Is cooperation between business and NGOs possible? How to build partnerships between sectors?
On May 11, 2024, we participated in the participatory conference “Connecting the Dots! Inclusion and diversity between sectors”, organized by the Humanity in Action Polska Foundation at the Social and Economic Innovation Cluster in Cracow.
The participants and panelists included people from all over Poland representing the business and social sectors, universities and local governments, including: Director General of the Polish Business Roundtable, Dr. Małgorzata Durska, Nina Gabryś-Janowska, Dora Mołodyńska Kuntzel, Joanna Pająk, Mateusz Płoskonka, Dr. Roksana Ulatowska, Dr. Katarzyna Kubin, Dr. Kacper Dziekan, Andrzej Mikołajewski and prof. Beata Kowalska from the Jagiellonian University, member of the Council of the Humanity in Action Foundation.
Together we wondered how to establish effective and wise alliances for diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), and what lessons we draw from the examples of the so-called unsuccessful actions. The most important conclusion that will stay with us is that the key to effective cooperation is a partnership approach, not a transactional one, from all parties participating in a given initiative.
In addition to participating in the conference, we also summarized our activities under the KICKSTARTER project – a program strengthening NGOs in which we participate as one of ten organizations. The project is implemented by the Humanity in Action Polska Foundation and financed by the “Memory, Responsibility, Future” Foundation (EVZ). Its media patron is NGO.pl.
You can see the effects on our YouTube channel! [link] In addition to those visible “outside”, we have retained many good practices and activities inside the organization, such as training or developing new principles of cooperation and work organization. We are extremely proud to participate in KICKSTARTER and thank HIA Polska for this opportunity!
*****
Photos: Piotr Banasik