Being up to date thanks to think tanks

A think tank, other called policy institute or research institute, is an organization that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.

There are a lot of think tanks in every democratic country. A very important think tank in Poland is Centre for Eastern Studies (Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia). It’s an independent public research institution monitoring the events and analysing the socio-political and economic processes taking place in Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, the Visegrad Group states, the Balkan states and Turkey. Continue reading „Being up to date thanks to think tanks”

Olga K.

A diary from the 13th MitOst Festival [Olga Konovalova]

Since 2003 activists in fields of cultural, language and civic exchange in East Central Europe, which are members of an association MitOst, meet annualy – each time in a different city – and develop themselves in different topics. Get to know MitOst here: www.mitost.org.

And read here a diary from the 13th International MitOst Festival written by Olga Konovalova:

„An old green train #115O that passes daily through Lviv and goes to Ivano-Frankivsk, or Stanislau (an old name of the city which I like more). It goes slowly without stops through the villages, endless picturesque fields and dense forests as it gives time specially for enjoying the landscape. The train has its typical knock sound which I missed in European trains. I ask the train conductor to bring me glass of tea in metal glass-holder, which is possible to find only in trains of post-soviet countries. I was drinking sourse by source the tea, enjoying the landscape and thinking what is waiting on me at MitOst festival. I was going without any expectations or knowledge what is going to happen and looking forward to discover the city, the festival and organization itself. Continue reading „A diary from the 13th MitOst Festival [Olga Konovalova]”

I am looking for a good catchword [Marta Gałązka]

At the weekend parliamentary election takes place in Poland. It is a good moment for the analysis of political campaigns.

„Citizens decide” („Obywatele decydują”), „I love Poland” („Kocham Polskę”) and „We can do it” („Damy radę”) are new catchwords of political parties. It could not be antything wrong, but these slogans are slogans of ngo’s projects or other organizastions. Are there conscious actions or spin doctors’s inattention during electoral campaigns? Continue reading „I am looking for a good catchword [Marta Gałązka]”

Pozegnanie Joy w Parku, 2001

The 90s: American Peace Corps in Poland

Did you know that the volunteers of the American Peace Corps were working also in Poland? I worked on a one-year documentary project about their work. Effects of the project are a bilingual publication and a bilingual Web-presentation: www.korpus.karta.org.pl (pl) and http://korpus.karta.org.pl/?lang=en (en). Some collected photos you can see here. Continue reading „The 90s: American Peace Corps in Poland”

Lipiec 2006 Theodor Heuss Kolleg

Popularisation of democratic values by the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg

The Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg was a funding programme of Robert Bosch Foundation. This collegue supported popularisation of democratic values among young people from East Central Europe. I was a member of the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg from May 2005 till July 2006. The photos present the finish of the collegue in July 2006 in Berlin. Continue reading „Popularisation of democratic values by the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg”

Training how to conduct a seminar

I recommend veryone to take part on trainings of every kind. Because I learnt to conduct an international seminar I took part on a training „How to conduct a seminar”, which was organised by Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg of the Robert Bosch Foundation. Continue reading „Training how to conduct a seminar”

Seminar Eastern Europe on the move 2006 Torun

Eastern Europe on move

Project work is something very important for the personal development of young people. Students of Eastern and Central Europe could learn the project work in practice thanks to the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg of the Robert Bosch Foundation. Me as a member of the Kolleg together with two other members conducted an German-Ukrainian-Polish seminar about Eastern Europe on the move in Toruń in March 2006. Continue reading „Eastern Europe on move”

Varna Bulgary Balkan

The Balkans in the 19. and the 20. century

I took part on a seminar about the history of the relationships on the Balkan in the 19th and 20th century in Varna 2006. On the seminar took part students of history at the Potsdam university and Bulgarian history students.  If you are interested in history of the World War I on the Balkan, I recommend you this book: Der Erste Weltkrieg auf dem Balkan: Perspektiven der Forschung (2011). Continue reading „The Balkans in the 19. and the 20. century”