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| Our mission is to
promote peace and understanding among people through international
and local voluntary service and education. [more] |
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December 5, 2005
International Volunteer Day |
As a part of European Youth Week,
One World Association in cooperation with Volunteer Center
in Poznan organized a celebration of International Volunteer
Day.
At 3 p.m. we organized three workshops for everyone who
was willing to take part (even if they have never been volunteers).
Theses were: a journalist workshop -"Start listening
to us"; a sociological workshop "In what way do
I see? What do I hear?"; artistic workshop "Make
dreams come true"; jugglery workshop. All of them took
place in Zespół Szkół Komunikacji, Fredry Street 13.
At 5:30 p.m. there was a special tram with "Youth have
voice" banner which went through many streets of our
city. People could get in whenever they wanted to.
At 8:00 p.m. there was a concert of the music group "Na
górze." They played some really good music (it was
very spontaneous, lively free rock played by 7 musicians
from Social Care Centre in Rzadkowo).
European Youth Week (EYM) is organized all over Europe and
has been initiated by the European Commission. All countries
who are either members of EU or candidates to EU took part
in it. |
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November 5th-10th,2005. Mogilno
Polish-German Seminar "Remember your past, make your
future". |
Volunteers who this year took part
in the workcamp in Majdanek and in other former concentrations
camps in Germany, were invited to take part in this seminar.
It was organized on those days, as November 9th is the International
Day Against Fascism and anti-Semitism, set up in the commemoration
of The Crystal Night - pogrom of German Jews started in
November, 1938.
The participants of the seminar took part in various sessions
and lectures, of which the main topic was "In what
ways do concentration camps teach us history?"
Film Festival "Human Rights in Film"
October 22nd - 25th, 2005. Poznań
In those days, One World Association in cooperation with
Women Association "Konsola" and The Theater
"Ósmego Dnia", hosted Film Festival in Poznan.
The films were displayed thanks to Cultural Center "Zamek"
and The Theater "Ósmego Dnia". These were the
major topics:
- Violence against women
- Sexual minorities discrimination
- North Korea
- Humanitarian aid
- Refugees
- Tibet
- Faces of terrorism
There was free admission, over 17.
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June 25th, 2005
The final of the contest "Free your idea" |
| On June 25, the contest for the best
volunteer initiative in Great Poland was ended with a conference
held in the Cultural Center "Zamek". During the
conference the final groups had a chance to present the
course and results of their projects. Each of them was in
some way unique and valuable, and all of the participants
were very excited.
Before the conference, the jury of the contest had a
long discussion of which the aim was to choose the best
project. The final results were kept secret till they
were officially announced during the conference.
The winner was the group from Rawicz which included:
Ewelina Zalisz, Małgorzata Siama, Agnieszka Płócienniczak,
Natalia Wawrzyniak, Adrian Wawrzyniak and many others
who were also involved in this initiative. The goal of
their project entitled "Cook with us", was to
teach cooking to children from an orphanage in Bodzew
and also to spend some leisure time with them. The group
plans farther and even more ambitious volunteering actions.
The kids from Bodzew also took part in this conference
as they wanted to support their friends.
Congratulations to all participants!
The project "Free your Idea" was funded and
supported by the Department of Education and Sport.
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June 20th, 2005
International Refugee Day |
This event have taken place in Poznan
for the forth time. This year we cooperated with Food Not
Bombs (FNB) and Amnesty International (AI). Thanks to the
program students from two High Schools in Poznan had a chance
to meet the asylum seekers from the Asylum Seekers Center
in Łuków who escaped from Chechnya. Students asked questions
about the conditions of life in the camp and the problems
that refugee children have to struggle with while they are
in Poland. Our guests talked also about their culture and
customs, for example, traditions related to weddings. It
let students see some difference between our life styles.
Then not only did they have a chance to watch Chechnyan
Dance but also to try it on their own.
The events of that day took place in INNER SPACE Gallery
and included:
- Introductory exhibition of pictures connected with refugees
- The Exhibition "At least here houses are in one piece"
- which presents pictures drown by children form the refugee
camp in Łuków.
- The concert of Chechnyan guitarist
- Action of Amnesty International
- Food Not Bombs
- Multimedia presentation about refugees
- Meeting with a refugee |
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June 2005
Research visits in Asylum Seekers Centers in Poland |
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In June, four research visits took place in Asylum Seekers
Centers. Their aim was to prepare ourselves for cooperation
during summer workcamps. During the visits our volunteers
and invited participants from other organizations which
try to help asylum seekers, could meet people working
in those centers, talk about their ideas and plans, find
out more about Chechenyan culture and realities of life
in the Centers.
Visits were hold in Białystok, Czerwony Bor, Lomza and
Lukow
March 3-6 2005
The Seminar about "How to teach about refugees?"
The main goal of this four-day seminar was to give its
participants both wide knowledge about refuges (e.g. about
their legal status in Poland, their situation around the
world, politic regarding refugees etc.) and practical
skills useful in teaching about refugee, and in preparing
their own projects. It was addressed to everyone who wanted
to get involved in the projects of supporting refugees
and teaching about them, but the main participants were
people from towns where asylum seekers centers are situated
- Radom, Lublin and Białystok.
It was led by Joanna Nitka and Grzegorz Kojawiński.
March 14 - 21 2005
European Week Against Racism
This week is a form of celebration of the International
Day Against Racial Discrimination, which was set by UN
on March 21, in commemoration of the massacre of 70 people,
who took part in peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville,
South Africa, in 1960. Thanks to the actions taken by
many organizations, March 21 turned into a week long celebration,
aiming at presenting the senselessness of racism.
