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Newsletter Krzyżowa 4/2020

Ladies and gentlemen,
Outside the window we see the autumn, but we will recall the summer in part of this issue of Newsletter. It was then that Krzyżowa was again filled for a moment with the voices and laughter of children and youth - participants of our summer projects. It was then that in our courtyard we could hear the sounds of violin (Master Course "Students of Masters"), guitar music (Summer Guitar Festival), flamenco rhythms (XV International Flamenco Festival) and even - for the first time - sounds straight from Bollywood (Indian dance summer in Krzyżowa). It was then that Krzyżowa turned into a huge open air cinema for a while.

Despite the difficulties connected with the organization of events in the era of pandemic, it was also possible to conduct another edition of the International Chamber Music Festival Krzyżowa-Music. The great merit in this is due to the management and team of the Festival. One of its participants and co-organisers, Alexey Stadler, wrote for us about this world of chamber music in Krzyżowa. In the section FORUM KRZYŻOWA you will also find an article by Dr Robert Żurek about the heritage of Solidarność - commemorating its 40th anniversary.

In the next part of the issue you will read about our numerous projects and initiatives which, despite the difficulties, we have managed to implement so far. Some of them were stationary meetings, others moved into virtual space, and others involved intensive work, which was finalised with materials available to a wide audience. As part of the project "(No)peace 1945. What did the end of the Second World War bring about?" lesson scenarios and podcasts with the participation of historians [materials in Polish] were created, and the project „A united Europe was not achieved and we had war". project involved the production of films [in Polish and English] and podcasts [in Polish], which are published weekly on the Foundation's website and its channels in the social media.

We are all aware that the coming autumn will be very difficult. The coronavirus pandemic is limiting both our professional activity and private life. This is also a time of great challenges for the Krzyżowa Foundation and other non-governmental organisations. We are trying to face them. Thank you for supporting us in this. And by inviting you to read this issue of the Newsletter, we wish you health above all. Let us take care of ourselves and others.

Newsletter editors

KRZYŻOWA FORUM

"The legacy of Solidarity" | dr Robert Żurek

40 years ago, the free trade union Solidarity was founded. A peaceful mass movement that brought the communist regime in Poland to its knees, making a major contribution to overcoming real socialism throughout Eastern Europe. Its legacy remains valid, especially in the face of the multiple crises of our times. (...)

The option in favour of solidarity, dialogue and readiness to compromise, in favour of cooperation across all divisions, active civil society and a good balance between idealism and realism - this is the legacy of Solidarity and it is surprisingly topical today. It can become an important signpost, both in the face of global challenges such as hunger, climate change and migration, and also in the context of the crisis of liberal democracy, manifested in populism, the growing polarisation of society, the refusal of dialogue and the lack of civil involvement. (...)

Krzyżowa-Music. The 2020 edition was very extraordinary | Alexey Stadler

This year is crazy and unique in every way. Who could have predicted in January that the world would look completely different in the summer?

After the massive cancellation of almost all concerts and performances - even those in 2021 - it was almost a utopia to hope to organise the Krzyżowa-Music 2020 Festival. Nevertheless, thanks to the extraordinary courage of Matthias von Hülsen and Viviane Hagner, the professionalism of the festival team and the staff of the Krzyżowa Foundation, as well as the great support of the company CENTOGENE, this has become possible.

The 2020 edition was very extraordinary: suddenly we all realised that we had become more mature. Each of us had enough time to reflect and ask questions that had never been answered before. (...)

IN THIS ISSUE

Statement of the Foundation's Management Board on the events in Belarus

We follow the developments in Belarus with great attention. We express our solidarity with all Belarusians who are standing up for dignity, freedom and democracy. Their courage and determination inspire our admiration and respect. We are filled with sadness and indignation by the fate of the repressed people. We hope that the European Union, the authorities of democratic states and international public opinion will effectively put pressure on the Belarusian authorities so that they cease violence and enter into dialogue with the society.

The Krzyżowa Foundation has signed a agreement with the newly established Centre for Polish Language Competence and Coordination in Ostritz

On Friday, 11 September, in the St. Marienthal International Meeting Centre (IBZ-Internationales Begegnungszentrum St. Marienthal) in Ostritz there was a official opening of the Polish Language Competence and Coordination Centre (KoKoPol). During the inauguration of the Centre, a cooperation agreement was also signed with the "Krzyżowa" Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, under which, among other things, language and cultural training for German diplomats, employees of companies and their management boards will be held in Krzyżowa.

