By OFOP
“On the eve of the anniversary of the first free parliamentary elections in Poland, we managed to gather in Gdańsk exceptional representation of non-governmental organizations dealing with topics fundamental for the future. We have a comprehensive vision for the future of our country. A strong civil society acting in solidarity strengthens its resilience in times of crisis” said Karolina Dreszer-Smalec, the President of OFOP’s Board of Directors, addressing the representatives of NGOs who gathered in Gdańsk for the civic debate on Poland’s future.
On 3 June 2023, during the Gdańsk celebration of the “Day of Freedom and Civil Rights”, a debate was held in which representatives of civil society presented their proposals for the future affecting key areas for the functioning of the state and society. In connection with the upcoming parliamentary elections, the organizers – OFOP, the European Solidarity Centre and the Batory Foundation – have created a platform to present proposals developed by social organizations for solutions for the repair of the Republic of Poland in the following areas:
1. The rule of law and the Constitutional Court and the Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office
2. Education
3. Climate law
4. Women’s rights
5. Students’ rights
6. Migration and integration policy
7. Public media
8. Culture (including the management of museums)
9. Self-governance of local communities
10. Civil society
There are more proposals for changes from civil society, and we will present them on 29 September in Warsaw as part of the continuation of the debate held in Gdańsk.
This June marks also the 20th anniversary of OFOP. There was a number of celebrations, which included the graduation ceremony of the School of Representation and Social Participation OFOP. On the 12th of June during the anniversary General Assembly, OFOP’s member organizations elected members of the board and adopted amendments to OFOP’s statute and mission statement.
In the Preamble of the Statute, we indicate that the values we follow derive from the European Convention on Human Rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the Charter of Principles for the Operation of Non-Governmental Organizations. In this way, we emphasize that values such as human rights, democracy, the rule of law, equality, solidarity and freedom are at the center of our mission and we want to promote them as fundamental for the third sector in Poland and in Europe.
On the 13th of June, “Our Ombudsman” Initiative gathered to summarize 1.5 years of work of the activists’ network.