I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

 

  

Political Contingencies and Cross-borderPractices of Civil Society.

Polish Case Studies

Iwona Sagan

1. Civil society as a precondition and a solution to the successful EU Neighbourhood Policy

2. Two Polish case studies: similarities and differences

3. Eastern and Western idea of civil society

4. Possible ways of civil society transnational cooperation improvements

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

Why the civil society perspective is so important for EU policy of integration and neighbourhood?

One of the most significant difference between totalitarian ideologies like communism and western liberalism is the existence of the civil society with its voluntary associations like trade unions, political parties, religious communities, pressure and lobby groups and clubs, which fill the space between the family and the state.

Gellner

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

Civil society as the precondition for a social change

Civil society is sorely needed to fill the communicative and the democratic space that divides the European Union internally and from its neighbours.

A bottom-up process of civil society activity might bring together different economic, social and political spaces of EU and its neighbours more effectively and substantially than the efforts of top-down information campaigns.

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

• Solidarity was a nation-wide civil society movement perceived by majority of people as another embodiment of Polish struggle for independence;

• national identity and dignity became the main task of Solidarity;

• Solidarity confirmed the power of values in political life;

• Solidarity emerged as an organization not only independent fromthe state but first of all opposing the state apparatus - this

showedthat people could organize themselves without the state

supportand that this organization worked even better than the

stateprovided services

The power of civil society - Solidarity movement in Poland

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

Polish Case Studies

• case study Poland – Russia

(Kaliningrad Oblast)

• case study Poland - Ukraine

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

• young borders – 1945;young borders – 1945;• common past - ethnic minorities on both sides of borders;common past - ethnic minorities on both sides of borders;• closeness of languages, mentalities, everyday culturescloseness of languages, mentalities, everyday cultures;;• weak regional economies on both sides:weak regional economies on both sides:

mainly agriculture, mainly agriculture, old industryold industryhigh unemploymenthigh unemploymentlow enterprise activitylow enterprise activity

• 1945 – 1989 borders were dividing lines:1945 – 1989 borders were dividing lines:cross- border interactions were limited to few border cross- border interactions were limited to few border

crossing pointscrossing points cooperation limited to border security issues;cooperation limited to border security issues;• after the transition –cooperation has started to developafter the transition –cooperation has started to develop in both in both cases;cases;

Common phenomenaCommon phenomena

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

Different transformational pathways Polish – Russian border line

Strongly asymmetrical civil societies development being a result of democratization processes advancement: - on the Polish side – deep going tradition of CS mobilization; well formally rooted and politically independent CSOs; numerous active networks and organizations interested in CBC - on the Russian side – the lack of CS tradition; central state controlled and politically dependent CSOs; reluctant partners in CBC reflecting political preferences and interests of Centre in their activity and attitude

In the result the Polish-Russian border is still a border line with border crossing points perceived as a source of problems and with a lack of regional and local networks able to build the bottom-up cross-border neighbourhood relations.

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

Different transformational pathways Polish – Ukrainian border zone

Although still asymmetrical in a stage of development civil societies heading for the same pattern on both sides of a border.

„The Orange Revolution” was a civil society mobilisation momentum which significantly intensified and improve the cross-border relations. The civil society movement though concentrated around values has triggered good neighbourhood practices in social and economic spheres as well.

The unification power of civil society activity is strongly present despite the troublesome history dividing the nations. Poland has become an accepted model and supporter in the democratization and transition processes.

In the result the Polish-Ukrainian border has become a border zone with developed regional and local networks of cooperation able to build the bottom-up cross-border neighbourhood relations.

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

Eastern European perspective: Western European perspective:

differences in vision of civil society

ethical standards, unity around values, anti-state and anti-politics attitude

plurality, fragmentation, citizen’s involvement in grassroots activity

the main aim

to renew the role of trust in the social relationships

to introduce more plurality in the social life to oppose and to supplement the pragmatic state’s administration

similarities

• to develop the strategy, which enable people to participate more in public life • to reformulate the idea of citizenship and the relationship between ethics and politics • to develope the civil society for freedom

Eastern and Western idea of civil society

based on Koczanowicz, 2003

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

From the Polish-Ukrainian case it is clear that only pragmatic values and procedures are not enough to motivate people to be involved in public issues. The emotional engagement of people is necessary to motivate them to organise themselves to act for the common good.

One of the fundamental tasks but also one of the most difficult tasks in the process of EU integration and neighbourhood policy is to turn the evoked common commitment to values into permanent structures of CSOs. The voluntary associations of CS must be complemented by a set of practices and institutional frameworks that link them to the local, regional and state units instead of only opposing them.

It may lay the solid fundament for European public sphere not isolated by the border lines.

How to institutionalize the Eastern idea of civil society?

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

The development of education - with special emphasis on social sciences:

Boundaries are not ‘natural’ phenomena, they are produced by social and political interactions in human history. That is why the role of social and humanistic sciences is crucial in their understanding, reading and deconstructing them.

examples: - Central–Eastern Europe Institute in Lublin- Institute of European Integration of Ivan Franko National University

- Civic Education Project funded by the Open Society Institute revitalizing the social sciences in Eastern Europe to strengthen the foundations upon which democracy can develope

The possible strategies to strengthen CS cooperation

I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009

Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk

The development of communication:

- environmental and cultural heritage joint projects realised by NGOsexample: renovation of the Polish cemetery in Lviv

- or music events are one of the most effective way of communication;

- the role of Internet

The possible strategies to strengthen CS cooperation