Activities focusing on cultural diversity are scarce in the Varmia and Mazurian voivodship, in smaller towns in particular. Borussia is one of the few local organisations actively promoting intercultural co-operation and attitudes of openness to the region’s diversity. The organisation’s experience proves that such topics are frequently neglected at schools, making young people more vulnerable to the impact of nationalist movements, currently on the rise in the region, as proven among others by the number of recorded anti-Semitic, racist, and xenophobic incidents.
The project purpose was to strengthen action taken in the Varmian and Mazurian voivodship to the end of promoting attitudes of openness to diversity and intercultural co-operation.
Project activities allowed the forming of a regional network of different social partners to the end of supporting cultural diversity and preventing discrimination; schools were empowered in implementing their mission of developing attitudes of openness in the young community.
The project involved 22 workshops for teachers, attended by 514 persons from 224 local schools. Workshops focused on intercultural education, social integration, and preventing discrimination. Teachers were exposed to interactive tolerance-promoting methods of working with young people; thanks to co-operation with the Regional Police Headquarters in Olsztyn, they were also taught how to react in situations involving discrimination. The acquired knowledge was then used in practice during 17 anti-discrimination mini-projects implemented at selected schools. An equality classes textbook was published as a support aid for teachers. Furthermore, an education and information campaign for tolerance and open regionalism was implemented in the Varmia and Mazurian voivodship, jointly with the TVP Olsztyn public TV station. The campaign comprised 6 educational programmes and 6 spots.
The project involved two conferences attended by various social partners, resulting in the forming of a co-operation network for tolerance in the region.
The partner organisation was responsible for producing and broadcasting campaign materials (TVP Olsztyn), and for co-operation for school staff workshop purposes (the police).
Project beneficiaries included 514 teachers and 315 conferences attendance. The campaign reach was estimated at 45,000 recipients.