their culture there is much more pressure, for example on appearance, and that it is possible to do things differently.
As they unanimously admit, after more than two years, it is apparent that while Poland has done a lot of work to support people from Ukraine, integration at the social level still needs attention. That is why they are glad that the ‘Polish-Ukrainian sisterhood’ has contributed at least a little to bringing girls from Poland and Ukraine closer together.
A kind of continuation of the project is the Integrative Youth Club in Rzeszów, which has been run by the Podkarpackie Association for Active Families for several months. Anyone can come here and take part in various events, but also just sit, spend time together, play guitar or board games.
– We are also thinking of doing a project similar to ‘Polish-Ukrainian Sisterhood’, only this time aimed at boys. When we were recruiting at schools, they themselves asked if we would also do something for them,’ recalls Beata Szeliga.
– The boys must not be forgotten, because I hear from friends in other NGOs that they are starting to radicalise. Activities are needed to show that it is worth integrating and that there is nothing to be afraid of, because we have much more in common than differences, concludes Jan Marković.
School theatre integration
– Already two years before the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine, we felt that it was worth speaking out about people from Ukraine in Poland and promote integration. It so happened that a few days before 24 February 2022, we were finishing planning completely different activities, but when the information about what was happening reached us, we decided that what we were preparing was irrelevant at that moment and quickly turned everything into an aid project for Ukrainian people,’ recalls Łukasz Ignasiński of the You Plan Culture Foundation.
This is how the ‘Let’s get to know each other’ project was created, aimed mainly at children and young people in the Pomeranian Province. Its main activity was an intercultural integration workshop using the language of theatre techniques. A similar approach had already proved successful in previous activities, so it was decided that this time too it would be a good idea. Especially since, although things are much better now, more than two years ago there was a much bigger problem with the presence and functioning of intercultural assistants in schools.
The classes took place in educational facilities covered by the Archdiocese of Gdansk, as one of the partners was the local branch of the Caritas charity. Lesson scenarios were developed that teachers could use to organise activities for the four target groups.They all dealt with issues of integration, tolerance, mutual understanding and were adapted to different age groups.The initial plan was for around 350 children to take part, but it soon became apparent that the demand was much greater, so that – after slight modifications – it was possible to reach over eight hundred.
And, as Łukasz Ignasiński admits, even so, at times the calling schools had to be turned down because they simply lacked the strength, manpower and budget.
The second important element of ‘Let’s get to know each other’ was discussions and support for staff working in schools. The seminar, organised together with another partner, the Emigration Museum in Gdynia, people not only from Poland and Ukraine, but also from Belarus were invited. The idea was not to focus solely on children who had come from Ukraine, but also to see those from other parts of the world, so that no one was left behind.
– It turned out that the needs were great and systemic solutions were lacking. At least there were none at the time, things are slightly better now. During the meeting, we prepared recommendations, which we then sent to the local authorities of the city of Gdynia.
Interestingly, the various solutions that were supposed to help integrate children of different nationalities into local communities often worked better in smaller towns than in big cities, where in some schools almost nobody knows anyone because there are so many students.
In addition, we noticed that the facilities unfortunately do not always use good solutions and do not keep in touch with each other. We tried to meet these challenges and equip schools in the Pomorskie Province with tools to help them in this situation and to take care of the integration of children and young people,’ explains Łukasz Ignasiński.
A Day of Ukrainian Culture was also carried out. It featured concerts by Ukrainian musicians, embroidery workshops and documentary film screenings. It was important to show not only the war situation, but also that, despite everything, there is a normal life in Ukraine. To show how much we have in common. For the same reason, the word ‘refugee’ was avoided in the project, because it was considered to be automatically associated with stereotypes and to cause people to pigeonhole those who came to us from Ukraine. And then it is more difficult to integrate.
During the Day of Ukrainian Culture the conclusion of a competition for photographs took place. The photos depicting everyday life were taken by children and young people from Ukraine. All the works that met the regulations were awarded prizes and then hung in the Emigration Museum. But because they had to be taken down after a while, an agreement was reached with Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk, and an exhibition appeared there too, which could be seen by up to 50,000 people.
