Social
campaigns

Space on the Internet aimed at spreading knowledge about communicating with respect and consideration. The task of the website is to bring those we help and those who support us closer together. It features educational materials depicting the humanitarian crises that are taking place throughout the world in a broader perspective. Here we also gathered information on the actions we have taken or plan to take to combat online hate speech. This is also where we place information about projects worth knowing and relevant reports published by other organisations and people. On the website’s homepage there are stories (divided into four chapters) of people who have suffered as a result of humanitarian crises. Photos and videos for the project were taken by a Polish photographer, Agata Grzybowska. In the creation of the narrative on the website Agata was assisted by Magdalena Chodownik, journalist and producer. The author of the graphic concept is Michał Dąbrowski.

Since publication, the website has been visited by 82,350 people.

Visit our website: https://pah.org.pl/dom/en

The website was created as part of the Google Impact Challenge funded by Google.org.

The exhibition comprises archival photos from Poland from World War II and just after its end as well as contemporary images of the war in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Ukraine from the period 2019–2022. The photos were taken by a Polish photographer, Agata Grzybowska. Historical photographs come from the collections of the Central Photographic Agency (presently the Polish Press Agency – PAP) and the archives of Julien Bryan and John Vachon, war correspondents from the USA.

The exhibition consists of 23 photographs depicting everyday life of Poles in unusual circumstances, i.e. during the war. More than 80 years separate contemporary photos from the archival ones. What they have in common is the perspective of the photographers, who focused on people and their attempts to live a quasi-normal life in a country tormented by war or in a refugee camp: running households and raising children, who spend time together in the courtyard, play ball and take care of their younger siblings. In the exhibition war and the accompanying fear, terror and death are left out of frame. What the photographs capture is the waiting, the state of forced temporariness, impotence and helplessness.

In six months from 19th August to 10th December 2022 the exhibition was visited by nearly 3,000 people.

The exhibition was presented:

• on Jan Twardowski square in Warsaw;
• during the gala of the Medal of Honour of the European Citizen’s Prize awarded by the European Parliament in Warsaw;
• in the 9th K. Hoffmanowa Secondary School in Warsaw during TEDxYouth@HoffmanowaSchool on 21st November 2022;
• during TEDxWarsawWomen at the 6th Floor Theatre in Warsaw;
• as part of W4UA World For Ukraine Summit in Rzeszów;
• in the foyer of Nowy Teatr in Warsaw.

The exhibition was created as part of the Google Impact Challenge funded by Google.org.

In connection with the 30th anniversary of PAH’s establishment on 26th December 2022, the traditional Christmas and end-of-year campaign was devoted to celebrate the jubilee of the Foundation. Its main feature was a spot with the participation of Maciej Stuhr (https://youtu.be/E4LwYdhBKA0), which was broadcast in the digital space and on television. Moreover, as part of the cooperation, people active in social media informed on their channels about the jubilee of PAH and promoted support for the Foundation’s activities. More about the campaign: https://pah.org.pl/pahznaczynadzieja

Building on the outburst of humanitarian aid in Poland and Ukraine, we decided to draw the attention of Poles to the World Humanitarian Aid Day on 19th August as an opportunity to honour the countless acts of kindness after 24th February 2022. The campaign, carried out under the motto “Help in Our Hands”, consisted of a cultural event at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and a spot presenting the history of people in Ukraine, South Sudan and Poland who received aid from PAH. More at: https://www.pah.org.pl/pwnr/

The campaign was launched shortly after the escalation of the war in Ukraine. Its main goal was to raise funds for immediate and long-term aid. The main feature of the campaign was a spot (https://youtu.be/UMFo2ouJjh0) broadcast on the Internet, TV, in shopping malls, cinemas and on the radio (in audio version) in Poland and abroad. An important component of the campaign was the information centre on the assistance activities conducted by PAH (https://www.pah.org.pl/centrum-info-ua/), which functions to this day and where you can make a donation and check the details of our humanitarian aid in Ukraine and Poland.

Closeness instead of hate.

A social campaign aimed at drawing attention to the fact that people experiencing humanitarian crises very often fall victim to hate speech on the Internet. Every day, new content is placed on the web that spreads misinformation and fuels the fear of “strangers”. These people rarely have the opportunity to present the situation they found themselves in from their perspective. With this campaign, we gave them a chance to tell their side of the story. By giving them a voice, we wanted to get closer to them, understand them, see their suffering. We showed the Polish society not only the things that are difficult to overcome, but also those we have in common.

The campaign was implemented in the form of an engaging online memory game. By playing the game, users where looking for things they shared with the people whose story they were learning.

The campaign was carried out on the Internet, in social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), on YouTube and on websites with online games.

