On November 24 – 27 2016 the Annual Meeting of EGAM (European Grassroots Antiracist Movement), association of European human rights organizations, to which the Open Republic belongs, was held in Warsaw.

During the four-days meeting activists from all Europe, but also from other countries, discussed the subjects connected with human rights protection and activity of their organizations. Among numerous points on the agenda two issues require special mentioning – international consultations in the Parliament and public debate in POLIN museum.

On November 24, at the invitation of Nowoczesna party deputies’ club, international consultations took place in the Parliament; their title: “Communication instead of violence, cooperation instead of discrimination. How to build space for cooperation instead of exclusion, moderated by Krzysztof Rek. The meeting was attended by delegates of EGAM, MP Joanna Scheuring – Wielgus and activists of Nowoczesna, members of the Management Board of the Open Republic – Marek Gumkowski, Magdalena Czyż, Elżbieta Petrajtis – O’Neill, Damian Wutke and representatives of Polish NGOs – Lambda Warszawa, Kampania Przeciw Homofobii [Campaign against Homophobia], Transfuzja [Transfusion], Amnesty International and Miłość nie Wyklucza [Love does not Exclude] Association.

The second exceptional event was a public debate “Nationalism, revisionism, xenophobia – threats for the world of democratic values” about the strategy of political groups which is noticeable in Poland and in Europe and which threatens the basic democratic values, i.e. historical policy and negationism, changing and falsifying narration about what is national and what is European. Discussion took place on November 25 in the Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN. Panelists: Professor Danuta Hübner, Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, Benjamin Abtan – President of EGAM and the Chairwoman of the Program Board of our association – Paula Sawicka. Debate was moderated by a member of the Program Board – Aleksandra Gliszczyńska – Grabias.

The fact that the annual meeting of one of the biggest European networks of human rights organizations took place in Warsaw is a signal for us that the situation of Polish NGOs raises concern of our friends from other countries.