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Description
Ability to organise peaceful public gatherings and to participate in them is one of the fundamental political freedoms. The 2016 amendment introduced controversial changes, namely the privileged category of cyclic gatherings opening an opportunity for blocking assemblies that are inconvenient for the government. Many a time have we supported with our experience, connections or equipment other organisations, informal groups, and activists who reacted to alarming actions in our country. This help is particularly valuable in smaller locations in which there are fewer opportunities for support, while the peer pressure is more noticeable. Hence, we will support activists from locations under 50 000 inhabitants. We will equip them with skills helping them effectively and lawfully demonstrate and engage in other events in public sphere. We will run a cycle of training sessions on different aspects of the organisation of public gatherings. During the theoretic part we will share knowledge on legal regulations, event agenda designing, crowd management, or public speeches. We will also organise hands-on workshops giving their participants an opportunity to practice gathering organisation procedures from the formal and legal perspective by preparing an agenda, training a public speech, testing PA equipment, preparing information for the media and checking online information securing methods. They will also have a chance to establish cooperation with one another end exchange experience. Participants will prepare their own events under the supervision of coordinators and will evaluate them together. We will create a website serving as the platform for exchanging knowledge and experience and for networking activists organising gatherings.
Summary of project results
The aim of our project was to increase the presence of citizens in public space in accordance with the freedom to organise and participate in peaceful assemblies guaranteed by the Polish Constitution. By educating local activists on how to conduct demonstrations effectively and lawfully, we responded to social needs related to freedom of expression, civic activity and participation in public life.
We also wanted to address the need to have the organisational and legal skills necessary to conduct public events safely. In Poland, as in other countries, the organisation of demonstrations is associated with specific legal regulations and procedures that must be followed. Our aim was to provide practical knowledge and skills in this area in order to mitigate the risk of violating the law and to ensure the safety of manifestation participants.
As part of the project, we carried out the following activities:
● We held three series of online lectures and workshop meetings that covered topics related to assembly legislation, image creation, promotion, event management, public speaking, risk management and first aid. During these, participants had the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and skills.
● We organised 14 events called ''My Manifestation'', during which participants had the opportunity to practise the skills they had learnt. The manifestations covered a variety of topics, from human rights to environmental protection, and took place in various cities in Poland.
● A website, manifestacje.pl, and a Facebook profile have been set up to play an educational and activist role. We have made recordings of all lectures available and created a Q&A tab for quick answers to questions about the organisation of the manifestations.
As part of the project, we also published a handbook covering the content of the lectures and a workbook summarising good practice in organising demonstrations.
The recipients of the project were primarily local activists and community organisations.
Through the activities implemented, we were able to increase the presence of citizens in the public space by equipping local activists with the skills to organise demonstrations and other public events effectively and in accordance with the law. The participants'' awareness of constitutionally protected rights and freedoms, such as freedom of assembly, civic activity or freedom of speech, has also increased.
The learning platform www.manifestacje.pl has fulfilled and will continue to fulfil an educational and activating function, allowing access to training materials and the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Lectures, practical workshops, a published handbook and publicity material, helped to improve social skills in law, communication, event management and first aid.
The activation of participants through the provision of equipment and support for their community activities has contributed to increased community engagement and civil society building.
A total of 217 participants registered to take part in the project, actively participating in the lectures and workshops and keeping in regular contact with the organisers.