Active in the Villages

Rural communities in Poland face challenges with low civic engagement. Among the reasons are limited legal awareness, low trust in democratic institutions, political and social divisions, and fear of authority. This lack of participation leaves issues, that are key to local development like resilience building, environmental care, and shared space management solely to local authorities, leading to inadequate responses to current and future challenges. Elected village leaders (currently 40 554 persons including over 18 000 women) have the potential to be key figures in grassroots democracy, as they represent all the citizens. A growing number of them is going beyond their formal duties and initiating social activities, by cooperating with local CSOs they could facilitate civic engagement. However, they often struggle to mobilize local communities due to their insufficient knowledge and skills. They also face online hate speech, lack of recognition, and resistance from local authorities, leading to burnout. To address these issues, the project aims to strengthen competencies of rural CSO’s and village leaders through training and networking. 

At least 400 CSOs and village leaders will participate in events organized within the project and join a support network, 2000+ individuals will benefit from online resources such as guides, webinars, and expert advice. 
Expected deliverables:
5 National Meetings of Rural Leaders (three days each, 200 participants). At least 30% of participants will be new each year, 
10 two-day regional meetings (50 people each) to strengthen local networks. 
10 follow-up online regional meetings. 
15 thematic three-day workshops (25 participants each) 
Support in organizing 15 educational and networking events prepared by CSOs or informal groups within village leaders’ networks. 
Online promotion and knowledge-sharing, including the "Village for the New Times" platform on witrynawiejska.org.pl development, featuring at least 40 new educational materials, 60 expert pieces of advice, promotion in social media and a forum for village leaders
 

The project aims to enhance the competencies of 400+ village leaders and rural activists across Poland in initiating and supporting civic engagement and involvement of residents in local development issues. 
By participating in training and networking, rural leaders will gain knowledge, skills and inspiration to initiate social and civic activities and to engage others. 
Empowering rural leaders will enhance their capacity to mobilize communities, advocate for citizen participation, and engage in civic initiatives like resilience building, environmental protection, and participatory spatial planning. They will be more effective in their roles, better equipped to manage common challenges and will foster inclusivity while improving cooperation with local governments.

The knowledge and experiences will be widely disseminated through online platforms to inspire further civic activism in rural Poland, strengthening social ties and community resilience in response to climate change and geopolitical challenges.