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December 17, 2004
A Volunteer in Africa |
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The meeting with two volunteers - Andrzej and Karol-
who took part in projects in Africa, was held within the
confines of the Open Doors in Cultural Centre "Pod
Lipami" (Karol went to Kenya through our Association
for 3 months, where he taught English and Andrzej with
Salezians went for 9 months to Sierra Leone as a Computer
Science teacher). Both talked about their experience,
about things that were difficult, nice and shocking. The
meeting was connected with an exhibition and a show of
photos taken during their projects.
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December 10, 2004
International Day of Human Rights |
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In order to celebrate this day we organized an event
in the main hall of Train Station. The major goal was
to inform people about Human Rights and then to have a
discussion with the involvement of the representatives
of independent media and Malgorzata Lumperska from Amnesty
International. Both events were hold under the banner
of "Freedom of speech, Freedom of choice"
Another thing that took place between Dec 5 and Dec 11
in Mogilno (close to Gniezno) was an international seminar
on education about Human Rights. The goal of it, was both
to exchange our experience in teaching about human rights,
refugees and national minorities, and to learn more things
about human rights in Europe. The participants were from
Germany, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldow,
Russia (farther and closer) and Kyrgystan.
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November 9, 2004
International Day Against Fascism and anti-Semitism |
This day commemorates the Crystal
Night - the Night that SA started the pogrom of German Jews.
More than 7,000 Jewish companies in the whole Germany were
attacked, districts inhabited by Jews were put on fire,
more than 200 synagogues were destroyed, 91 people were
killed and more than 30,000 Jews arrested and sent to concentration
camps, where most of them were killed within the next two
months. Today "Crystal Night" - the night of breaking
glass (it refers to breaking shop windows) - is perceived
as the beginning of Holocaust, the mass extermination of
Jewish population.
The Action "Put on a candle for the victims of the
hatred from around the world" was organized both in
order to commemorate the memory of all victims of hatred
(not only those from 11/9/1938) and to protest against discrimination
(mainly anti-Semitisms). The first article of the Human
Right Convention says that all people are born equal, and
Art. 2 says that the Human Right are endowed to everyone
no matter what their race, color of the skin, sex, religion
or nationality. Discrimination means refusal and infringements
of these rights to others, for various reasons.
By remembering those tragic events from Second World
War we want to stress the danger which is incoherent to
Discrimination, racism and division of societies. In the
current world, when we face the rebirth of extreme right
political parties, we want to create a strong opposition
to social segregation. We want to build Europe full tolerance
and cooperation, Europe of hope and perspectives.
The action was organized in cooperation with Amnesty
International Poznan and with the support of Jewish Religious
Community in Poznan. Some of the materials and the European
posters we received, were from UNITED for Intercultural
Action.
On November 9, at 7 p.m. we gathered in front of the
former Great Synagogue in Poznan at Wroniecka Street.
(at present, there is a swimming pool in this building).
There were about 50 people not only form One World Association
but also from Jewish Religious Community, Amnesty International
and Organization "Lambda". After a short speech
held by Blażej from AI, we put on candles in a shape of
David Star. The whole event lasted maybe an hour, but
the candles burnt till the early morning.
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| Volunteer from Buryatiya in OWA office |
| In October this year, after a sad
farewell with our long-term volunteer Sissi from Finland,
OWA activists greeted Alexandra, who will serve as the next
long-term volunteer in our office for 12 months. Alexandra
comes from Ulan-Ude, the capital of Russian Republic of
Buryatiya bordering with Mongolia. During her stay in OWA
she will support us in our daily activities and co-operate
with local volunteers. We want Alexandra to get to know
not only our organisation, but also Poland - its history,
culture, and inhabitants, as well as the situation concerning
Polish NGO sector and voluntary movement. We believe it
will be an enriching experience both for her and for her
mother organisation, Siberian Creative Group. |
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10.12.2003
International Human Rights' Day |
"Inhabitants of Poznan read
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights". Project
of One World Association and Amnesty International on Kaponiera
roundabout (Rondo Kaponiera) held for 55th anniversary of
proclaiming The Declaration. In order to raise human rights
awarness among greater number of people we encouraged passers-by
to listen and read with us particular articles of short
version of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We
also distributed info leaflets, full versions of The Declaration
and candy-wrapped single articles. Children from "Lejery"
primary school gave us enthusiastic support. They drew their
own images of human rights. Amnesty International volunteers
prepared "Shadows exhibition" and collected signatures
to petitions calling for protection of human rights in Belarus
and handicapped children in Russia.
Racism is not a local issue! 
[press
info] [poster]
[photos] |
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5.12.2003
International Volunteers' Day |
| Work Fair for volunteers was held
in MPT. During the event it was possible to meet and talk
to representatives from volunteers organisations like UNICEF
and Volunteer Centre in Poznan. There was an impressive
stand of our Association, where we shared our publications
and workshop materials with teachers and students of secondary
schools. In conference hall video showings concerning volunteering
and debate "Is there a place for volunteeing in Polish
schools?" were organized. Celebration ended with the
meeting with VIP guest Wanda Bleńska and representatives
of municipality, after which the party was held.
[photos] |
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3.12.2003
Introduction to humanitarian law |
| led by Kasia Sękowska i Kasia Barycka |
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26.11.2003
Kirgistan |
| led by Kusztar |
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19.11.2003
Ethnic minorities rights |
| led by Kasia Barycka |
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13.11.2003
"About Grzes who lived with Chechens under one roof" |
| The workcamp in refugees' centre
in Białystok led by Grzes Rześki |
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