"A united Europe was not achieved and we had war". 8 films about the history of conflict, reconciliation and European integration

In 2020, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the biggest and bloodiest conflict in world history. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the Schumann Declaration, which was a response to this war, which proposed European integration to avoid new disputes and which initiated this integration.

In this very special year, we invite you to participate in a mutual reflection on the history of conflicts, reconciliation and European integration. The motto for our story will be the words from the Schumann Declaration: "A united Europe was not achieved and we had war". And the pretext for it will be... Krzyżowa. A place which, like no other, is an example that dialogue, respect and understanding are universal values that guarantee building Europe peacefully.

We invite you to watch 8 episodes, which were realized in Krzyżowa with the participation of employees of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe. The following films will be published in a weekly cycle on our website and on the social media profiles of the Foundation: Facebook, youtube.com, Twitter. In addition, the Foundation's website will offer interviews with experts as well as other materials to deepen the theme.

(No)Peace 1945. What did the end of World War II bring? - Scenarios, podcasts, webinars

This year's 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is an opportunity not only to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany and the beginning of peaceful coexistence between the European nations, but also to raise the question of what exactly happened in 1945 and why that year did not mean the end of the fighting and the beginning of the reconstruction of the country for the whole of Europe.

That is why the Krzyżowa Foundation, in cooperation with the Silesian Institute, has prepared the educational project "(No)Peace 1945. What brought about the end of the Second World War?", addressed to school pupils and teachers. Especially for secondary and eighth grade students of primary schools, we have prepared two lesson scenarios, together with supporting materials in the form of source texts, a work card and a map.

On the project polish website there are also published podcasts, which were prepared especially to present four perspectives for the events that took place in 1945 in the most attractive way possible.

LIVE with Dr Robert Żurek [Die Politikstunde, BPB] - 16.09.2020

16th of September on the website and other channels of Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, it was possible to watch a LIVE meeting with Robert Żurek - Managing Director and member of the Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation.

The topic of the conversation was Solidarity - history, influence and legacy.

School meeting as part of the "Schools of Dialogue" project – Krzyżowa, 25.08.2020

The first meeting of schools implementing the pilot School of Dialogue project took place on 25 August in Krzyżowa. The pandemic forced us to stop testing materials translated from Dutch and only now it was possible to gather teachers who implemented lessons from the first 3 blocks of the program in their schools and kindergartens before the announcement of the school closure.

Schools and kindergartens exchanged their expectations before joining the program and the degree of fulfillment of these expectations. The evaluation showed that the material is very well received by children, that it allows behavioral changes and facilitates group conflict resolution. The teachers praised the program for its systematization, simplicity of communication, flexibility and effectiveness.

GlobART 2030 project - summary

We are approaching the end of the GlobART 2030 project, which consisted of 11 activities integrating the subject of the Sustainable Development Goals into the international exchange of young people from Poland, Germany and Ukraine.

During 5-6-day meetings at the Krzyżowa Foundation, young people devoted 1 full day to active workshops on globalization, global interdependence, North-South relations, migration, food security, gender equality, and human rights.

The workshops were conducted by the IYMC educators using the methods of non-formal education and critical education, followed by joint work on the artistic expression of the topic.

Participants could choose the artistic sphere and the means of expression to deal with the topic they wanted to express. The most frequently chosen options among those offered at the Krzyżowa Foundation were: painting, upcycling, as well as multimedia techniques, such as time-lapse films and dance performance.

The Krzyżowa Foundation carries out further projects increasing the level of vocational education in the region

From September, the Krzyżowa Foundation starts implementing two more projects, for which it obtained funds from the European Union and the state budget under the Regional Operational Program of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship for 2014-2020.

The value of both projects is nearly PLN 6 million. The aim of the projects is to increase the employability of vocational education students and to increase the competences and qualifications of teachers of practical vocational training. About 500 participants will take part in the projects.

XXI Polish-German Summer Academy "Mutual Understanding across borders: Patterns and experiences" - Krzyżowa, 31.08.-4.09.2020.

From 31 August to 4 September, the 21st Polish-German Summer Academy "Mutual Understanding Beyond Borders: Patterns and Experiences" took place in Krzyżowa. It was organised by the Catholic Academy in Berlin in cooperation with the Institute of Political Science and Administration of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe and the Province of the Pallottine Society in Warsaw.

