Szkoła Liderów Polonijnych
Developing Inspiring Supporting leaders all over the world “Potential leaders are everywhere and we know how to find and to support them” Prof. Zbigniew Andrzej Pełczyński, the Founder of the School for Leaders
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About the School for Leaders The School for Leaders was founded in the summer of 1994 by the initiative of the professor Zbigniew Pełczyński – a philosopher, an active social and political activist and a man of rich background. Professor Pełczyński participated in the Warsaw Uprising. After the war he settled down in the United Kingdom where he became a lecturer at the Oxford University.
2014
The foundation of the School for Leaders Foundation
2013
At the beginning of the nineties, after returning to Poland, he was an advisor of the Prime Minister Mazowiecki. In 2014 he was distinguished with the Commodore’s Cross with the Star of the Order of Rebirth of Poland.
The first editions of the School for Cultural Animators for the Polish Community Abroad and the “You are at home. Vote!” campaign
The School for Leaders started to operate in 1994. In the February of 1997 the School for Leaders Association was registered with the aim to train and support the leaders who perform their activities within the public sphere in NGOs, local government institutions and political parties. The participants of our programs are people of different political and social options. Today, after 20 years of activity, our Alumni are members of the European and Polish Parliament, the government and the organs of many local governments. They also run hundreds of organizations and social initiatives in over 40 countries all over the world. On the 22nd May 2014 the School for Leaders Foundation was registered, which was created by the School for Leaders and professor Zbigniew Pełczyński. The Foundation was the legal successor and continuator of the activity of the School for Leaders Association.
1998
The first international project: Serbian Winter School
1994
The foundation of the School for Leaders
2009
The launch of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad
2005
The first of a series of leadership workshops for young active representatives of the Polish community from the East
1997
The creation of the School for Leaders Association; the first representatives of the Polish diaspora participate in the Summer School for Young Social and Political Leaders
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About the project “School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad�
THE SCHOOL FOR LEADERS FOR THE POLISH COMMUNITY ABROAD IN NUMBERS
The School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad (SLP) is addressed to the young people who live outside of Poland and want to act on behalf of their communities and to promote Poland and its culture abroad. The School aims to support the development of the young leaders by means of different educational forms. As part of two-week-long training programs, the participants take part in numerous workshops, lectures, discussion panels and study visits organized in different Polish cities (the participants are supported by experienced leaders who are chosen from among the SLP Alumni). We also organize training sessions for the participants from a particular country or for those who are active only in a particular area. The first edition of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad was held in 2009. Within the 6 years of its existence 16 training programs were held in Poland and 11 outside of the country (in Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, USA and France). Altogether 408 leaders from 36 countries on 5 continents (South America, North America, Australia, Asia and Europe) participated in the project. The program covers three main areas: developing, supporting and inspiring the young Poles who live outside of Poland. It also enables them to reinforce their bonds with Poland. Thanks to the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad the young leaders can get familiar with the contemporary face of our country. Thanks to the numerous meetings with those who have impact on the image of Poland (politicians, representatives of cultural institutions, non-governmental or business organizations) the participants get familiar with the Polish culture and current social, political and economical situation. They also have an opportunity to meet the leaders of the Polish community abroad from other parts of the world. Had they not participated in our program, they would probably have never had such an opportunity.
6
years
16
training courses in Polan
11
training courses abroad
408
participants from 36 countries |3
School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad 2014 10 years in the European Union
School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Central Europe (18-29 June) Twenty people from the five following countries participated in the School: Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Central Europe was dedicated to such topics as the integration with a local community, the regional and international cooperation, the challenges related to encouraging the young people to act and the innovativeness in the projects. During the meetings the participants also discussed the opportunities that the young Polish community leaders were given with the transformation and especially with the accession to the European Union. Moreover, the participants of the SLP of Central Europe took part in the Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders where they had an opportunity to establish contacts with 25 young Polish community activists from all over the world and with more than 150 social and political leaders from Poland who are the Alumni of different programs of the School for Leaders.
