Let’s Talk about Climate slogan was the main theme of this year’s alumni of PAFF Leaders meeting organized by the School for Leaders Foundation in Przypki on June 16 and 17. Over 160 people discussed subjects related to ecology, climate change, zero waste policy, and renewable energy sources.
The organizers prepared a lot of interesting workshops strictly related to the main theme of the meeting.
Do we need gas and atom energy? What role will hydrogen and energy storage play? What can their impact on Polish economy be? These and other subjects were discussed by Marcin Popkiewicz, a science journalist and communicator , expert in climatology, power engineering, and megatrends analyses, during the opening lecture titled “Understand Energy Transformation. From a depression to a vision or how to get out of the hole which we are in”.
PAFF Leader Patryk Białas conducted the “How to make a socially fair ecologic change in a commune” workshop on experience sharing in the area of Fair Transformation Social Initiatives. While Leader Agata Otrębska presented on her workshop various methods of climate activism. Director the Polish Office of Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) Weronika Michalak spoke about the climate change and whether it poses a threat to health and life also in Poland. Katarzyna Wągrowska, an expert on zero waste, invited the participants of her classes to discuss the ways of reducing the amount of waste. Krzysztof Smolnicki, a tutor at the School for Leaders, presented the “green standards” of organizing events. And psychologist, public health expert Joanna Brzezińska presented the latest policy of World Health Organization in the area of psychical health and climate change.
Also, alumni of 18th round held meetings under the Leadership for Leadership workshops. Unusual classes were held by Damian Piórko-Ziemba who presented various types of games that facilitate building relations and engaging local community to act using gamification. Janina Piwowarczyk presented the idea of Live Library – the meeting space for discriminated people. Krystyna Adamenko shared experiences of her organization in counteracting transport exclusion on the basis of Mobile Senior model. Łukasz Molski presented various attitudes to social work and ideas of “acting green” and shared his experiences gained during his visit to the USA under Open World Program. Tutor Krzysztof Konieczny spoke about the Odra river pollution.
“We can do a lot for the climate if we act together, bottom-up, and extend the scope of our activities in local communities,” the meeting participants declared.
The meeting was also an opportunity to sum up the 18th round of the “PAFF Leaders” program that has been completed recently. This year 46 alumni received diplomas and best wishes from Katarzyna Czayka-Chełmińska and Przemysław Radwan-Rohrenschef, many-year members of School for Leaders management and program co-authors.
The “PAFF Leaders” program is addressed to active participants of projects financed by PAFF and local leaders. The program supports development of their skills and knowledge necessary in working for the benefit of their communities using the tutoring method. The participants attend also training sessions and get individual support. The offer for alumni includes workshops, study tours in Poland and abroad, and meetings with public figures. Over the hitherto 18 rounds of the program over 840 local leaders improved their competence, their active All-Poland network was established, and 68 experts were trained in tutoring method.
