"Polis" reloaded
THE YOUNG JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION "POLIS" aims to help young people and
their teachers to overcome passivity and helplessness - to discover, express and
share the ethos of Human Rights and the vocation to participate in policy making
and public life. Our main field of interest and action is civic journalism,
training in responsible media work and use. We educate by providing an
opportunity to participate in editorial work and to share responsibility for
publishing "Polis", the Journal for the Art of Public Life and "Poliska", the
younger sister of "Polis" compiled with the newsletter of our Association.
Vocation to participate in policy making and public life involves training in
the use of democratic procedures, effective and varied communication skills and
teamwork as well as an opening of broader horizons, acceptance of European and
world concerns.
We see our participants and readers of the journal "Polis" as future
journalists, politicians, lawyers, creators and workers of the NGO sector and
public servants. Participation in the "Polis" Association's activities provides
an early, positive and creative experience, particularly due to our cooperation
with other Polish and foreign NGOs. This association is a flexible and
stimulating environment in which young people can learn to take initiative and
build their own new structures. This involves also accountable financial
management and fundraising activities. But of course we prefer and try to be the
partners of editorial and journalistic activity rather than managers. The
participants get to know and to appreciate the context of their future
activities: Human Rights advocacy, European integration and world concerns. This
account of our activities is future oriented. As a young people's Association we
constantly include new people, while the "veterans" are asked to pay their debt
and help keep the work going.
Our immediate target group are university students as well as senior
secondary school students (aged 16 and more) and also - as a special group -
primary school and gymnasium children, mainly from Warsaw but developing local
contacts and corresponding circles in some provincial centres. Indirect target
group are readers of the Journal "Polis" - especially teachers of social
sciences and civic education or history (mostly those who are involved in
teacher training and leadership of groups), but also the students, who are
better taught due to material and training provided to their teachers. We should
mention local educational authorities, with which we cultivate the cooperation.
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Journal for the Art of Public Life
Journal "Polis" exists since 1992 and is directed primarily to secondary
school as well as university students and teachers. 36 issues of "Polis" are
till now published (in Polish). Issue number 37 is provided only in the on-line
version. First issues of "Polis" were prepared by more experienced editors, but
every year the team was younger, which means - consisting of the participants of
our Young Journalists' Workshop "Polis". As you see, publishing "Polis" is an
educational venture.
Here are some of the "Polis" themes: to vote or not to vote? (in relation
with the parliamentary elections in 1993 and 1997); a dossier on European
integration and "Europe in Poland" (1994 and 1998); rights of children;
generation gap; Human Rights (people and institutions active in this field in
Poland); Bosnia; Polish-German relations and our contacts with Germany and
German people; Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Lithuanian relations; Belarus; young
Poles and Albanians in dialogue; prospects of university studies; national
identity; constitutionalism; presidential elections 1995; meeting people and
their cities; are we ready for adult life?; journalism, campaigns, lobbying;
Polish-American relations and the experience of contact with American life; the
danger of "exclusion": Lord Ralf Dahrendorf's observation of squaring the circle
of democracy; social concerns and globalization; remembering the Holocaust
together with our Jewish colleagues; Human Rights in film; education; Eastern
borderlands of Poland.
There are some themes which we still want to cover: Army's social role and
its new European and civilization context; Russia; Cassubian region of Poland
and Cassubian culture...
"Polis" is a serious, thoughtful publication which has already developed a
certain distinctive style. We have been told that our publication "joins a
certain youthful naiveté with very deep reflection". This is the case because
our questions often came from the young people while the answers were sought by
excellent experts. "Polis" was and always tries to be a journal of opinion - the
art of public life means a democracy of careful, deliberate choices and
constitutionalism with a clear option for human rights and dignity. "Polis" was
often used by teachers as material for their work with students and as a source
of relevant information useful for the preparation of entry exams for future
students of law, social and political sciences, journalism, history... We
published a selection of most relevant original material from "Polis" in
Russian, Albanian and Lithuanian.
Printed "Polis" was a strictly non-profit venture. Copies were sold below the
cost of production or even donated. This type of publication must be subsidised
because the target readers are most often poor: schools and teachers in Poland
are poor, young people who may be interested to read "Polis" have very limited
means. We hoped that with the increase of circulation a higher percent of the
subsidy would be recovered but profit making was certainly beyond reach and was
not the goal. We fundraised to offer "Polis" free especially to rural schools
and to groups of students engaged in our workshops and campaigns. With the
on-line version, which is also non-profit, we have less dilemmas concerning
circulation and costs, but we feel a strong lack of the printed effects of our
work.
"Polis" is published rarely - once a year - and this frequency combined with
the on-line only character of last issue is insufficient for the need to cover
some aspects of current developments and being available in time with a relevant
dossier and information. We would like to publish at least 3 issues a year, but
it seems impossible in current circumstances. That is why we initiated project
"Poliska", rather light but still serious publication prepared by the
participants of our workshops. Maybe one day "Poliska" will manage to reactivate
"Polis"?