Find out more: https://pah.org.pl/dom/historie-warte-zapamietania/

The conference was conceived as a reflection on the multidimensionality of the phenomenon of hate in our lives. It seems to be most visible when directed at minorities of all kind: in terms of nationality, religious beliefs, culture or sexual preferences. As hate is triggered by diversity, anyone can fall victim to it.

We focused the attention of people participating in the conference on ways of dealing with and reacting to hate, both online and offline. We emphasised the sense of community that a meeting with another human being can give.

The entire conference took place at a common table, at which anyone could take a seat. We invited activists, representatives of minorities and psychologists.

The event was divided into 6 thematic blocks devoted to specific issues:

Body, Nationality/Home, Skin Colour, Sexuality, Femininity and Education.

Recordings from all conference blocks are available on our YouTube channel and on the DOM website: https://pah.org.pl/dom/hejttalks/

We have also created a podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QWW6AG4LZp3MJ0TJ8XGGT

A series of webinars and workshops with the aim of showing how hate speech works and how we can counteract it. It was created for people for whom safety on the Internet is important – for those who want to get involved, who know that together we can respond to hate speech and thwart its harmful proliferation on the Internet.

In the course of the webinars and workshops of the Academy, participants could gain knowledge about hate speech on the Internet. The programme was designed to help understand the origins of this phenomenon, how it works and what its consequences are. We looked at the cultural and historical conditions that lead to it and contemplated who victims of hate speech are for us.

The webinars were led by Agata Kasprolewicz, journalist from Raport o Stanie Świata (Report on the State of the World), accompanied by visual notes created by Edyta Emme (Myślenie Wizualne – Visual Thinking).

The workshops were conducted by activists, specialists in the field of anti-discrimination education, well-being and dealing with hate speech on the Internet: Anna Wiatrowska (Queerowy Feminism – Queer Feminism), Julia Celejewska (Oddychaj. Regeneracja aktywistów i aktywistek z mniejszości – Breathe. Regeneration of Minority Activists), Ogi Ugonoh (Black is Polish).

Invited guests: Tomasz Stawiszyński, philosopher; Anna Cylinska, psychologist; Przemysław Wielgosz, publicist; Margaret Amaka Ohia-Nowak, anti-discrimination coach; Paweł Cywiński, geographer.

All webinars are also available in English on our YT channel.

Total number of people who watched the webinars: 750.

More about the events: https://pah.org.pl/dom/spolecznosc/

Activist group

The webinars served as an opportunity for the community involved in the activities of PAH to come together and resulted in a dedicated Facebook group, where members can share their experience with others, motivate each other to act against hate speech on the Internet and support the activities of PAH. Total number of group members: 560.

The Academy of Activists was established as part of the Google Impact Challenge funded by Google.org.

This is an action organised by the Warsaw Marathon Foundation during the Warsaw Marathon and Half Marathon. It gives runners an opportunity to run for a selected non-governmental charitable organisation. Marathoners running for PAH collect funds for our water and sanitary activities conducted, among others, in Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Madagascar and Ukraine. PAH’s team constantly inspires our community of runners, cheers for them on the route and rewards them at the finish line. In the last year’s Warsaw Half Marathon and Warsaw Marathon, our team managed to collect a total of PLN 37,930.70.

In the summer we took part in two festivals: Open’er Festival in Gdynia and Pol’and’Rock in Czaplinek. We prepared educational games for the participants of both festivals, and organised meetings with the staff to spread knowledge about the organisation’s activities, humanitarian aid, the tasks of humanitarian workers and global problems in the world.

In 2022, the PAH Club community consisted of 1,183 committed donors, who regularly support the Foundation’s statutory goals. Thanks to the declared monthly donations, we were able to effectively plan aid activities and reach with support an ever growing number of people. In 2022, members of the PAH Club made 14,685 contributions totalling PLN 1,427,645.

On 9th December 2022, the 21st edition of the Pajacyk Christmas Table campaign took place in restaurants all over Poland. Restaurant owners donated 10% of their daily turnover to the Pajacyk programme. 610 restaurants and a dietary catering company took part in the campaign. All these places were marked by the owners with posters printed free of charge by the Leyko printing house. In connection with our assistance for Ukrainian citizens, the support provided by restaurateurs was also utilised to provide food and psychosocial support to children and youths from Ukraine.

A platform that allows any person who wants to actively support our activities to set up a fundraiser and collect money for humanitarian aid provided by PAH. In 2022, we launched a new version of the website with fresh functions, a modern graphic design and lots of content. The website is a convenient tool for individuals as well as by business partners. It is also used as part of campaigns that we implement in schools. So far, 195 fundraisers have been launched on the website, which allowed us to collect a total of PLN 2,766,458.

Find out more at: https://pomagamy.pah.org.pl/