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In Krzyżowa, more than 100 participants of the Robert Bosch Foundation Alumni Forum tackled this topic on the second weekend of October. The Robert Bosch Foundation has been supporting international knowledge and the development of civil society in Eastern Europe for decades, through various educational programmes and promoting international meetings and exchanges. The alumni network gave rise to the MitOst association, which co-organised the weekend. It was no coincidence that the meeting took place in Krzyżowa. Particularly in the 2000s, many seminars took place here and some of the staff and board members of the Krzyżowa Foundation are alumni of the Bosch Foundation's programmes and members of MitOst. For many participants it was a reunion with Krzyżowa.
In the face of the escalation of the war and Russia's aggression against Ukraine, these networks played a key role in providing rapid and direct support to Ukrainian NGOs and those in neighbouring countries that were hosting large numbers of refugees from Ukraine. In her presentation, Alona Karavai reported on the activities that her organisation Insha Osvita has developed in collaboration with other Ukrainian organisations to secure Ukrainian cultural assets and support Ukrainian artists. In small groups, participants exchanged views on current issues of international understanding, the limits of dialogue, dealing with populism and supporting democracy.
The meeting was organised in a family-friendly manner. The kindergarten in Krzyżowa opened its doors to the youngest participants, while older children and young people were offered a tailor-made programme with intercultural and creative workshops and a rally through Krzyżowa.
We would like to thank Bosch Alumni Net and the MitOst association for the wonderful and inspiring cooperation!
Photographer: Agata Maziarz
