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Description
Our research shows that social organisations enjoy high level of trust among citizens in Poland. At the same time, however, we can observe the problem of declining engagement in voluntary work that has been further deepened by the pandemic. According to the 2019 Charities Air Foundation research, Poland was 86 out of 126 countries in terms of engagement in volunteering. Our observations show that young people are the most active group in fighting for the climate or social justice and equality, but they often do not have sufficient knowledge on how to further engage in social activities. We see enormous potential to act among them which is why we will engage them (especially in smaller locations that offer fewer opportunities than large cities) in a cycle of online discussions on socially important topics, e.g., climate or animal protection. We will invite activists from a given region as well as people seen as opinion leaders by youths (influencers). These meetings will allow for identifying key contemporary problems and for designing activities related to them. Together with Bartosz Tryzna – a laureate of numerous short film awards – we will prepare several shot clips presenting people who are engaged in the project and who contribute to changing a given element of our reality for the better. Together with the media we will run the ‘ACTIVITY – it works!’ campaign targeted at youths, encouraging them to engage socially and showing to them that this type of activity is for everyone. We will also support selected organisations working with youths in small campaigns, e.g., fundraising, an environmental initiative, or a picnic for neighbours.
Summary of project results
According to many studies, including the Edelman Trust Barometer, social organizations in Poland enjoy significant trust among citizens. However, a growing concern is the decreasing engagement of people in volunteering activities. The pandemic exacerbated this problem even further. According to the Charities Aid Foundation''s research from 2019, Poland ranked 86th out of 126 countries in terms of the number of people engaged in volunteering. Based on our observations, we have noticed that young people are the most active group fighting for climate protection, equality, and social justice in Poland. However, they often lack sufficient knowledge on how to become more deeply involved in social actions.Recognizing their significant potential for action, we engaged young individuals from Poland, especially those from smaller communities with fewer opportunities than big cities, in a series of online discussions on socially important topics, such as climate protection and animal welfare. We invited activists working in these areas and other influential figures for young people (influencers) to these meetings. The discussions highlighted contemporary social issues and presented concrete ideas for potential actions related to them. Through videos, photos, and graphics, we showcased projects from Poland that are making a positive impact on the world, as well as the individuals behind these initiatives. In collaboration with media outlets and social organizations, we conducted a campaign targeting young people, aiming to encourage them to get involved in social activities and demonstrate that such engagement is accessible to everyone.We also provided support to selected groups of young people in implementing local initiatives inspired by the presented ideas. For example, they organized charity cafeterias, zero-waste actions, and bird-friendly gardens, involving a total of 50 participants. Finally, we compiled a catalog of ideas for local actions and promoted it among young people through social media, social organizations, and media partners. We estimate that we reached over 1.5 million individuals with the project''s content.
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