Leadership in French
Leadership Training in France (2-5 October) The training course was organized by the School for Leaders Association in cooperation with the Les Polonaises Association in France. Altogether 15 participants took part in it. It was dedicated to the leadership development and networking. The leaders also had an opportunity to get fami-
“How to celebrate the Polish identity?” “With pride of what we have.” “The Polish identity is within us.” “By being a Pole who has courage to speak about the disadvantages and advantages, to act constructively and to have impact on the changes.” “By celebrating positive events and showing the world what we can still do.”“With a smile.” The participants of the seminar “Leaders – Together about solidarity”
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liar with the functioning of the French structures. They could find out how to establish efficient cooperation with French institutions and organizations and how to build cooperation between the Polish community organizations in France. They also took part in the workshops that developed their leadership competencies, as well as in the lectures and meetings with the activists from the French and Polish community social organizations or the study visits to the local government and non-government institutions. The coordinator of the training course was Aldona Kałuża, Alumna of SLP.
Leaders – Together about solidarity We celebrate the 4th June together The competition “Leaders – Together about solidarity” On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the first free elections in Poland the School for Leaders Association, in cooperation with the Together ‚89 Initiative, organized a special competition for the leaders from all over the world. It was held under the name “We celebrate the 4th June together”. The aim of the competition was to encourage the Polish citizens and the Poles who live abroad to organize civil celebrations of the anniversary of the 4th June. The task consisted in the organization of an event in one’s own town such as a flash mob, an exhibition, a concert or a debate with the aim to commemorate the round anniversary of the free elections. The winners of the competition could participate in the international seminar of the School for Leaders that was held between the 27th and the 31st August in Warsaw and Gdańsk. Altogether 16 winners were chosen who were invited to the seminar. Among the invited guests there were 8 leaders of initiatives from Poland and 8 leaders of initiatives from among the Polish community and the Poles who live abroad. The seminar was dedicated to the topics related to the promotion of Poland through its history and it was aimed to establish and reinforce the cooperation between the Polish circles in the country and abroad. The competition, which forms part of the project “Leaders – Together about solidarity”, was held under the patronage of the 25th Anniversary of Freedom of the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski and under the patronage of the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski. The partners of the project “Leaders – Together about solidarity” were the European Centre of Solidarity in Gdańsk and the Project: Poland Foundation.
You are at home. Vote! It is estimated that nearly 2 millions of Poles live within the European Union. They are present on the labour and education market but only when they also participate actively in the political life, their presence in their new countries of residence will be complete and their votes will start to count. Hence the idea of the campaign “You are at home, Vote!”. It was launched in 2013 by the School for Leaders, the Polonia Forum from Ireland and the Polish City Club from the United Kingdom in substantial cooperation with the “Your vote, Your choice” campaign. Initially, the campaign was aimed to encourage the Poles to register in the Irish electoral register. The project was also aimed at the engagement and the support of the representatives
By encouraging the Polish community in Ireland to take part in the public sphere’s activities, the campaign made the Poles aware of the fact that they have a full right and a tool to shape the environment that surrounds them equally with the Irish citizens. Such knowledge significantly increases the level of self-confidence and self-esteem of the immigrants who tend to underestimate themselves. Artur Banaszkiewicz, the coordinator of the campaign in Ireland
of the Polish community non-profit organizations and the local Polish community activists who were responsible for encouraging the Poles in Ireland to take part in the elections and for involving the Polish minority into a higher participation in the lives of local Irish communities. By means of cultural events, street happenings, regional meetings all across Ireland, articles in newspapers, the distribution of posters and leaflets, the cooperation with Polish schools, parishes and service points the participants of the project informed our compatriots about their election rights. As part of the campaign, we also organized a local government
training course in cooperation with Forum Polonia for the representatives of the Polish community in Ireland. The course was dedicated to participating and voting in local government elections. The aim of the “You are at home. Vote!” campaign was to encourage the Poles who live in 8 countries of the UE (Italy, Spain, France, Holland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Hungary) to vote both in the elections to the European parliament in May 2014 and in the local government elections in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The campaign was carried out with the support of the following Polish community partner organizations: Emigration Project from Belgium, Polska Ludoteca Rodzinna from Italy, Polonia Nova from Hungary, CSR Polish Global Management from Spain, Les Polonaises from France and IDHEM from the Netherlands. Additionally, several dozen of Polish and Polish community NGOs and local Polish weekend schools, as well as Polish parishes, cultural centres and firms have joined the coalition. As part of the campaign we informed on how to vote in the elections to the European Parliament when living abroad within the EU, i. e. by voting on the national or Polish lists via the Polish diplomatic posts. We also carried out the workshops in order to mobilize the leaders of local communities in Dublin and London, as well as numerous meetings, debates, happenings and information campaigns.
such was the percentage growth of the number of those who registered to vote in the elections to the European Parliament in the posts outside of Poland created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (compared to the elections of 2009)
36%
279,86%
the value (according to the Polish Electoral Commission) by which the number of the Poles registered to vote in the elections in the United Kingdom raised (voting for the Polish lists via the Polish consulates) the value by which (according to the Polish Electoral Commission) the number of of the Poles which casted their vote in the elections to the European Parliament in the United Kingdom raised
278,91%
The campaign covered 8 EU countries.5 special guidance videos were prepared and shared on YouTube.
