Data from the Centre for Public Opinion Research 2014 study shows that Poles increasingly believe in a positive value of initiatives geared towards common good, while simultaneously feeling a greater need to express their opinions in public. The research, published in Science Journals of the University of Economics and Innovation in Lublin, showed that civic engagement is closely connected to the place one lives in and a sense of self-determination and agency. According to the cited research, Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship noted a drop in civic engagement. Additionally, our observations suggest that individuals at risk of social exclusion, including individuals with long-term illness, face more obstacles to civic engagement.

We would like to involve 20 individuals diagnosed with Phenylketonuria and 30 individuals from their immediate environment in civic initiatives in their towns. We will conduct workshops on weight management and the potential to get involved in local and civic issues. We will also organize a training retreat in Warsaw, during which the participants in the project will learn about the participatory budget and other ways to get involved on example of other successful local governments across Poland. Additionally, they will learn about the work of the highest levels of the Polish administration. We will conduct five monthly meetings dedicated to participatory budgets available in their towns, discuss how to get involved and co-decide about the development of one’s community. The workshops will cover issues such as active involvement, writing petitions, creating posters and social campaigns. We will also facilitate a meeting between our participants and the officials from the Bydgoszcz City Hall, giving them an opportunity to share their ideas for the city.