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Description
This project concerns measures to counteract discrimination of African people in Poland. There is a relatively small African community, but this is a diverse group that is dispersed and poorly integrated in Poland. This is due to a modest public presence of Africans, and little capacity for self-advocacy. Knowledge about Africa and inhabitants of Africa continues to be based on stereotypes in Poland. People from Africa are seen as a threat, and Africa is associated with poverty, disease, and war. The media continue to talk about black people, consistently using contemptuous expressions, in the name of counteracting “political correctness” of which they take a negative view. The Black Lives Matter campaign has brought with it an increase in hate-related attacks on African people. The Project Promoter will conduct an opinion poll on how African people and Africa are perceived and monitor the media in terms of what is said and written about Africa and black people; the outcome of the monitoring will be presented in a report. There will be an important measure in the form of a study of the experiences, needs, and level of comfort in life of the African community in Poland. The Project Promoter will use the study and monitoring to draw up recommendations on counteracting discrimination of the African community in Poland. These recommendations will be submitted to institutions working to help immigrants. The Project Promoter will produce a series of 24 films as part of a public campaign, that talk about African people living in Poland. A virtual press office will also be opened. The project will be useful first of all to African people living in Poland, as they will become more visible and be given a greater say. Familiarity with the African community and its experiences, needs, and successes, and the problems African people face in Poland, will make the public more open and empathic.
Summary of project results
The project was concerned with countering discrimination against people of African descent in Poland. The African community is a relatively small but diverse group that is dispersed and poorly integrated in Poland. This is linked to the modest presence of Africans in the public sphere and few opportunities for self-advocacy. Knowledge of Africa and its people in Poland is still based on stereotypes. People of African descent are seen as a threat and Africa is mainly associated with poverty, disease and war. In the name of fighting ''political correctness'', the media continue to use derogatory terms when writing about black people. On the occasion of the Black Lives Matter campaign, hate-motivated attacks on people of African descent have intensified.
Project Promoter conducted an opinion poll on the perceptions of people of African descent and Africa, as well as media monitoring of how Africa and Black people are spoken and written about; the results of the monitoring were presented in a report. An important activity was the study of the African community living in Poland - their experiences, their needs, their comfort level. On the basis of the research and monitoring, Project Promoter developed recommendations for counteracting discrimination against the African community in Poland, which were submitted to institutions working for migrants. As part of the social campaign, Project Promoter prepared a series of 24 #afrykapopolsku films presenting Black people living in Poland. A virtual press office was also created.
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