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School for Cultural Animators for the Polish Community Abroad (SPAK) The School for Cultural Animators for the Polish Community Abroad is a project that was launched in 2013 with the aim to provide substantial support for organizations and Polish community circles that perform activities on behalf of the promotion of Poland and the Polish culture. SPAK
I am positively surprised as the Poland I saw when I came to this country was a totally different Poland from the one I had imagined. And that is in the most positive sense of this word. Arthur Trojan, Brazil
consists of the two-week-long cycles of workshops, lectures, meetings and study visits. During the SPAK 2013 in Otrębusy the activists from the 12 cities in the Russian Federation gained practical knowledge on how to integrate and animate their local communities by means of the events that promote the Polish culture. At the end of the training course the animators created and carried out their own projects. Divided into three teams, they had two days to prepare, to implement and to settle a cultural project that integrates the community of Otrębusy. The second edition of the School for Cultural Animators for the Polish Community Abroad was held between the 12th and the 23rd August 2014. Altogether 12 Polish community activists from Brazil took part in it. Thanks to their stay in Poland the participants had an opportunity to see what our coun-
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try looks like, as well as to get familiar with the current cultural trends and with the functioning
Although I had seen different TV programs and had listened to the radio broadcasts, I did not expect Poland to be such a modern country. Everaldo Karpinski Kotrich, Brazil
of institutions and organizations that deal with the promotion of culture. The program consisted of three blocks: 1) involvement and animation, 2) promotion of culture and international cooperation, and 3) project management. As part of SPAK 2014 the participants took part in the workshops dedicated to the team building and involvement. During the study visits to Warsaw and Łódź they met with the representatives of the national institutions, the representatives of the organizations that perform activities on behalf of the promotion of Brazil in Poland and with local leaders, which made it possible for them to get familiar with the examples of the social initiatives that are developed in Poland and to create the opportunities of cooperation. During the last block, which was dedicated to the project management, the participants, under the guidance of the trainer, elaborated a project to promote Poland and the Polish culture. They presented their ideas at the official closing ceremony of the School. The ceremony was honoured with the presence of Andrzej Braiter, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Brazil, and his wife, both of whom had an opportunity to get familiar with the ideas of the participants.
Training courses 2012-2013 • Leadership Training in Russia (13–17 August, 2012) • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of North America (27 August – 7 September, 2012) • Training for the Leaders of Student Organizations in the United Kingdom (7–11 September, 2012) • Leadership Training in Russia (18-21 August, 2012) • Technical Training for the Alumni (Białobrzegi, 12–15 November, 2012) • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Western Europe (25 June – 7 July, 2013) • Leadership Training in New York (17–20 October, 2013) • Training for Leaders for the Polish Community Organizations of Young Professionals (25–29 November, 2013)
Not only did my experience at the 2012 SLP North American edition exceed any and all of my expectations, but it rejuvenated my pride in being Polish by teaching me about Poland’s rich history and beautiful culture, as well as by equipping me with valuable tools (e.g., how to run organizations, how to interact with other groups in Polonia, how to request funding from sources in Poland, etc.) which I believe will strengthen my ability to proliferate the Polish community in Canada.
