We want to address the growing problem of hate in Poland. With the rise of the Internet, it became much easier to address hate towards other people. It is a global problem, affecting individuals, companies, organizations, and The cover of Internet anonymity, an option to put distance between yourself and your target, the instantaneous nature of communication and the ease of access to modern media facilitates the work of haters and online trolls. People often gang up on each-other, criticizing others, pointing out flaws and spreading the hateful message.
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation has been on the receiving end of plenty of hateful words, unjust accusations, and negative comments. Negative feedback and constructive criticism should never take shape of hostility, loathing or hatred. Having experienced the media frenzy and vicious attacks first hand, we are now teaming up with the Polish Ombudsman to hold an open, public debate which will aim to find ways in which we can combat and address the rise of hate in Poland.
We will be looking for practical solutions we can apply in our daily lives and legal pathways we can take to combat hate - both online and offline. We want to dig deeper, that's why there will be lawyers, activists, and educators among our panellists.
The debate will be hosted by Jerzy Owsiak, social activist and chairman of the GOCC Foundation and Adam Bodnar, Polish Ombudsman. Bartosz Węglarczyk will moderate the discussion between Anna Błaszczak-Banasiak (lawyer, representing fair treatment department in the Ombudsman's office); Joanna Grabarczyk (social activist, coordinator of "Hate Stop" project); Rafał Pankowski (culture sociologist, a professor at Collegium Civitas; member of the board of Football Against Racism).
Five days before the 32nd Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, we visited the 'Pomnik - Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka' (Children's Memorial Health Institute) to ceremoniously inaugurate the first Ophthalmic Simulation Laboratory in Europe dedicated exclusively to the field of peadiatric ophthalmology.
For the eighteenth time, Jurek Owsiak, this time from the final stage on the PGE Narodowy meadows in Warsaw, opened the joyful run under the same slogan "Get Even with Diabetes". Crowds of running enthusiasts, after a five-kilometre route through the streets of Warsaw, will reach the finish line located in the same place.
41 days before the 32nd Grand Finale and our annual collection is already peaking! PLN 1,108,427 has already powered our fundraiser held in aid of respiratory units across Poland!
