ZLU 2019
‘Closer to Europe’ and green politics in Poland – Green Summer University 2019
After the Green Summer University 2018 near the eastern border of the EU, this time “closer to Europe” 150 “green” activists met for the fifth Polish ZLU 2019. Ośno Lubuskie is a small town of less than five thousand inhabitants, close to the cross-border agglomeration Słubice – Frankfurt (O), separated by the Oder River. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the GEF European Green Foundation (host of this and several other green universities in Europe) and the Green Zone Foundation, the 2019 edition was opened by Ewa Sufin-Jacquemart, who recalled the four previous ZLUs and their achievements in developing networks around green values, Irene Hahn-Fuhr, Director of the Representative Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation in Warsaw. Heinrich Boell Foundation in Warsaw presented her organisation’s impressive activities since last year, and Marek Kossakowski, co-chair of the Green Party, explained why ZLU 2019 came to O¶no Lubuskie: in the last regional elections, the Greens won 22.11% of the vote there and 16.80% in the European elections. The recognisability of the local Green activists and activists, especially their charismatic leader Tomasz Aniśko, a scientist and cross-border activist, is the reason for this exceptional result. They deserved to be the hosts of such a unique event as a green university. ZLU 2019 took place at a special moment, when the European Union already has a new European Parliament. We already know that the pro-European forces still clearly dominate, giving no room to the nationalist populists, but in addition there was a ‘Green Wave’ and the Greens/European Free Alliance faction gained 25 new members becoming the fourth largest political group in the European Parliament, larger than either the Left or the Conservatives. This was recounted in a video by Ska Keller
Ponieważ w Polsce występuje ogromny deficyt polityki klimatycznej i ekologicznej, kolejne debaty plenarne dotyczyły kryzysu klimatycznego i transformacji energetycznej, utraty różnorodności biologicznej oraz wspólnej polityki żywnościowej jako uzupełnienia tradycyjnej unijnej Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej., co-chair of the Greens/EFA group in the EP, who summarised the situation in the EP at the time and conveyed support for the Greens in Poland. The opening plenary debate was, of course, on the future of Green Europe, or the Green future of Europe, with the participation of Serge Lagodinski, the new German MEP, Zuzana Pavelkova, co-chair of the Federation of Young European Greens, Małgorzata Tracz, co-chair of the Green Party, Miriam Kennet, president of the Green Economics Institute and Jamie Kendrick of the Green European Journal. It was moderated by Maciej Slobodzian and Miłosława Stępień from the National Council of the Green Party. The conclusion of this very interesting debate was clear: all green structures, organisations and related movements, especially in Eastern Europe, must be at the centre of the struggle for ecological, social and economic change in the EU in order to face the huge challenges of the great climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, depletion of non-renewable resources, growing inequalities and injustices, weakening of democracy. Networking and cooperation are the key words, we need to work together, mobilise, actively participate in the civil society movement for change, propose a credible political alternative.
There were four plenary debates, three lectures, two activist meetings, five workshops, two round tables, three trainings, three panels, two screenings of the documentary film “Human Energy” by Adam Dzienis, two meetings with the wonderful “Marcin from the forest”, Marcin Kostrzynski, nature photographer – one for children and one for adults, one ecological walk for children and families with Dr Marta Jermaczek-Sitak, seven morning and evening nature walks with eco-guides, in addition to Marta, these included Dr Magdalena Bartoszewicz and Magdalena Mądrawska-Okołow, a group tour of the symbiotic garden by Tomasz and Anna Aniśek, a children’s painting workshop with Jarosław Malicki and, finally, a collective ‘Big Jump’ happening in the Oder with accessories produced by the children. Many of these events were broadcast live and some were filmed. Many short interviews with panellists were recorded, as well as an interview with Sergey Lagodinsky for the next issue of Green News. We will gradually make material from the ZLU available on our website and social media, as well as on partners’ websites.