This training was the best thing that has ever happened to me with regard to Poland and Polish community since I left for Ireland. If all Poles were like the people I met at the training, the saying „A Pole is a wolf to Poles” would no longer exist.Krzysztof Socha, Ireland
The training in Oxford showed how much young leaders of student organizations can learn within just a couple of days and how important and necessary the further workshops of this kind are, especially in the area of cooperation and project management. Joanna Bagniewska, United Kingdom
We were shown the Poland and the Poles that the majority of us didn’t know. The meetings with those people who, similarly to us, believe in what they do allowed us to look with confidence into the future. The leadership strength was slowly waking up in us. Barbara Czyżewska, Italy
Great topics, amazing workshops, interesting lectures and guests and, above all, fantastic participants whom I would like to thank for the inspiration. Katarzyna Żak, USA
Maciej Hryniewicki, Canada
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Training courses 2009-2011 • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of USA and Canada (29 June – 12 July, 2009) • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Western Europe (24 August – 6 September, 2009) • European School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad (23 June – 4 July, 2010) • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Argentina and Brazil (21 July – 1 August, 2010) • Training for Leaders for the Polish Community in Russia (1–7 May, 2011) • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Australia, Brazil and New Zealand (29 June –10 July, 2011) • School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine (17-28 August, 2011) • Leadership Training in the United Kingdom (9–15 October, 2011)
School for Leaders was an incredible experience: professionally prepared workshops and very interesting lectures. Every day of these two intensive weeks of training was inspiring. Barnaba Dorda, Ireland
The experiences and the meetings in which we had an opportunity to participate will surely remain in our memories for a long time and they will help us to carry out our own projects in the future. I recommend everybody to take this opportunity and to participate in such a wonderful idea as the School for Leaders is. Iwona Vujisić, Montenegro
It’s not possible to describe in a couple of sentences what an incredible experience the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad is. An
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extremely intensive program of the School goes together with an opportunity to get to know so many inspiring and interesting people. It is an invaluable motivation for me with respect to my work for the Polish community abroad, as well as in other areas. I hope that every person who wants to work for the creation of a positive image of Poland abroad will get an opportunity to participate in the next editions of the School. Radosław Tatar, Germany
The training in which we participated in Poland enabled us to get familiar with the notion of a leader; it gave us an opportunity to improve the skills that will enable us to unite the circle of Polish Immigrants. Fábio Roberto Krzysczak, Brazil
I can say that the course provided me with the right tools to fulfil the role of a leader. Today I know what attitude to take and to whom to turn for help. Luciana Zvierzykowski, Brazil
Inspirations, new opportunities, getting to know one another in different situations and probably the most important thing which is the belief that there are no impossible things! If you have a goal and aim to achieve it. Beata Lachowicz, Lithuania
After a week of training in the School for Leaders I feel the need to introduce something new into my Polish community activities. It’s like a breath of fresh air. I still haven’t run out of the positive energy I received during the training. Jana Tretjakowa, Russia
The training not only made it possible for us to gain useful knowledge and to test our competences but it also enabled us to make friendships which will hopefully result in common projects. Joanna Zawadzka, Scotland
Our Alumni Networking – we create an international network
After completing the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad the participants are invited to join the group of Alumni. The Alumni create a strong network of support and mutual inspiration that covers the territory of 5 continents. They have an opportunity to cooperate and to exchange their experience with the leaders from nearly 40 countries all over the world. They also exert a large influence on the development of the new leaders by sharing their own experience and supporting the creation of the new projects. Each year the SLP organizes Alumni reunions where the participants reinforce their skills and knowledge gained during the School and find motivation for further activities and personal development. We provide space for reflection on what has changed in the lives of the leaders after accomplishing the SLP, on how their activity has developed and what plans they have for the future. With our Alumni in mind, we also organize the technical training courses that are aimed to support the groups of Alumni who carry out the projects dedicated to similar topics and scopes. These courses enable them to work on the particular projects under the supervision of the experts, as well as to exchange the experiences and to solve the difficulties. The Alumni are also invited to cooperate on further editions of the School for the Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad – as co-organizers, local coordinators, group coordinators, panellists or lecturers. We are in close contact with our Alumni helping them to search for information, supporting them in their search for partners and monitoring their development. Thanks to the School’s profile on Facebook the Alumni are up to date with all the activities of the SLP. We also created the Alumni Base of the School for Leaders, which is an internet
portal that enables them to share their experiences. All Alumni also receive the Newsletter for the Alumni of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad which includes information about the programs of the School for Leaders and all the information sent to us by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Senate of the Republic of Poland and the organizations and institutions which cooperate with the Polish community abroad and the Poles who live abroad. By sending us the details of their projects and activities, the Alumni receive help with regard to the establishment of mutual cooperation. They also have access to the e-learning courses, thanks to which they can develop their skills.
Alumni Reunions Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad (Grębiszew, 26-29 June, 2014) Altogether 25 most active Polish community Alumni from all over the world and 20 participants of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Central Europe that was being held at the time took part in the reunion. The main topic of this year’s reunion was the promotion of Poland in the world and the role of the Polish community leaders in this regard. The program involved, among others, expert seminars dedicated to the promotion of the Polish brand abroad, presentations of the projects and the exchange of experiences. Additionally, the participants took part in the Alumni Reunion of School for Leaders that was organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our institution and gathered 188 people in total. It was a great opportunity to meet the leaders who are active abroad with those active in Poland – both from the world of politics and different kind of nongovernment organizations from all across Poland.
