The Foundation is looking for partners in the “Anti-Semitic Graffiti” project.

The photos shown below (selection) are taken between 2000 and 2008 in different Polish cities by Piotr Piluk, a Polish Jewish freelance photographer, publicist, and a journalist of “Słowo Żydowskie / Dos Jidisze Wort”. The idea of documenting anti-Semitic graffiti came to life by coincidence during another project. Visiting cities like Lodz, Gliwice, Swidnica or Nowy Targ, Piotr Piluk started to take pictures of inscriptions on the walls. Many of them have to do with football competition but there are some which directly and purposely attack ethnic or sexual minorities.

In the summer of 2008 part of this documentation was exhibited during the International Conference on Racism “Intolerance Kills”. Following that the Foundation for Freedom printed 12 of these photos and displayed them publicly during the multi-ethnic football tournament, part of the FARE Action Week. Then the exhibition was presented in the Jewish Historical Institute during the 70th anniversary of the Crystal Night.

The aim of this project is not answering but rather asking questions. How is it possible in a society free of racism that policemen are referred to as “sidelocks” and youngsters proudly call themselves “gestapo”? Is Anti-Semitism still a problem in Poland? Does it concern only right-wing extremists or all of us? Shall we talk about this or not?

We encourage:

For the time being this project is contributed by Fundacja dla Wolności, Słowo Żydowskie / Dos Jidisze Wort, and US Embassy in Poland.

Contact: e-mail

Foundation for Freedom is a sending organization in frames of EVS, Youth in Action. We are experienced in organizing EVS projects with many different partners. We apply to Polish National Agency for grants, as well as, we are take part in the projects applied to other National Agencies. At the moment, 9 of our volunteers are doing their EVS. We helped more than 20 volunteers to become European volunteers. We are waiting for some decisions from National Agencies and hopefully we will have more EVS projects going on.

Our volunteers are in many different countries, for instance in Portugal, Italy, Slovakia, Lebanon, Mexico, Armenia. The projects we run have various themes and objectives. We do not concentrate on one topic of EVS. Everyone is welcome to make his/her dreams about EVS come true.

Below you can find some short information about EVS projects with Foundation for Freedom as a partner organization.

Our volunteer - Joasia is doing her EVS in Portugal. Her host organization is ARCIL from Lousã, central part of the country. Joasia organizes many different activities involving children and youth with special needs. She takes part in info sessions in schools and youth weekends. Her work helps to develop local community and gives an opportunity to foster a process of intercultural learning.

Feel free to take a look at some photos from EVS of Joasia.

About FARE

Date and venue
The tournament will take place on and Saturday 20th of October 2007. We meet at noon at the professional outdoor small field in Agrykola Park in the centre of Warsaw.

Games
There are 12 teams, each of eight players. The tournament is open to everyone. We have invited 4 refugees’ teams and one exclusively feminine - the rest teams will be recruited through our web page and posters. We insist on all teams to be sex mixed. The special invitation will be send to disfavoured youngsters from Praga district as well as to the feminists-communists and Zespół Szkół Bednarska teams. First we play elimination games in 4 groups then quarter-finals, semi-finals and final (19 games all together).

Prizes
All teams will be presented with t-shirts with the logos of our tournament. The winners and best scorers (male and female) will receive additional prizes.

Extra issues
1. Drawing workshop “Where do they come from? Chose your player and draw his/her story”. This is an exercise for the imagination and empathy – the facilitators of closeness between people. The event is addressed especially to the youngest participants but no age limits are imposed. The workshop is conducted by professional designers.
2. Dance and yoga workshops – two exercises for body and mind. People dance and practice yoga together for the better knowledge of feelings. Both workshops are conducted by professionals.
3. 8 pm: antidiscrimination after party and concerts in café Plan B (Wyzwolenia St, 18, Warsaw, free entrance). Everyone is invited to bring instrument and join the music. Champaign, ceremony of decoration and video installation promoting tolerance and information about organisers will be conducted. There will be also African and Polish food prepared by participants.

Detailed information (in Polish) here.

