1. Name of the project: Civic and educational seminar: Prosvita for Democracy
2. Duration: 21.06.2002 – 05.07.2002: actual seminar
1st half of 2002: preparation of materials, collection of papers from lecturers, translation (Ukrainian, Polish, English), publication of a special issue of Ridna Mowa magazine (by 21 June 2002)
3. Introduction
We have been acting in the field of Polish and Ukrainian co-operation for many years now. Up to the present our activities have been aimed at effecting cultural exchange and promoting the Ukrainian culture in Poland, as well as at creating a favourable image of Poland in Ukraine. Our recent experience in contacts with Ukrainian partners points to some very important factors that considerably impede the co-operation intended. Among the main obstacles one may count certain apathy (considerable apathy resulting from difficult economic conditions), passivity, waiting for things to be done through the use of administrative methods, negative (in our opinion) customs and habits being the aftermath of the years of totalitarianism. The society, in great part, (this is our assessment) do not see any prospects for improvement of their situation, or self-realisation under the present conditions. Another issue is our willingness to actively join the process of making Ukraine well-established in the system of democratic states, to the extent that we possibly can. An important element of our project, and of actions undertaken so far, is directing our attention to the East of Ukraine.
4. Objectives, tasks, aims, results:
- to consolidate structures of the state of law and democracy in Ukraine;
- to convey Polish and Western experience in developing civic attitudes in Ukraine;
- to overcome the Ukrainian addressees’ consciousness, to stimulate activity, openness;
- to incorporate Ukraine into the European structures;
- to create a positive image of the European Union;
- to provide information relating to the possibilities of raising funds for conducting activities;
- to present the Western model of state emphasising self-government structures;
- to effect the cultural and educational exchange (we have plenty to offer to each other);
- to acquaint local communities with problems of minorities and conditions for development of one’s own identity in each country;
- to provide information and materials relating to human rights;
Results:
- stimulation of activity and creativity of addressees;
- dissemination of specific knowledge that they will be able to use in practice;
- presentation of the Polish model of state, self-government, activities of associations and foundations;
- overcoming of mental barriers in the perception of the Western model of state.

5. Addressees of the project:
- people actively engaged in cultural work and cultural animators;
- social workers;
- journalists;
- teachers;
- members of local government.

6. Partners:
- Community Centre in Czernihów: - recruiting individuals that can take part in the programme (people engaged in cultural work, teachers), securing transportation from and to Ukraine,
- Editorial staff of the Kiev magazine Dialogue: politics, economics, history: arousing the Ukrainian media interest in the project, preparing, in co-operation with the ”Ukraine” Association from Kiev, articles and papers for lectures regarding the national policy of Ukraine, activities of associations and foundations in this country, problems of human rights protection.
- Editorial staff of Nasze Słowo and Kurier Szczeciński: informing the Polish community of the subject matter of the seminar, preparing papers regarding the functioning of independent media.
- Other partners:
Poviat and Voivodeship Self-government
- papers on the role and legal powers of territorial self-government units in Poland;
- affording possibilities for a visit to the seat of the poviat self-government in Wałcz and to the Marshal’s Office in Szczecin; meeting with heads of parties and councillors;
- submission of an offer of cultural exchange and co-operation in the field of economy.
Wałcz institutions:
- provision of rooms, organisation of voluntary work, organisational help.

We have been co-operating with each of the aforementioned institutions for years. We believe that together we are able to bear the weight of seminar’s organisation and, first of all, to achieve the goals set.

7. Description of activities:
Preliminary stage: 1st half of 2002
- preparation of materials for publication (translation, proof-reading, correction, printing)
- preparation of an exact schedule of individual activities: partners from Poland
- preparation of materials to be handed over to participants
- preparation of press releases, invitations, posters
- preparation of accommodation, schedule of meals
- printing of a detailed schedule of events and lectures

