Focus on
Schools and Communities
Interview by Maciej Kozyra with Krzyztof Kacuga, vice president
of the foundation, on FED’s domestic programs
MK: What is the specific nature of FED’s activities within
the framework of the domestic program?
KK: Since the beginning of our activity 13 years ago, we have focused
on cooperation with local communities. From our experiences it results
that ventures in which groups of people from a single local community,
commune or county participate are the most effective, as many local
problems can and should be solved on the local level, not expecting
help from outside or ready-made solutions. Our goal is to provide
people with the skills necessary to successfully cooperate and promote
benefits resulting from this cooperation within the framework of
the local community and not only increasing the potential of individual
people.
MK: Many organizations are concentrating on educating leaders
KK: It’s true that people are needed in every community who
"pull the others along,” by acting as an example. We make
sure that the leader is not isolated and does not burn out trying
to convince others of the pertinence and propriety of activity.
Local leaders are our partners and we conduct local projects with
their participation.
MK: Who are FED’s most important partners in programs conducted
in Poland?
KK: We effectively cooperate with many local governments (among
others, in Silesia and Malopolska) as well as with dozens of local
non-governmental organizations and several nation-wide organizations,
including the Forum of Educational Initiatives, Center of Youth
Cooperation and We Share What We Have Association.
MK: What new area is FED domestically engaged in?
KK: During the last three years we have created the following programs
in trying to respond to the needs of local communities: "How
to Teach about the European Union and Poland’s Integration
with the EU” and "Finding Your Place in the Labor Market.”
The first of these programs prepares young people how to function
on an equal basis in a united Europe. Regardless of whether Poland
votes YES or NO during next year’s referendum concerning the
country’s accession to the European Union, we are already living
in a united Europe. In FED, we treat the topic of Europe in a broader
context than just the issue of Poland’s integration with the
EU.
The second immensely important topic is assistance to people, particularly
young people, entering and finding their place on the labor market.
Systemic transformation in Poland led to a free market economy.
Poland continues to pay the huge costs of restructuring. Much too
often graduates do not have the skills necessary to find employment
or to start their own business. Education provided by schools is
inadequate to meet the changing requirements of the labor market
(only 17% of people aged 15 and older believe that school prepares
young people to cope on the labor market). Therefore, the Foundation
has begun an educational program for students in Silesia, where
this problem is particularly acute.
Together with local government, schools and local businesses, we
are helping to establish School Work Clubs, where young people will
have an opportunity to meet with employers, learn the procedures
necessary to register a business as well as to attend an internship
in an actual workplace. In addition, Youth Enterprise Centers are
established on the city level, which act as incubators for youth-based
enterprise. The YECs are places where young people still in school
can create their first actual business.
MK: 'Democracy in School' is FED’s best known program in
Poland
KK: The Democracy in School program was launched at the beginning
of the 1990’s. As a teacher with 16 years of experience, I
can state that, unfortunately, not every school has the right conditions
and favorable climate for developing a well-rounded character. Therefore,
through educational activities, we try to reach all players on the
school stage. During the course of training and the realization
of joint ventures students, teachers, parents and school principals
become convinced that goodwill, mutual understanding and dialog
solve problems and better prepare young people for life in a civic
society. Due to cooperation with FED, over the last ten years, the
activities of hundreds of student governments has improved, dozens
of new newspapers and several Youth City Councils, being a field
of student government cooperation, were established.
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Index: Podium
NGOs' critical role in advancing human
rights in transition societies
by Albrecht Schnabel and Sale Horowitz
Working Group 'Human Rights Education'
- Impressios of a Participant
by Walter Fisher
Education for Democracy Foundation
by Krzysztof Stanowski
Focus on Schools and Communities
Interview by Maciej Kozyra with Krzysztof Kacuga
A modern classic on Human Rights Education
Bookreview by Jana Eschweiler
Law-related and democracy education for
countries in transition
by David McQuoid-Mason
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