The Young Leaders School, a 2-week project consisting of workshops, lectures and study visits for the students and young professionals interested in civil society and the issues of democracy,  was designed to be a tool for addressing the broader context of the most recent political events and shifts. It aimed to unite young people from our area and train them to become young civil society leaders.  

Ten participants from Belarus, Georgia, Ethiopia, Jordan, Moldova, Ukraine and Spain took part in the program. After participating in the Euro-Atlantic Forum for Democracy and Security in Krakow od 10 and 11 of September, 2023, they took part in the dedicated lectures, with lively discussions, lasting even after the end of the lectures.

During the Democracy Support workshop the participants listened to the debates around the processes of democratization by the following experts specializing in the following regions Europe, North America, Asia and Middle East, led by the specialist from the Jagiellonian University: Katarzyna Zielińska, PhD, Małgorzata Lisińska, PhD Łukasz Fyderek, PhD, Adrian Brona, PhD. Among the topics were the questions of prioritizing democratizing over the rights of women or the rights of minorities. During the Leadership Workshop led by Małgorzata Zachara-Szymańska and professor Bryan Roberts the participants discussed leadership, leadership profiles, challenges and women in the position of power in the world. The following workshops – Authoritarian Challenges Seminar and Disinformation Workshop reflected on the current challenges of the digital era and its connection to the authoritarian influence. Later, during the dedicated Media Study Tour& Historical Memory and Policymaking led by Joanna Dyduch, PhD, the participants visited the headquarters of the RMF FM Radio in Kraków, the largest Polish radio station, and visited in the Kościuszko Museum in Kraków.

After the lectures and workshops the participants were invited to take part in the Auschwitz Memorial Study Tour and the subsequent visit in the headquarters of the Oświęcim Institute of Human Rights and a meeting with Alicja and Zbigniew Bartuś. During the last days of the project the participants travelled to Gdańsk and spoke with Senator Sławomir Rybicki in the European Solidarity Centre.

Thank you for your interest and participation!