We also hosted the helmsmen of the Living Earth Coalition, who held a working meeting on the occasion of the ZLU with Christine Chemnitz from the Heinrich Boell Foundation and Ewa Jakubowska-Lorenz from the foundation’s representation in Warsaw. As usual, the Green News and its editor-in-chief Beata Nowak were with us, this time with an issue of the newspaper dedicated to animal rights, there were representatives of Green think-tanks, foundations and parties from other countries and from the European level, there were many Green politicians and politicians, activists and activists from Poland. The Green Summer University is organised and funded by the Green European Foundation GEF and the Heinrich Boell Foundation in Warsaw, with support from the Green Zone Foundation and financial support from the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. It is primarily aimed at activists of organisations, movements and structures working for the values recognised by these foundations. PROGRAMME (photos and links to recordings of individual events are included): Photos by Beata Nowak, Weronika Bloch, Arkadiusz Gmurczyk and Anna Aniśko.Thursday 11.07 17:00 – 19:00 – Ośno Lubuskie, the green border town – meeting with the Greens from Ośno Lubuskie and with Michael Kurzwelly, founder of the “town” of Słubfurt and the “country” of New America
9:30 – 11:30 Does the Green Wave in the European Parliament offer hope for tackling climate change, reducing inequalities and improving democracy in the EU? – debate
Comment by Sergey Lagodinsky: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/1472486012894000/
Commentary by Zuzana Pavelkova (FYEG): https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/381305435723001/
Recording of the debate: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/691034961318111/ (1,500 viewers at the end of November 2019)
[This is part of the seminar ‘Towards Europe, democracy, ecology’ in partnership with the Heinrich Boell Foundation in Warsaw].
11:45 – 13:30 Saving the climate: energy transition necessary but not enough – debate with: Radosław Gawlik (EKO-UNIA/Green Party), Krystyna Boczkowska (ex-CEO Bosch Polska/Green Party), Maciej Wereszyński (Extinction Rebellion), Weronika Bloch (film “Human Energy”), Tomasz Wojciechowski (Chamber of Closed Circuit Economy/Green Party), moderated by Piotr Trzaskowski (Heinrich Boell Foundation Warsaw) and Urszula Zielińska (Green Party)
Comment by Tomasz Wojciechowski after the debate, on the Greens’ energy transition proposal: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/624765361352582/
Radosław Gawlik on what needs to be done in response to the climate crisis: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/468400790680132/
Recording of the debate: https://www.facebook.com/partiazieloni/videos/910984325933436/
14:30 – 16:15 6 The Great Extinction – can Europe prevent it? – Debate with the participation of: Prof. Piotr Skubala (University of Silesia), Radosław Ślusarczyk (The Laboratory of All Beings), Prof. Grzegorz Gabryś (University of Zielona Góra), Artur Furdyna (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Rzek Iy i Gowienica / Save the Rivers Coalition), moderated by Dr Marta Jermaczek-Sitak
“The biodiversity crisis is as important as the climate crisis” said Professor Skubala, and of course we agree with him. It is just that today neither one nor the other has representation in our Sejm or Senate political. Therefore, the time has come for the Greens. There were many important themes in this debate. We recommend listening to it in full. Recording of the debate: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/458097628307737/
We also recommend the issue of Green News on animal rights produced especially for the Green Summer University: http://zielonewiadomosci.pl/numer/031/
16:30 – 18:15 From the Common Agricultural Policy to the Common Food Policy – Video Olivier de Schutter panel: Video Olivie de Schutter
Video Common Food Policy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np1Vo88313I&t=1s
Recording of the debate: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/2083514968417261/
Later edition of a special Green News “Good food good agriculture”: http://zielonewiadomosci.pl/numer/nr-033/
[Debate within the framework of the Green European Foundation’s international project ‘Fair and Healthy Food’, in partnership with the Living Earth Coalition]. 20:00 – 21:00 Passive and green building – lecture by Jarosław Malicki
22:00 – documentary on energy cooperatives “Human Energy”.