Actual seminar: June 2002
- 21.06. – arrival of participants (participants from Ukraine have to arrive earlier, distance from Czernihów to Wałcz is about 2000 km)
- 22.06. – opening ceremony, concert within the framework of Meetings with Ukrainian Culture
- 23.06. – Sunday, city tour, leisure
- 24 June – opening of lectures, meeting with poviat and municipal authorities, as well as with invited guests;
Organisational meeting, provision of information relating to the time-table of individual events and lectures;
Lecture: Poland – Ukraine: strategic partnership – prof. Bohdan Osadczuk (Berlin)
Discussion
- 25 June – “Functioning of the Self-government System in Poland” day
lecture: Self-government’s Role in the Democratic State (Poland)
lecture: Structure of the State and Self-government Institutions in Ukraine
Meeting with councillors (Poviat Starosty in Wałcz)
Discussion: Comparison of both systems, experience in contacts with institutions and offices in both countries
- 26 June – “Minorities in Poland and Ukraine” day
Activities of Minority Associations in Poland: chairman of the Central Board of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland and chairman of the Ukrainian Teachers’ Association in Poland
Minority Policy in Poland: representative of the Sejm Commission on National Minorities
National Policy in Ukraine: Wałerij Sobko, Kiev
- 27 June – “The European Union – Threat or Chance” day
Why Do We Want to Join the EU: representative of the Marshal’s Office in Szczecin
EU Aid Programmes for Poland: representative of Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship
The European Union, European Parliament – What Is It?
- 28 June – Meeting at the Marshal’s Office in Szczecin City tour
Performance of Drużba band within the framework of Meetings with Ukrainian Culture
- 29 June – trip to Watra Bytowska: meeting with members of the local government of a region that is inhabited by various national and ethnic groups (Ukrainians, Kashubes, Germans); the leading topic: co-existence of various groups, advantages, opportunities, problems.
Participation in the Ukrainian, Polish, regional, German bands festival.
- 30 June (Sunday) – day off (leisure), sightseeing
- 1 July – “Man – Civil and Human Rights” day
Human Rights Assurance in the Light of the European and Polish Law: representative of the Helsinki Foundation from Poland
- 2 July – “The Media in the Democratic System” day
The Role of Media in Poland: Kurier Szczeciński and local journalists (Pojezierze Wałeckie, Ziemia Wałecka, Tygodnik Nowy)
Minority Press in Poland: editor-in-chief of Nasze Słowo
Independent Media in the Former USSR States: journalists of Dialogue... from Kiev
- 3 July – “Creativity, Activity, Openness” day
Unions, Associations, Foundations in Poland – principles of operation, objectives, tasks
Representatives of individual foundations
Foundations Supporting Democratic Transformations in the Eastern Europe: Representatives of foundations
Activities of Foundations and Associations in Ukraine: representative of the “Ukraine” Association from Kiev
- 4 July – “Education” day
Role of the Educational System in Forming Attitudes of Tolerance, Openness, Ability to Get Along in the Modern World: CODN Warsaw
Creation of One’s Own Favourable Image, Ability to Ensure Constant Self-improvement and Creative Research: psychologist
Press conference

Final events: discussion and summary of seminar’s results, assessment of the achievement of goals set. Press conference.
- 5 July – departure

8. Assessment of the project’s execution:
- assessment of the seminar’s output will be made by the invited representatives of supporting foundations and the invited guests;
- questionnaire for participants of the seminar regarding the purposefulness of and need for similar undertakings;
- opinions of territorial self-government and the media.

Information: Association of Ukrainians in Poland, Creative Team in Wałcz, Editorial Staff of Ridna Mowa

The Association of Ukrainians in Poland is a nation-wide organisation. It has well-developed field structures and its own press organ Nasze Słowo (Our Word). It employs several people country-wide but, as a general rule, its work is based on social volunteering. The superior body of the association is the National Council that appoints the Central Board. Activities of the entire association are considerably hindered by the fact that the Ukrainian community is significantly scattered.
For the purpose of field work the Association appoints voivodeship branches, circles or, in accordance with its statutes, the so-called creative groups. The Association organises numerous country-wide activities, mainly of an educational and cultural nature. As a general rule activities organised by the Association are not limited to its own circles but are of an open nature: we encourage and offer our initiatives to wide circles of addressees. The Association can operate owing to subsidies from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Ministry of National Education, foundations, membership fees and donations.
The initiator and the body implementing the project:

The Creative Group of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland – Editorial Staff of Ridna Mowa in Wałcz have been working actively for many years now to promote both the Ukrainian culture, and the mutual exchange between Poland and Ukraine. They have their representatives across Poland organising, among other things, work of the editorial staff of bilingual magazine Ridna Mowa.
Since the beginning of our operation we have organised several camps for the Ukrainian and Polish youth, in Ukraine and in Poland; three editions of Meetings with Ukrainian Culture (1999, 2000, 2001); an international festival: Neighbours and Countrymen. We have partners both in Ukraine, and in other countries.
At present our primary objective is to further develop the proposed forms of operation. We want to contribute to the Ukraine’s rapprochement with and consolidation within the European structures, counteract intolerance and phobias. We also wish to help people engaged in active work in Ukraine to gain knowledge about conditions and opportunities for operation so that they can use this knowledge later at home. During our operation we have found numerous partners: self-government and municipal institutions of Wałcz and the poviat that co-operate with us offering their organisational assistance, as well as equipment and human resources support. The Group conducts its operations on the basis of voluntary work. Nevertheless we consider ourselves professionals in our field. We raise funds for our activities via foundations, subsidies from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, subsidies from various self-governments and central institutions. In 2000 we managed to receive over 400 guests, mainly from Ukraine: we are certain that they carried good memories of Poland with them. We have some undeniable advantages, too: we work in a local environment, far away from scientific and political centres, but it is exactly to this ground that we transfer ideas of the strategic partnership between Poland and Ukraine, at the same time proving that there is a lot to be achieved in the area of mutual human relations and overcoming of stereotypes in smaller places, as well. In our opinion the idea of the seminar combines two extremely important aspects:
- it presents Polish experiences to the Ukrainian partner
- it makes the community that we live in aware of what democracy and values whose introduction had been fought for for so long both in Poland and Ukraine stand for. The Creative Group of the AUiP – Editorial Staff of Ridna Mowa is a creative group of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland and the Ukrainian Teachers’ Association formed in order to attain the primary goals of both Ukrainian societies: to work for the benefit of development of the Ukrainian education and culture, and to establish good relations and exchange between Poland and Ukraine. The Group has its representatives across the country. Functions are elective.