DIALOGUE FOR THE FUTURE

The aim of the Program is to support selected organizations/ initiatives, whose aim is to promote the idea of the Polish-Jewish Dialogue and to unable better mutual understanding and knowledge, as well as stand against racism, intolerance, xenophobia and violence, fostering openness to cultural and religious diversity.
The Program will favor such projects, which not only aim to reinforce minority groups organizations, but will seek to find basis for Polish-Jewish dialogue, for the co-operation of both Polish and Jewish organizations, for making use of the tradition of co-existence.
Another important goal of the Program is to promote the idea of the Polish-Jewish dialogue among the public and to encourage public discussion about the future of such dialogue. This will increase the sustainability of the Program, enabling to extend its results beyond the planned 2-year period.
The Program will strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of NGOs with a view to transfer relevant knowledge, know?how and skills, by providing them with training, manuals, by teaching them how to find independent sources of financing. It will also promote the development of local philanthropy for purposes similar to those represented by the Program.
The Program will also allow the strengthening and organizational development for Social Justice Support programs.

Donations shall be distributed within the framework of two paths:
The "big grants path" for a group of up to 15 organizations (grants from $5,000-15,000, depending on project type and quality). The applicant is a formally constituted legal non?governmental organization, or other non?profit institution, which can demonstrate its experience and capacity to complete the project.
The "small grant path" aimed mainly at local, youth and women?s initiatives (grants from $500-1000) The small grant program will be addressed to organizations, preferably of school youth and women, from small towns or rural areas. The Program will support high quality small, local projects (e.g. web sites, contests, performances, documentation projects etc.).

We are going to pay much attention to the promotion of the project. We will co-operate with the press, radio and television, especially with local braches. At the internet website www.future.ngo.pl, we are going to report on the progress of realised projects (also in form of video films), and after completing projects we will publish info on all the "measurable" effects.
We will present and promote valuable initiatives and positive examples of co-operation, also those not financed by our project; we believe there are many such initiatives in Poland. We will also inform about new publications and expand the library (short stories, articles, essays, poems), collect films, photographs, and other art forms that can contribute to creating attitudes of openness, tolerance, mutual respect and understanding other cultures.
Through the e-mail we will offer "quotations of the day", we will organise internet chats and discussions. We intend to enable as many people as possible to express their opinions, to picture the problem as broadly as possible, without avoiding difficult, controversial questions and initiate public debate. With the use of both traditional media and modern technologies we will try to familiarise the broadest possible audience with the ideas of our project in the most attractive and reliable forms. We are convinced that professional internet page devoted to issues related to the tolerance and dialogue will fill the existing gap and shall contribute to the increase of interest in these issues and to the change of attitudes. We are positive that creating www.future.ngo.pl shall allow to look into the future with more optimism.