Why do we use the word community?
Many people associate „community” with religion. And rightly so because Christianity is based on the idea of community.
However, we use that word in a broader sense. We think of community as a method of connecting with other people - not just family and friends, but people around us in general. With people who live on our housing estate or in our village, people we meet in shops, at the train station or on the streets of our town. When such bonds are present, people care about others, are friendly towards one another, and want to behave in a decent way. It is a unique experience to be able to live in such a society.
Why do we talk so much about a new community?
Because, like many people, we feel that we have lost the old community feeling that was once present in Poland. We do get along with family and friends. But things begin to look bad if we go to pick up groceries in a local shop, walk the streets, or spend time online - you can see the reluctance, often anger directed at strangers. If we want to do something about the divisions, we must look for what unites us today - a new community. That is the focus of our foundation.
To be clear, we are not interested in politics. We believe that the community we are building is for everyone: for people who position themselves on the right and left, for women and men, for the old and the young, for those living in cities and rural areas, for native Poles and those who have decided to make Poland their new home. We are very different in Poland, and we have every right to be like that. But we can improve our life together - that is what the idea of a new community involves.
To bring back community to Poland, we are involved in the following:
Community dialogues – we organise meetings of people who have different views, where you can talk about controversial topics in an atmosphere of mutual respect, openness, and curiosity. It is an experience of a different conversation - it gives the participants a sense of connection, better understanding of the problem and greater readiness to cooperate.
Good conversation practice – we practice and sharpen the skills necessary to get along with people who have different views: we learn how to listen, talk about your views so as to be heard, share the perspective of a person who is talking to us, lower the temperature of disputes.
Community lectures – we talk about community, its role in our everyday life, at work and in the modern world. We also discuss common myths and current research. When the participants leave the meeting, they are motivated to develop and build communities around them. During the lecture, participants ask questions and talk to one another.