Saturday 13.07 Parallel in four halls (simultaneous translation in the Hall):
Auditorium s. languages s. workshops s. debates 9:00 – 10:30 Oder and the World Bank – information 9:30 – 11:00 GEF e-learning platform – training 9:30 – 11:00 Ecofeminism – workshop 9:30 – 11:00 Citizens’ panel – lecture 10:30 – 12: 00 Green information in the EU 12:00 – 13:30 Nuclear energy – lecture 11:15 – 13:00 Hunting – round table 11:15 – 13:00 E-learning for climate movements – workshop 11:15 – 13:00 Mobility in the EU – testimony 14: 00 – 15:45 Economics of sustainability – panel 14:00 – 15:45 Education – panel 14:00 – 15:45 Electoral campaigning – workshop 14:00 – 15:45 Urban water – lecture / workshop 16:00 – 17:45 Green city in a nationalist region – roundtable 16:00 – 17:45 Platforms, coalitions – roundtable 16:00 – 17:45 Youth – climate and green activism – workshop 16:00 – 17:45 Security politics – panel 1. [Biodiversity] Is hunting necessary and acceptable in times of the 6th Great Extinction? – roundtable in partnership with Let Them Live! and the Living Earth Coalition, with guest speaker Prof. Werner Kratz, chaired by Ewa Sufin-Jacquemart
2 [Water, rivers, wetlands] River in the city – workshop lecture. by dr inż. arch. Anna Januchty-Szostak (Architecture Department, Poznan University of Technology). Moderated by Izabela Zygmunt 3. [Water, rivers, wetlands] It is time to stop or radically change the Oder River flood protection projects financed by the World Bank – information – Radek Gawlik (EKO-UNIA / Green Party), Ewa Leś, Sascha Maier (BUND) 4. [Women] Will ecofeminism change the world? – workshop led by Magdalena Gałkiewicz (Łódzkie Dziewuchy / Partia Zieloni) and Aleksandra Kołeczek (Ostra Zieleń / Partia Zieloni)
6 [security] What should be the security policy of Poland and Europe in today’s unstable world? – panel featuring: Piotr Niemczyk and Weronika Grzebalska (PhD student at SNS PAN), moderated by: Maciej Józefowicz (Green Party) 7. [education] “How to educate people in a rapidly changing world full of challenges?” – panel with discussion with Piotr Działak and Krystyna Boczkowska, moderated by Aleksandra Kretkowska (Green Party) 8. [mobility in the EU] “How to change the country of residence and still participate actively in public life?” – testimony by Joanna Kaminska (Green councillor of Ecolo in Brussels/Green Party) and Anna Czechowska (Agit-Polska/Green Germany, Berlin), meeting chaired by Urszula Zielinska (Green Party)
Record: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/2361295514144855/
9 [civic democracy] “European Citizens’ Panel – Utopia or the necessary evolution of direct democracy”. – lecture by Marcin Gerwin with discussion 10. [energy] “Why don’t the Greens see nuclear energy as a climate hope?”. – workshop led by Marcin Harembski (Social Atomic Monitor) and Artur Wieczorek (Green Party) 11. [Green tools] “Getting to know the green e-learning platform mygreenlearning.eu – training led by Urszula Sadłowska from the Green European Foundation 12. [Green city] “How to develop green cities in a conservative-nationalist region/country vs. in an enabling environment?” – workshop with German and Polish Greens: Josephine Assum (Stuttgart), Michael Schmelich (Dresden), Paweł Pomian (Wrocław), Arkadiusz Gmurczyk (Płock), led by Aleksandra Kretkowska Recorded: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/2296306830405510/
https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/1159595030897549/
Josephine Assum (Stuttgart) 13. [Green family] Q&A on the European Green Party and the Greens in the European Parliament – Benedetta de Marte, EPZ Political Advisor Recording: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/798207930572953/
14 [ad-hoc meeting] Carbon budget in Warsaw, Boris Lewandowski
11:00 – Marcin Kostrzynski – Encounters with nature for children
Recording: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/2333065306759110/
18:00 – Marcin Kostrzyński – Meetings with nature for adults Recorded: https://www.facebook.com/FundacjaStrefaZieleni/videos/473488816814910/
22:00 – Adam Dzienis’ documentary film about energy cooperatives “Human Energy” Leaving Ośno Lubuskie by bus on the way back to Warsaw, we drove to the Oder, where you can walk from Słubice to Frankfurt on the Oder to take part in the European “Big Jump” action in defence of rivers. Using beautiful cardboard painted river creatures and inscriptions prepared for the ZLU by the children, under the direction of Jarosław Malicki, we symbolically “jumped” into the beautiful river Oder: https://www.facebook.com/partiazieloni/videos/689662984832096/.
PLEASE NOTE: We are running a permanent crowdfunding campaign for our green universities at http://pomagam.pl/ZielonyUniwersytet,
and we are currently raising funds for ZLU 2019. For a donation of at least 50PLN you can receive a prize of a beautiful artistic t-shirt (made of organic cotton and Fair Wear) with graphics of our participant Ela Holoweńko from the series “Ecofeminism” or Ola Wasilewska with the graphic “Bison, Paperwhite”, and for at least 20PLN you can get a beautiful pin “I am an eco-feminist” or “Leave us the rivers” with the works of Ela Holoweńko or an issue of “Green News” on. You can get a beautiful “I’m an eco-feminist” or “Leave us the rivers” pin, or an issue of Green News on food, the countryside and agricultural policy or an English edition of Green News dedicated to the climate disaster. Make a donation at : http://pomagam.pl/ZielonyUniwersytet and send information to fundacja@strefazieleni.org what gift you would like to receive from us.
