Jak przebiega praca krośnieńskiego organizatora społecznościowego w centralnej części miasta? Podsumowanie 6 miesięcy działań.

Damian Piórko Ziemba, implementing a model of public participation that was innovative for Krosno, focused on talking to young people in the first months of his work. Listening to what they had to say, asking how they perceived the city and whether it was a welcoming place for their generation, he heard that a good life in Krosno largely depended on how much the young were allowed to act, implement their ideas and communicate what they had to say. During the listening campaign, back in January, Damian managed to identify 3 leaders. One group united around Tomasz Salata - a fourth-year high school student at Krosno Secondary School, a person struggling with autism, and another around Bartosz Dylewski and Gabriela Smyke - graduates of Krosno high schools, people with a keen interest in promoting social projects aimed at young people.

In late February and early March, Damian conducted facilitation with the groups. He tried, as a neutral person, to support the emerged teams in such a way that, on the one hand, he recognized their goals and motivations for action and, on the other hand, helped identify opportunities, make decisions and outline a plan of action. This is how two ideas were born, whose authors and initiators were the youth united around Tom, Bartosz and Gabriela.

The first event titled "We are all blue", whose intention was to raise awareness of autism, was held on three Saturdays in March, i.e. 4th,11th,18th, at three different locations in the city: the Market Square, Jordan Park and Krosno Secondary School. The program of events was rich in lectures, exhibitions, animations with games, competitions and sports games. Each of these occasions told the story of how non-diverse people are.

The second event organized on the occasion of the World Day of Creativity and Innovation took place on April 21 at the Krosno Market Square. The theme of the event was creativity and ingenuity. Young people, dressed up in various costumes, encouraged passers-by to join in animation and integration dances, told what the Let’s wake up the city project was, encouraged people to express their opinions about the city, and invited them to see what the reconstruction group was doing. The event culminated with the presentation of the film "Three Brothers and a Well" shot in Posada Górna by the ViArt youth group. 

Meanwhile, Damian held parallel discussions and facilitation with councilors and seniors representing the Council of the housing estate Tysiąclecie and the Senior Citizens Club at DDL Puchatek. The important mission of these groups turned out to be the desire to act for the benefit of the residents of Krosno. It became the ambition of senior group leader Adam Charzewski to activate locals in the daily life of the club in Puchatek, while the leaders of the councilors' group, Gabriela Pawlowska and Sylwia Gorczyczewska, to increase the involvement of people from the estate in joint initiatives.

Several months of meetings, resulted in an event through which it was possible to unite the social activists of two remote areas – the Tysiąclecie housing estate and the Kroscienko Nizne district. Teams supported by Damian initiated their first Neighborhood Festival - the Railroad Street Festival, which took place on May 20, with wide institutional participation. In organizing the festival were involved: RCKP, PPSKAKiB, Etnocentrum and Krosno Public Library. And all this in order to enliven various corners of Kolejowa Street and get residents to come out of their homes, join in animations, exchange plants or play field games.

Photos –Damian Piórko Ziemba.