3. Participation Practitioners’ Forum
3rd Participation Practitioners’ Forum is an interactive event for those who have been involved in the realization of various participatory processes – for local authorities and civic society representatives (non-governmental organizations, civic activists). It provides an opportunity to meet, discuss and exchange ideas among practitioners who not only have encouraged local communities to take part in various decision-making processes, but are also willing to share their knowledge and learn from the others. When thinking about participants’ profile, the two key criteria come to our mid: practical experience in engaging people in participatory actions and eagerness to share knowledge and learn through demonstrating own successes along with failures in the matters of participatory processes.
Participation Practitioners’ Forum will be held on June 2-3, 2016 (Thursday – Friday) on the premises of Dreamers and Craftsmen, the House of Social Innovation. It is located in the very center of Warsaw, on the third floor of the Jabłkowski Brothers Department Store, 25 Bracka Street, with the 130-year-old vintage interior.
Participative nature of the event
We opt for a participative nature of the event, therefore we offer the participants the opportunity to put up ideas for sessions (propositions could also be submitted during the Forum), and the whole event is being planned in cooperation with the aforementioned group of contributors.
*photos from the second edition of PPF, May 2015
author: Wojciech Radwański
There will be ca. 180 participants, including those representing countries that have been benefiting from EEA Grants. We count on their active contribution because we are sure that they will offer fresh perspective, share their experience and knowledge, and perhaps – thanks to the Forum – they would be able to take advantage of solutions that originated in Poland.
Organizers
The third edition of the Forum is being organized by the Unit for Social Innovation and Research ‘Shipyard’ and Stefan Batory Foundation, with the support of the group of 'contributors’, i.e. people who have agreed to help us prepare the format and programme of this event. In this group there are representatives of several NGOs and local authorities who have been engaging citizens in decision-making actively on a regular basis.
Partners: the Foundation for Social and Economic Initiatives, the Fix Your City Foundation, the Field for Dialogue Foundation, the SocLab Foundation, The Gdynia Social Innovation Laboratory, Sustainable Development Workshop, the OdBlokuj Association, Association ‚Topografie’, Civic Lab Association, Engage Warsaw, the City of Lodz, the City of Lublin, the City of Warsaw, the City of Dabrowa Gornicza, Association of Creative Initiatives „ę”.
Supporting institutions: Dreamers and Craftsmen. House of Innovation, abłkowski Brothers Department Store, KOTBURY Graphic Studio, ‘EE’ Laboratory.
The Laboratory of Civic Participation (LCP), a project set up in 2010, has been managed by the Unit for Social Innovation and Research ‘Shipyard’ with support of the Stefan Batory Foundation. Within the scope of the LCPs responsibility lie all the activities with regard to accumulation and exchange of knowledge and expertise from the field of civic participation among public service workers, non-governmental organizations and all of those interested in attracting more attention to civic participation in public affairs. LCP is also responsible for running the website www.partycypacjaobywatelska.pl and organizing open seminars on different aspects of civic participation.
The Unit for Social Innovation and Research ‘Shipyard’ was created for the purpose of fair and critical evaluation of civic and social challenges in Poland. It explores and disseminates innovative methods to address and tackle those challenges by combining two perspectives of researchers-scientists and social activists, and carrying out projects in the following key areas: development of local communities, social innovations, voluntary work and civic participation. More information is available on the website: www.stocznia.org.pl .
The Stefan Batory Foundation supports the development of democracy and civil society in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe. It aims at increasing civic participation in the public life, working on equalizing opportunities, fighting discrimination and developing international solidarity. It supports initiatives undertaken by non-governmental organizations and unofficial groups, undertakes oversight and advisory activities, initiates social campaigns, organizes conferences, seminars and debates.
Since 2014 the Foundation has been the administrator of Citizens for Democracy Programme, financed from EEA grants (www.ngofund.org.pl), which covers civic participation in one of its thematic projects. The foundation also introduced a grant making programme Democracy in Action which supports projects of involving citizens in decision-making processes on different levels of administration.
More information: www.batory.org.pl, www.facebook.com/FundacjaBatorego
This year’s event is one of the complementary actions that are organized under the Citizens for Democracy Programme, financed by EEA Grants.
Previous edition of the Forum:
May 2015