There was no shortage of difficult moments during the project. For example, when, in some places, a few of the louder students ‘took over’ a meeting with slogans – heard in the media or from adults – that could be described as xenophobic and racist.There were also, of course, schools where everything went off without a hitch and young people showed remarkable empathy and understanding of difficult issues.
– When someone was shouting unpleasant things, theatre techniques were very useful. We did various exercises where the kids, for example, faced each other and had to smile at each other and say ‘I like you’. It usually worked in the end and we mostly achieved the desired effect. In fact, we received a lot of thanks from parents. Our project has certainly helped many young people,’ concludes Łukasz Ignasiński.
Meeting place and entrepreneurship
– ‘I myself have lived in Poland for twenty years, so it was natural for me to move towards the integration of both societies,’ says Tatiana Dembska, president of Fundacja Dobra dla Dobra (the Good for Good Foundation).
Already on 25 February 2022, she founded the group ‘I help Ukrainians in Toruń’. Within 24 hours, 1,300 people had joined, and after another six days there were as many as 6,500. Everyone wanted to help in some way, responding to the biggest and most pressing needs.
But then it was time to adapt: a year ago, the foundation set up the Polish-Ukrainian House in Toruń. It hosts many meetings for people seeking support in various situations (e.g. in obtaining a residence permit in Poland), but above all offers an opportunity to get to know each other and spend time together.
Programme offering is not imposed top-down, as everyone can come and propose their ideas for what could take place at the House. Projects include the support of a lawyer, psychological and pedagogical consultations, the issuing of humanitarian aid, etc. But a lady also came forward, for example, who wanted to do handicraft classes, so a weekly knitting circle was set up. A seniors’ home has also been set up at the House: there are a lot of older people who want to get together with others.
– There are a lot of art and art therapy workshops, but also photography classes, gingerbread decorating, and learning how to service and use mobile phones or computers. There is a lot going on,’ says Tatiana Dembska.
The Polish-Ukrainian House in Toruń has already hosted several familiarisation picnics for Polish and Ukrainian families. At the first one, they expected about a thousand people and four times as many turned up. The ‘Let’s get to know each other’ family picnic was aimed at the local community regardless of nationality.
It is important to emphasise that the offer of integration events of the Polish-Ukrainian House is also created for Poles, and not – as in the beginning – only for people who fled from Ukraine.
Major events are carried out with the support of both the City Hall and other local NGOs.
The Good for Good Foundation also collaborated with the Nicolaus Copernicus University to develop a survey to find out what the mood was towards people from Ukraine. It turned out that, fortunately, they are overwhelmingly perceived very positively. Perhaps this is also due to the fact that Tatiana Dembska is trying to combat various stereotypes. More than a year ago, she set up the project ‘Entrepreneurial Ukrainian women in Poland’: women from Ukraine meet with various experts who talk about how the labour market works in Poland, how the various industries operate. Many Ukrainian women have set up their own businesses, so they have regular contact with people from Poland, which also helps with integration.
– I’m very keen to show that we can all learn from each other, exchange experiences and develop. When people see an enterprising Ukrainian woman who is setting up a successful company, they understand that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of and that people who have come to Poland from Ukraine also want to contribute to the good functioning of the Polish economy,’ concludes Tatiana Dembska.
Photos: Ada Sanger
The article has been published in the non-governmental organisations portal ngo.pl.
Autor tekstu: Jędrzej Dudkiewicz
Polish-Ukrainian sisterhood’s website: https://psar.pl/sisterhood/
More information about the project: https://aktywniobywatele-regionalny.org.pl/en/projekt/polish-ukrainian-sisterhood/
Let`s get to know each other’s website: https://youplanculture.com/poznajmysie/
More information about the project: https://aktywniobywatele-regionalny.org.pl/en/projekt/lets-get-to-know-each-other/
