Dialogue for the Future

This program was in existance from 2001 to 2004. The program was financed by the Ford Foundation and the United States Embassy. The goal of this program was to change attitudes through promotion of tolerance, openess, and preventing discrimination, as well as increase knowledge and consciousness of the problem. We wanted to target a broad audience: youth, teachers and local communities. To achieve this, since 2003 we have been organising a national competition addressed to young people, aimed at:

• making young people aware of diversity: cultural, religious, national, social and of the needs of various groups and minorities
• encouraging young people to involve in dialogue on important subjects
• promoting the idea of equality, dialogue and tolerance

In 2004:

• we organised the PANGEA contest in categories: artistic work, literature, photography, social campaign. From among authors of 300 submitted works we awarded prizes to 11 and honourable mentions to 5

• we organised a 4-day trip for winners to publishing houses, cultural institutions, museums, etc, as well as a film workshop

• we organised a Final Gala in the former Norblin Factory, combined with a concert and an exhibition of works submitted for the contest

• an exhibition was assembled from the awarded works. It visited 12 locations during one year

• we conducted an information campaign on March 21 (Anti-Racism Day) - comprising an exhibition in the Norblin Factory in Warsaw, film screenings and distribution of postcards and posters in 20 towns