Now we mainly intend to prepare an electronic version of all archival issues
of "Polis". We look for know-how and for funds to do it.
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Young Journalists' Workshop "Polis"
The publication of "Polis" is surrounded by a variety of interrelated
projects, some of them already at an advanced stage, some just beginning. The
main project now endeavoured by the Association is the Young Journalists'
Workshop "Polis" (since 1992). The workshop gives primary and secondary schools
as well as university students a rather unique opportunity to build task
oriented successful peer groups, engaged in journalistic training and self
training, acquiring useful skills and at the same time producing significant
material for the use of others. Around five diverse aged groups start or
continue their journalistic work this year.
Besides working for "Polis" and "Poliska" the participants of our workshops
cultivate contacts with school papers and local press, meet well known
journalists and editors (Ryszard Kapuściński is a friend and patron of the
workshop), participate in various programs of the Helsinki Foundation for Human
Rights. Several senior participants serve as leaders for the children's
workshops, trainers for the introductory courses and summer camps. About one
hundred people now have links with "Polis" and the group is growing. A new
introductory course takes place each autumn, but all the year we are open to the
new participants. There are also some corresponding members far from Warsaw and
several students commute from smaller cities. Workshops in school journalism are
conducted by the student leaders who come from our Association or Workshop and
are accepted by the board. Leadership and journalism training is organized for
them.
Around ten summer training camps were very effective in providing training,
establishing local links and integrating the group. Camps are open for
participants from the location. A camp in Miszewo Murowane in August 1997 took
place in a home for mentally handicapped and opened a new prospect of action on
behalf of the inclusion of such people in society. Last years we choose the
Eastern borderland of Poland, village Milenkowce near forgotten part of Europe -
Belarus. We try to cover various aspects of this area, preparing texts and
on-line publication, documentary film and radio programs (the latter in July
2003).
The Workshop formed a main editorial team for each issue of "Polis", now the
central role of the workshop net is preparing "Poliska". The participants choose
a theme for the issue, collect and evaluate material, make interviews, write
their own copy, participate in proof reading etc.
New participants are mainly recruited by participants and readers of "Polis",
by teachers and via our NGO contacts, in a lesser degree by information in the
media. Selection happens as a result of group processes and active methods of
training. We would like to initiate an on-line workshop on journalism and begin
training in future oriented interactive journalism. Our aim is to work with
secondary school students far away from Warsaw. Being on-line will also increase
our international contacts, providing the access to Polonia readers and
participants all over the world.
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International exchange of young people
interested in journalism
In September of 1995 we organized in Warsaw a seminar for a group of young
Ukrainian journalists. Students from Ukraine took part in our summer training
camp. Together we participated in seminars organized by the European Academy in
Berlin. Summer training camp in the Ukraine took place in 1999, followed by the
publication.
Two journalistic workshops for secondary school students took place in
Tirana, capital city of Albania, in 1995 and 1996. The leader from Poland
participated in our work and used our material. A two-week long visit of the
Albanians to Poland followed the first workshop. Six young Albanians
participated in a part of our training camp and in special seminars. An issue of
"Polis" was published in Albanian and distributed there. After the crisis in
Albania we could not find sponsors for further contacts involving travel but we
continued studying Albanian developments and publishing materials from and about
that country.
We had also German and Lithuanian contacts, followed by the monographical
issues of "Polis".
Now we are preparing joint project with the Moldavian group of young
journalists.
We look forward to further international exchange!
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A call for cooperation
If you are interested in our activities please let us know! Perhaps we can do
something together.
You can suggest possibilities.
You surely can become one of our distinguished sponsor! For your notice, our
bank account: BREX PL PW 11401010-00-307844-PLNCURR01-58.
We need and receive help and council from our proven friend and supporter -
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. In past we also received help from
European Cooperation Fund (Social Dialogue, Democracy, Fiesta II), Polish
Children and Youth Foundation, Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Konrad Adenauer
Foundation and - last but not least - Stefan Batory Foundation and US Embassy
small grants program.
In order to continue its activity in the professional way, "Polis" needs and
deserves more financial stability. We need to keep one or two of our trained
editors in our employment. We need a stable location for the workshop on the
Internet, more training and more equipment. Given this we could offer very
valuable training for children and young people not having access to computers.
Believe us, there are many also in Warsaw. We need a small development fund, to
cover the cost of starting new experimental projects, of supervision, fundrasing
and accounting not sufficiently included in most grants. We would like to be
able to provide scholarships for prospective young journalists from Poland and
Central, Ukraine and Albania, cover the costs of their visits etc.
We welcome advertisements especially linked to our field of activities
(schools, books, computers, creative holidays, journalistic activities etc). We
can offer training in journalism for your young people or teachers.
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