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• Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community of Western Europe (Edinburgh, 1–3 October, 2010) • Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community of USA and Canada (Toronto, 3–5 September, 2010) • Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders (Jasionka, 3–6 September, 2011) • Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad (Białobrzegi, 16–19 November, 2012) • Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community of South America (Porto Alegre, 29 November – 2 December, 2012) • Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad (Białobrzegi, 21-24 November, 2013)
I am grateful to the School for Leaders that it exists. Thanks to the organizers and the participants I can cooperate with others performing common activities for Poland. Another meeting at the workshops in Toronto confirmed me in this belief. Laura Felusiak, USA
This Reunion was a badly needed injection of energy and motivation. We all sometimes grow faint, no matter how good leaders we are. Meetings of this kind make it possible for us to take a second breath, to recharge the batteries and to throw ourselves into work creating things that are even more noble and beautiful. Mariusz Pankiewicz, Scotland
I enjoyed the experience I would gain during the Reunion every day! I had a wonderful time, I gained a lot of knowledge and I got to know extremely interesting people from all over the world. I would like to thank you for all of that with all my heart! Ksenia Fedorowa, Russia
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The School for Leaders had a great positive influence on me. I can see now that there are big opportunities ahead of me and there is not much that can limit me. I could see by myself how important the cooperation between the leaders of the Polish community is, how to work in a team, how to carry out the projects and how important they are. I am grateful for getting an opportunity to participate in such an amazing undertaking. Eugenia Szatałowa, Russia
School for Leaders gave me an enormous motivation with regard to further activities and education. During the School for Leaders we proved many times how important such factors as strategy or teamwork are and that there are no impossible things. Agnieszka Pokropek, USA
No time lost, a good organization, a wonderful atmosphere and interesting people! So many stories of the Alumni (based on their own experiences) on how carry out projects. So many interesting activities organised within such a limited amount of time. Thank you! Irina Nelyukhina, Russia
I am not in a Polish community organization, I do not have Polish roots and my work is not related to Poland. I am just an ordinary woman, head over heels in love with Poland, its language and everything that is related to it. Miliausza Miftachowa, Russia
SLP makes you understand that sometimes it is not worth coming back to the old but changing the reality so that it is much better than the past. Natalia Tutygina, Russia
We cooperate with
School for Leaders is open to cooperation. If: • you would like to participate in our programs or to cooperate on the organization of a training course in your own region, • you want our trainers to carry out a training course for a particular group of people or organization, • you have an idea of new activities, • you are carrying out an interesting project that fits within the scope of our interests, contact us at: | 11
fundacja@szkola-liderow.pl
www.szkola-liderow.pl
Szkoła Liderów ul. Wiejska 12A 00-490 Warszawa tel.: 22 556 82 50 fundacja@szkola-liderow.pl www.szkola-liderow.pl
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Rzeczpospolita Polska Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych
The following projects: “School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad”, “School for Cultural Animators for the Polish Community Abroad” and “You are at home. Vote!” are co-financed with the funds of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the competition for the realization of the task “Cooperation with the Polish community and the Poles abroad in 2014”. In 2014 the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad was held under the honourable patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski and the School for Cultural Animators for the Polish Community Abroad was held under the patronage of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Brazil, Andrzej Braiter. The project “Leaders – Together about solidarity” received the patronage of the 25th Anniversary of Freedom of the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski and the patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski.
Between 2009 and 2011 the project was financed with the funds of the Office of the Senate of the Republic of Poland. It was also held under the honourable patronage of the Speaker of the Senate Bogdan Borusewicz. The Office of the Senate also supported the organization of the Alumni Reunion of the School for Leaders for the Polish Community Abroad between 2012 and 2013. It also provides substantial support during the project.
The “You are at home. Vote!” project is co-financed with the funds received from the Stefan Batory Foundation.
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„Niniejsza publikacja jest dostępna na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa 3.0 Polska. Pewne prawa zastrzeżone na rzecz Stowarzyszenia Szkoła Liderów. Utwór powstał w ramach „Planu współpracy z Polonią i Polakami za granicą w 2014r.” realizowanego za pośrednictwem MSZ w roku 2014. Zezwala się na dowolne wykorzystanie utworu, pod warunkiem zachowania ww. informacji, w tym stosowania licencji, o posiadaczach praw oraz o „Planie współpracy z Polonią i Polakami za granicą w 2014 r.”