For the fifth time the Association for the Forum for Non-Governmental Initiatives is organizing the All-Poland Forum for Non-Governmental Initiatives, that will be held from the 13th to the 20th of September, 2008 in Warsaw.

This year’s format of the Forum differs from the previous ones. Aside from the Conference and the Picnic of Non-Governmental Organizationss, we have planned many additional elements and accompanying events that make up the Civic Week. The main goal of the Forum is to enable non-governmental organizations and people involved in civic initiatives to meet and discuss. We hope that the event will facilitate integration of the environment. The Forum will be an opportunity for a dialogue, skill-sharing and a discussion about the form and further development of civil society.

We will try to debate about the role of committed citizens in civil society- what does it mean to be an active citizen in different aspects of social life (for instance to be a neighbour, a local community member, an elector, a volunteer, a consumer, a philanthropist, a journalist, or a non-governmental organization activist). The 5th All-Poland Forum for Non-Governmental Initiatives will be an occasion to discuss possible support for such activity.

The Forum is intended to be a place of discussion for NGOs and local-government activists, government representatives, academic community members, media and business people.

5th All-Poland Forum for Non-Governmental Initiatives will also be an opportunity to present the achievements and diversity of Non-Governmental Organizations and their workers. We would like to show it to the Forum participants. We will also acquaint citizens of Warsaw with this subject, by an open format of the Civic Week. We will try to reach a wider public through the media and present various effects of committed citizen’s actions.

CONFERENCE
“Civic Poland” Conference will take place from September 19th (Friday) to 20th (Saturday) 2008, mainly on the University of Warsaw campus. The conference is held under the patronage of Her Magnificence, vice-chancellor of Warsaw University, Prof. Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow. The first day of the conference will be devoted to the principles of the strategy of civil society development, and about the issues connected with this subject-active and conscious citizens and civic education, active local communities, strong non-governmental organizations, good governance, civil state and social economy.

It is planned that in the second day of the conference there will take place sessions devoted to issues such as:

• Civic dialogue,
• Third Sector action standards,
• Models of cooperation between NGOs and local governments,
• Funds available to NGOs,
• Community Funds in Central and Eastern Europe,
• Engaging young people in public life,
• Youth organizations,
• The role of corporate foundations,
• The role of non-governmental organizations in the face of the digital divide,
• Legal environment of the Third Sector.

We encourage other organizations and environments, which would like to contribute to the 5th All-Poland Forum for Non-Governmental Initiatives, to invent and organize additional sessions, workshops and panel discussions.

During the conference there will also take place the Supporting Organizations Fair-a presentation of organizations and institutions that support NGO’s through different types of training courses, consultancy and advices, of grant donating organizations, but also of private companies, that target their offer at non-governmental organizations.

Detailed information on the Conference will be given by an organizing team (ofip[at]ofip.org.pl, 022 821 91 28 extension: 128, 137, 151).

All-Poland Forum for Non-Governmental Initiatives