Leadership - Polska Akcja Humanitarna

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Foundation Council

JANINA OCHOJSKA

Włodzimierz Sarna

Management Board

JANINA OCHOJSKA (President of PAH’s Management Board)

the founder of the Polish Humanitarian Action and the President of PAH’s Management Board ever since the organisation’s foundation. During her stay in France in the 1980s, she was a volunteer with EquiLibre – an organisation providing humanitarian aid to Poles. In 1984, the first shipment of medicines was sent to Poland (organised by Alain Michel and Pascal Loulmet) – among those coordinating the distribution of the supplies in Poland was Janina Ochojska. As early as 1989, the Polish EquiLibre Foundation was established, which gradually expanded its reach to other countries as well. In 1992, Janina Ochojska organised the first humanitarian aid convoy to Sarajevo. On return to Poland, she made an appeal to Poles (on Polish Radio 3, or Trójka) for aid for the civilian population of Sarajevo. The response surpassed her expectations. As a result, the first aid convoy solely organised by Poles was sent to beleaguered Sarajevo. In 1994, the Polish society’s need for agency led to the establishment of the Polish Humanitarian Action, whose founders were Janina Ochojska, Tomasz Wilk and Włodzimierz Sarna. Under the aegis of the Polish Humanitarian Action, Poles could have a stronger sense of being agents of positive change – after all, the organisation’s name reflected their need and involvement. Between 2009 and 2011, Janina Ochojska was a member of the CERF Advisory Group. She is also the winner of many prestigious awards, including: “The Woman of Europe” conferred by the Commission of the European Communities (1994), the Pax Christi International Peace Award (1995), the Atsuhito Nakata Memorial Foundation Award (1996), the Order of the Legion of Honour awarded by the President of the Republic of France (2003), the Józef Tischner Award (2006), the Bene Merito honorary distinction conferred by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009), and the Lech Wałęsa Award (2010). In 2011, the President of the Republic of Poland awarded Janina Ochojska the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

GRZEGORZ GRUCA (Vice-President of PAH’s Management Board)

the Vice-President of PAH’s Management Board, a member of PAH’s Management Board since 1997. He is responsible for co-operation with institutional and business partners. In the 1990s, he was the co-ordinator for non-governmental organisations and co-operation with the Liaison Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Warsaw. In 2011, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs awarded him the Bene Merito honorary distinction in recognition of his merits in promoting Poland abroad.

MACIEJ BAGINSKI (member of PAH’s Management Board)

He has been with the Polish Humanitarian Action since 2009, a member of PAH’s Management Board since 2011. From the very beginning, he has been supporting PAH’s financial operations. He has also worked as a finance director in international corporations and Polish private companies.

DOROTA SERAFIN (MEMBER OF THE BOARD)

Dorota is an experienced manager with practice in NGOs, business and science management, providing strategic advisory for non-government organizations, educational institutions and scientific research institutes.
Dorota joined PAH in 2019 as Director of the Humanitarian and Development Aid Department. In recognition of her achievements, she was entrusted with the role of Executive Director and invited to join PAH’s management board in 2020.

KATARZYNA GÓRSKA (member of PAH’s Management Board)

She has been with the Polish Humanitarian Action since 2014, a member of PAH’s Management Board since 2015. Professionally engaged in film production.

audit committee

Aleksandra Rezunow

Dariusz Płatek

Paulina Pilch

Henryk Wujec
(up to 2020)

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Janina Ochojska in the European Parliament

Janina Ochojska was elected as a member of the European Parliament on May 26, 2019. Since she took the decision to stand for election, Janina Ochojska has been on unpaid leave at PAH and hasn’t participated in the ongoing work of the Foundation. The Foundation did not get involved in the election campaign, nor did it support the activities of Janina Ochojska in the European Parliament.

While a member of the European Parliament, due to the need to meet the high standards of transparency at the Foundation , Janina Ochojska suspended all activities at PAH. She decided to retain the title of President, since, like every Management Board member, she performs these functions pro bono. She will not be making any decisions relating to the functioning of PAH until the end of her term in Parliament.

The election of Janina Ochojska to the European Parliament does not conflict with the ethical principles we adhere to. We remain an independent, impartial and apolitical organization. We have never engaged and will not engage in the activities of any political party, and our assistance will be provided solely on the basis of people’s needs, as we have until now.