Sponsors
Football Against Racism in Europe
Stefan Batory Fundation

Partners
“Never Again” Association
Office for Foreigners in Poland
Amnesty International Poland
Zespół Szkół „Bednarska”
Cafe Plan.B
Tiszert S.C.
Bakalie Branding Studio
Ula Skośkiewicz / Grupa Robocza 1000 Ton
Karol Zaremski / Asan
Anna Okrasko & Joanna Bębenek
Lasica.pl

About FARE

Date and venue
On the 14th and 15th of October we have organized our second tournament as a part of the Football Against Racism in Europe Action Week. The event took place at the school Społeczne Gimnazjum #20 at Raszyńska St., Warsaw.

Games
We invited 8 teams – over 60 players: Polish pupils and refugees from Africa (Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Sierra Leone , Togo), Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam. On the first day we had elimination games in groups. The Vietnamese team turned out to be a revelation of this day but surprisingly they lost on the first semi-final on the day after. The best African team lost the second semi-final thus in the final two Polish teams met. The younger boys won and so they took the main prize – a ball signed by famous Polish football players: Ebi Smolarek (Borussia Dortmund) and Maciej Żurawski (Celtic Glasgow). Additionally, all the participants were given t-shirts. After the games we had a multicultural picnic with African and Polish food. Gazeta Wyborcza (leading Polish newspaper) related the event on the 16th of October.

Photos

About FARE

Date and venue
On October 15-16 we organized football tournament as a part of FARE Action Week 2005. There were 8 teams: two Chechnya’s, one African and 5 teams of old boys and pupils of Group of Schools “Bednarska” (Zespół Szkół „Bednarska”). The tournament took place on the field of “Raszyńska” School (part of Group of Schools “Bednarska”) at 22 Raszyńska Street in Warsaw, Poland.

Games
On the first day we had elimination games in two groups. The competition was tough but finally the favorites were the ones to win. On Sunday (the second day) in the first semifinal game the first Chechnya’s team squared off against African squad and in the second semifinal Old Boys squared up to Pupils. Both matches provided a lot of emotion. Old Boys were especially disappointed because they loosed against younger colleges. Finally their team was classified on the third place as they minimally defeated Chechens in the small final. The final game was extremely fascinating: Africans were loosing 0:2 but in the second period – thanks to, among others, Rachel (the only girl who played in the tournament) – they set up to the draw. The score had to be decided on penalty shots: Africans were luckier and so they reached for the cup (see the results).

Extra issues
During the second day our friends from Never Again Association had their own counter and they were giving out information about fighting against racism at stadiums. We had chilly but sunny weather. For those who were cold we have prepared tea or coffee and cookies. After the final we had picnic prepared by pupils and Africans so we have tasted same delicious food of Polish and Western African cuisine.

Why and how?
We have decided to participate in the Action Week because we are sure that by this mean we can both demonstrate our opposition to racism, and give refugees an opportunity to integrate with Polish society. Therefore we turned to refugee’s centers and proposed to enter their teams in a competition. There was no problem of will but we came across some setbacks, for instance Chechens had no shoes so we had to buy them (so they will be able to train football also in the future). Our cooperator was Group of Schools “Bednarska”, know for its openness on minorities. The participants acted in T-shirts “my playing field” prepared especially on this occasion by professional visual art and design Studio Bakalie. T-shirts were sponsored by company Tiszert.

Thanks
In the first order we want to thank cordially Karol Zaremski who dedicated himself very strongly to this undertaking: he was responsible for its sport part and without his help nothing would have been done. We would like to thank also our partners, especially Kuba Mikoszewski and volunteers from “Raszyńska” School who prepared the food for the picnic and helped us during whole weekend. Big thanks to Rachel who prepared African food. Thanks also to Agnieszka, Marta and Sylwester who coordinated the action on the refugee’s centers side, to referees – Mr. Jacek Sękowski and Mr. Dariusz Świderski – who ensured professionalism of the event and also to all the players and fans. And finally, big thanks to Olga Pigłowska who has encouraged us to realize this project.

GAZETA WYBORCZA, Oct 17 2005:

Partners