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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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Although we are not always aware of this fact the truth
is that Poland is also home for representatives of other nations, cultures
and religions. Some of them, the representatives of other national minorities,
have been with us for over tens or hundreds of years. Others - the refugees
or economical emigrants came later (mostly after 1989) in search of their
chance on respectable and secure life in Poland.
Some of these people encounter in Poland hostility and misunderstanding, most
of them mere indifference. They are often treated suspiciously because of their
different skin colour, religion or customs. Many people just limit to the stereotypes
not trying to understand different cultures.
Educational Programme "Różni - Równi" (what means:
different - equal) has run since 1996 by the volunteers of Association. At the
very beginning it was devoted to
the topic of refugees. The aim of the Programme is increasing the consciousness
of Polish society, especially young people of the above-mentioned issues.
For the need of Programme there have also been some educational materials for
students and teachers (e.g. scenarios of the lessons) worked out. Thanks to the
support of many volunteers the project has evolved covering, in course of time,
also the subjects of human rights and national /ethnic minorities besides the
refugees and is being run in numerous schools also outside Poznan.
The programme comprises:
 lessons
in secondary schools, conducted in a non-standard manner. The usage of activating
teaching methods e.g.: simulation, brain-storming, working in groups, discussions,
work with photos, articles etc. makes it easier for students to participate
in courses and helps the students find the lessons interesting;
training
events for volunteers and teachers entitled "How to teach about human rights?", "How
to teach about refugees?" and "How to teach about national and ethnic
minorities?";
thematical
actions - organising European Action Week Against Racism, International Refugee
Day and International Day of Human Rights;
international
voluntary camps at which volunteers help directly by working for/with representatives
of refugees and minority groups in Poland;
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issuing of a variety of publications and educational materials for young people
devoted to human rights, refugees and national and ethnic minorities, e.g. handbooks,
leaflets, minutes, posters and a video tape that are available at the Association
or sent via e-mail charge less.  [publications]
The Programme of One World Association is carried out with the support of: UNHCR
Warsaw, the Central Department for Teachers Training, the Department of Education
of the city of Poznań, a number of organisations representing minority groups,
as well as individual refugees and representatives of minority groups.
Target group of the project
Addressees of the Programme are citizens of the cities where we run our activities
(that is Poznan and Warsaw before all, but lately also Gniezno). We want to reach
both people interested in our subjects and accidental audience that we would
like to provoke to think to think about the matters important for us. We organise
numerous thematical actions - street happenings, cultural events artistic exhibitions
and informative actions.
Students of secondary schools were chosen because:
the
students are at the age of 15-19 which means careful observation of ones environment
and reflects deeply on values influencing life. One is forming his or her personality,
is open for different ideas, points of view and universal values;
the
students of secondary schools belong to the young generation which will create
groups of politicians, teachers, people connected with culture or others with
influence on building reality in the future;
the
topic of refugees and national minorities is becoming more and more burning
in our country. We would like to have our share in preparing society to the
process of becoming more open-minded on new cultures and understanding the situation
of people left without a choice - having to leave their mother land. Besides
we would like to make them aware of the possibility of protecting their human
rights.
Lessons at school - how it looks in practice
The
Association sends information about the "Różni - Równi" programme
to high schools. By these means teachers find out about the possibility of inviting
volunteers who could conduct lessons on a chosen topic (refugees, human rights,
minorities);
In
the Association office, at certain hours there are volunteers answering phone
calls from teachers interested in the programme;
Teachers
propose date and hour of a lesson and the co-ordinator in the office finds volunteers
able to visit the school on the day proposed by the teacher; this is done by
using the database of volunteers, who are informed about the lessons by e-mail,
phone or SMS;
The
lessons co-ordinator calls to the teacher to confirm a lesson or, in case of
any problems with finding a volunteer that would be available on that certain
day, the teacher is asked to choose another date;
Volunteers
who are to conduct the lessons prepare necessary materials and put their names
on the list that registers the number of lessons given within the Programme;
Lesson
on the chosen theme is conducted.
Until the end of 2003 about 8000 students, mainly from Poznań schools, attended
the classes. The accurate number is hard to give because of imprecisely led statistics
in the beginning of the Programme.
Thanks to the support of volunteers the project has developed considerably and
was brought to numerous schools not only in Poznań. In 2000 it got the name "Różni
- Równi" (Different - Equal). The group consists of some twenty actively
working volunteers who meet regularly in the office of the Association.
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