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4.1 NGOs in Poland
„There is still a lack of discussion concerning the problem [of hate crime] in Poland. Some institutions claim to research the problem but very often this is only lip service, like the international obligations assumed by Poland. Despite this, a few NGOs run a couple of projects devoted to the hate crime phenomenon. And of course, some media objectively report about the problem. Until now, however, the state administration has officially registered only very few incidents.»
(Marcin Kornak, Nigdy Więcej)
In Poland there is a growing number of NGOs, grassroots social movements and non-institutionalized political groups that are active in the field of countering intolerance, including but not limited to racism and anti-Semitism, homophobia, xenophobia, and discrimination. (1) These organizations and groups have been forming since the 1990s. It seems that in most cases thus far the focus has primarily been on education: examples range from general campaigns for tolerance (such as the »T-shirt for Freedom« campaign); specific action days and action weeks (such as the European Action Week against Racism, the European Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism, Refugees’ Day etc.); and anti-racist workshops offered by NGOs. This is in addition to numerous other activities that do not necessarily focus on anti-racism or hate crime awareness but provide a space for these subjects nonetheless (e.g. educational activities on multiculturalism, minorities, Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust among others).
The situation for LGBT community in Poland has been worsening in recent years. On the one hand, it may be construed as a conservative backlash launched against gay/lesbian and feminist movements and their demands for the emancipation of sexual minorities, and on the other hand as an affront against the broader cultural modernization that stems from transnational exchange and European integration. In light of this, a number of campaigns have been initiated that are of a more overtly political nature: for instance, the Parade of Equality in Warsaw, Equality Marches in Poznań, and the March for Tolerance in Kraków, among others. Relatively wide-reaching political mobilization took place in 2006 against the far-right Minister of Education, Roman Giertych, including middle and high-school pupils who organized a group called the Pupils’ Initiative (Inicjatywa Uczniowska). The campaign Giertych Must Go (Giertych Musi Odejść) drew a number of progressive, anti-Fascist, leftist and left-libertarian organizations.
In addition to organizing educational or public-campaigning activities, there are also organizations that focus on public intervention against ideologies of hatred and particular hate crime cases as well as on some forms of assistance to victims of hate crime and discrimination. The latter activity, even if only a minor component, also comprises part of the work of organizations whose primary focus is to provide welfare aid or legal assistance in administrative matters to migrants, refugees and other underprivileged social groups. Such is also the case with organizations focused on crisis intervention or victim assistance in the field of domestic violence.
Some of the more active organizations countering racism, homophobia and other forms of group-based hatred and discrimination are:
• anti-Fascist/anti-racist groups, organizations and networks
• organizations countering intolerance and promoting the idea of multicultural society
• general human rights organizations
• LGBT organizations
• feminist and women’s organizations
• crisis intervention and crime victim support organizations
• popular alternative media.
1. According to a 2006 research report by the Klon/Jawor Association, there were over 55,000 associations and more than 8,000 foundations registered in Poland. Of those, 12.8 percent of them indicated »culture and art« as their main field of activity, 10.3 percent «education,« 9.9 percent »welfare and social aid« (these fields are most likely to include NGOs dealing with hate crimes, racism, homophobia, discrimination, etc.). Of all NGOs, 34 percent belong to various thematic, regional or national federations, coalitions and unions, while only 16 percent of those unaffiliated groups would like to join broader structures. Only 10 percent of all Polish NGOs belong to international coalitions and networks; among those who are internationally non-affiliated, only 25 percent would like to join. Out of the NGOs surveyed most declared cooperation with local government (85%), public institutions such as schools, hospitals or museums (77%), and local media (50% of NGOs.) Other NGOs are less frequently a partner of cooperation, and one third of all surveyed NGOs declared that they have no contacts with other non-governmental organizations. See: Gumkowska, Marta; Jan Herbst 2006. Basic Facts about NGOs: Report of the 2006 Survey, Klon/Jawor Association, Warsaw.
(OPP)