During the four-day meeting, the participants had the opportunity to take part in many activities and lectures, including with representatives of the Krzyżowa Foundation: Dr. Robert Żurek, Managing Director and member of the Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation, and Dominik Kretschmann, the head of the Memorial Site.

German-Polish seminar "Ways of Freedom" - 18.07.2020

This year's "Ways of Freedom" took place on 18 July in an unusual, although typical of the current pandemic situation, online format. The project was implemented with the support of the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation by the International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim and the Krzyżowa Foundation. About 25 people from Poland and Germany took part in the several-hour-long online meeting - participants of previous editions of the project, but also other teachers, volunteers, people working for Polish-German organisations.

We talked about today's German-Polish relations, including in the regional context and trans-border cooperation; about the school in Poland and Germany during the pandemic and about mental health and reactions to the restrictions imposed by the Polish and German governments in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. In each of the three thematic blocks, we have managed to attract two speakers for the inaugural speeches. Each of the blocks also offered an opportunity for conversation and discussion, which the participants enjoyed.

Summer in Krzyżowa. Summer camps for children and youth: July - August 2020

This year, Krzyżowa hosted 4 summer projects addressed to participants aged 7 to 17. At the International Youth Meeting Center, 2 linguistic and artistic summer camps for children aged 7-10 and youth aged 11-14 were organized, a Polish-German-Czech youth meeting "Work Space For Young Artists" with participants aged 13-17 as well as a Polish-German youth exchange "Magic Summer" with a group of participants aged 8-12.

All these events aroused great interest. Despite the limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, summer projects have been organized in such a way that the participants, educators and trainers are provided with maximum safety.

Open-air cinemas in Krzyżowa and Komorów - summer screenings organized by the Krzyżowa Foundation

From July to September, the Krzyżowa Foundation organized 4 screenings as part of the Outdoor Cinema. Two were held in Krzyżowa, and the next two - in Komorów.

All the events enjoyed great interest from the local community, which participated in large numbers in film screenings.

The screenings were free of charge and were funded by the project "Together we will do more", implemented under the Youth Employment Initiative.

INVITATIONS

Shalom. Pax. Salam. The integration potential of monotheistic religions for today's Europe - 25-27.11.2020

On 25-27 November, a unique, international project will start at the Krzyżowa Foundation. Its theme will be the integration potential of monotheistic religions for today's Europe. For the first time in the history of the Foundation, representatives of all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam will meet in Krzyżowa. Due to the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be conducted online.

The first stage of the project implementation will be expert workshops with the participation of scientists, school representatives, non-governmental organizations and media from Germany and Poland. Thus, representatives of all three monotheistic religions will meet in Krzyżowa – for the first time in the history of the Foundation – to jointly undertake a critical reflection on the role of religion in society and the methods of education in the field of the culture of dialogue.

WELCOME

New volunteers to Krzyżowa!

In September, traditionally, we welcome new volunteers to Krzyżowa.Two new fantastic friends - Emma and Anna-Sofia - have been with us for several days.

Where they came from, why they came to Krzyżowa and what are their first impressions - you can read about this in short self-presentations.

We are very happy that Emma and Anna-Sofia are already with us and we wish them that the time they will spend in Krzyżowa will be creative, interesting and full of good emotions!

FAREWELL

It is with deep sadness that we received the information about the death of Janisław Muszyński (9.10.1942-10.09.2020), the first non-communist Wrocław voivode, initiator and organizer of the Lower Silesian Political and Economic Forum in Krzyżowa, a long-standing friend of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe.

SAVE THE DATE

On Saturday, 13th of March 2021, in Wrocław and in Krzyżowa, a ceremony will be held in memory of Dr. Ewa Unger - one of the founders of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe who died on 15th March 2020 and a long-term president of the Foundation's management board.

The ceremony will begin at 11.00 in Wrocław, where the Holy Mass will be celebrated.

The second part of the event will be held in Krzyżowa. In connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is planned to organize an Internet broadcast of the ceremony.

Fundacja „Krzyżowa” dla Porozumienia Europejskiego
Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe
Krzyżowa 7, 58-112 Grodziszcze, Poland
tel: +48 74 85 00 300, fax: +48 74 85 00 305

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